Convention Center

[Pete]

That $500 million number is of course based on math that suits your argument and is just as debatable and squishy as the math you suggest the City uses for its own purposes. Including the hotel in your total, for instance, is of course a defensible position but it’s also an incomplete telling and completely debatable.

For the record the anticipated base bid of the convention center is $193 million.

It's based on actual figures provided by the City. And that base bid is only part of the project.

And since you are challenging my objectivity I must restate I have nothing to gain here where you and your business are completely tied to this project and the people who run it.

In Millions:
Convention Center $252
Contingency moved to CC budget $36
Parking garage $10
Hotel public cost $85
Interest on $85MM $50
TIF for land acquisition $10
Total $443

Other:
Land swap with OG&E $10
Add Alternates $9
Hotel land $10
Total cost of parking garage less $10MM $27

[Urbanized]

I’m not challenging your objectivity just clearly stating that it is one of multiple legitimate ways to look at this project.

And again, TIF, hotel public participation and other public funding have been brought to bear throughout downtown for the past couple of decades, and for projects both directly and tangentially connected to MAPS-generated improvements.

[Pete]

I’m not challenging your objectivity just clearly stating that it is one of multiple legitimate ways to look at this project.

And again, TIF, hotel public participation and other public funding have been brought to bear throughout downtown for the past couple of decades, and for projects both directly and tangentially connected to MAPS-generated improvements.

I will restate:

1. The convention center was pitched and approved at $252 million.
2. To date, $443 million in public funds have been committed towards it (all 'must haves') with a bunch more associated indirect costs.
3. The number continues to grow and construction has yet to commence.
4. There is nothing to suggest future spending will come from anywhere other than public funds.

These are very important points that are not being reported in any sort of perspective anywhere but here and if I seem negative it's only because I feel obligated to report what is actually happening.

[dankrutka]

It is super informative whenever you two debate an issue.

[Pete]

It is super informative whenever you two debate an issue.

Thanks.

Urbanized better still be taking me to the Thunder game tonight!

[BoulderSooner]

It's based on actual figures provided by the City. And that base bid is only part of the project.

And since you are challenging my objectivity I must restate I have nothing to gain here where you and your business are completely tied to this project and the people who run it.

In Millions:
Convention Center $252
Contingency moved to CC budget $36
Parking garage $10
Hotel public cost $85
Interest on $85MM $50
TIF for land acquisition $10
Total $443

Other:
Land swap with OG&E $10
Add Alternates $9
Hotel land $10
Total cost of parking garage less $10MM $27

Just to be clear that contingency money was first removed from the CC project and then it was added back in

[Urbanized]

Thanks.

Urbanized better still be taking me to the Thunder game tonight!

Haha for the record I hadn't even seen the most recent posts when I texted you to confirm.

[Pete]

These slides are from the presentation given to the convention center committee.

The items removed from the base bid total $11.4 million, not $9 million as reported by the Oklahoman.

Prediction: All the building alternates get done by taking more money from overall MAPS contingency; all the site alternates (more than $7 million) get done by the City taking tax dollars out of street and/or Project 180 money.

[Pete]

$9 million more being put into the convention center budget, this time for the parking garage:

http://newsok.com/convention-center-...rticle/5572230

Also, the city is buying the OG&E gold building for an undetermined amount to be paid later, but still has to count against this project.

Article says the convention tab is "at least $425 million" but I'm sure those calcs don't include the $50 million in interest for paying Omni their $85 million up front.


I stand by my numbers that this project is approaching half a billion and it hasn't even been bid yet.

[zefferoni]

Also, the city is buying the OG&E gold building for an undetermined amount to be paid later, but still has to count against this project.

I'll miss that old ugly building. I don't think I ever got a picture, but there was a really cool mission control-style room in there where they used to coordinate substation stuff, with a giant wall map/diagram that lit up back in the day.

[Laramie]

Estimated $500 million: We should have a grand convention center to compete with cities like Louisville, Raleigh & Memphis. City does seem to add more stems & pieces to this project.

Parking is necessary to finalize a deal with Omni Hotels for a $235.5 million, 600-room luxury hotel to serve as a headquarters hotel for the nearly $300 million convention center.--Oklahoman, Crum November 14, 2017

Oklahoma City 2016 population estimates: Metro 1,373,211, Urban 638,367

It will take $500 million to keep up with cities on our level (1.2 million+ metro & 450,000+ urban population); especially if we want to maintain an attractive convention center, arena & hotel equipped with parking & a sky walk to the 600 room Omni.

[OKC_on_mines]

I believe William Crum at the Oklahoman mentioned how we are projected to collect a possible $30 million over the original plan. If there were any areas we were able to come in under budget we cOUld potentially add those funds to whatever surplus we have by Dec. 31st.

Hopefully, when it is all said and done, we have no trOUble funding anything from the Maps 3 initiative.

[Pete]

The new substation is almost complete.

[gopokes88]

How delayed is this project at this point? a year? two?

[stile99]

How delayed is this project at this point? a year? two?

The fact that people keep asking that shows that they could do a better job communicating the timeline. Why do you feel it is delayed?

[kevin lee]

At the first site planning in Feb 2016, it was stated that construction wasn't beginning until 2018 with a completion date of 2020. They shouldn't have to say much more than that because it seems they're on schedule.

[warreng88]

OKC to buy OG&E land for $14 million

By: Brian Brus The Journal Record December 5, 2017

OKLAHOMA CITY – The city will spend $14 million to acquire a downtown block from Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co. to build a parking garage, the City Council decided Tuesday.

The 865-space garage will cost $40 million to build once the deal goes through. It is needed to support MAPS 3 development in the Core to Shore area north of the Oklahoma River, in particular a new convention center, hotel, and 70-acre park.

COTPA, the city’s parking authority, will pay for the construction project through the issuance of bond debt. The municipal government will fund the property acquisition with $9 million from the MAPS 3 sales tax and $5 million in a loan by the Oklahoma City Economic Development Trust that OG&E has agreed to carry for 20 years at zero interest.

“It’s a little bit different than maybe some of the other things that we’ve seen in the past but very similar to many of the other real estate purchases we’ve done for the convention center and the park and throughout the Core to Shore area,” said Cathy O’Connor, head of the Urban Renewal Authority.

OG&E is selling the block bounded by SW Third and Fourth streets, between Broadway Avenue and E.K. Gaylord Boulevard, where the utility has a control center for power transmission and distribution systems. The property is often referred to as the gold building because of the color of its unadorned metal plating. The purchase price is based on fair market value, O’Connor said.

The utility technology will be relocated in northeast Oklahoma City by March 2019 once the transaction is closed. O’Connor said City Hall should use that time to work on other parts of the project, such as architectural design and whether private developers will be allowed.

Mayor Mick Cornett questioned whether the utility had reason to finish in a timely manner. O’Connor said the agreement does not include a clause for delay damages; however, OG&E is still motivated by noble reasons.

“They have been great to deal with and I think they see this as part of their contribution as a community partner with the city,” she said.

Councilman Ed Shadid also wondered about OG&E’s position, asking whether O’Connor had received a full accounting for relocation costs. The new site, just south of NW 10th Street, is expected to cost no more than $300,000; the utility has agreed to pay for any overage.

“We’ve talked about it in very broad terms and they’ve indicated to me some of the components of relocation,” O’Connor said. “The city’s share is substantially less than the full cost. … They’ve indicated to me that their relocation costs are well in excess of $7 million.”

“But you don’t have a breakdown of what exactly they’re putting in there and what each thing costs, making them whole,” Shadid said. “How do you negotiate that if you do not know the numbers?”

“I do not. You are right,” O’Connor said.

Shadid followed up by asking if that caused any concern. City Manager Jim Couch said it did not, adding that the utility company prefers not to have all of its business numbers public.

Shadid voted against the four related agenda items; they passed regardless, 8-1. Seven affirmative votes were needed to waive the competitive bidding process, and six votes were needed for the city to incur the debt.

City residents voted for the original Metropolitan Area Projects plan in 1993 as a temporary 1-cent sales tax, later extending it six months to reach a $350 million target. Projects included construction of the Bricktown Canal and renovations to what’s now known as the Cox Convention Center.

In 2001, voters came back and supported OCMAPS, also called MAPS for Kids, to raise $700 million for school district infrastructure improvements.

In 2009, residents approved MAPS 3 to raise $777 million for projects such as a new downtown park, streetcar, senior wellness centers, convention center and river improvements.

[stile99]

OG&E is making out like bandits. Revenge for not allowing the rate hike they tried to push through before it was approved?

[Jersey Boss]

Why would Couch endorse a public monopoly keeping business numbers a secret? More importantly, why would the Council plow ahead with out a full accounting of expenses? This is poor stewardship of tax monies. It is also a display of poor leadership of a gubernatorial candidate.

[Pete]

OG&E has started to dismantle the substation in prep for full move to the new site by the OK River, all needed to make room for the convention center.

[warreng88]

Potential visiting groups want to see convention center progress

By: Brian Brus The Journal Record December 22, 2017

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau is putting a little more effort into convincing event organizers that, yes, the downtown MAPS 3 convention center will be built and on time.

“We’re dealing with groups that want to be put in the convention center right now. They’re booking their events three or four years out,” bureau Marketing and Communications Director Seth Spillman said.

“We have to have a message put together about what Oklahoma City will look like then,” he said. “Because it’s a dramatically different package from what we have right now.”

The convention center is part of the package of projects voters approved under the MAPS 3 temporary sales tax issue, which will produce slightly more than $777 million by the time it ends this year. The project at SW Fourth Street and S. Robinson Avenue broke ground this year. Once finished, it will have a 200,000-square-foot exhibit hall, 45,000-square-foot meeting space and 30,000-square-foot ballroom.

In November, city officials reported development of the convention center remains within budget, although a list of additions might require more money. The center is scheduled for completion by 2020.

Greater Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau President Mike Carrier recently said the city lost out on hosting a group in 2022 because construction on the $288 million convention center has not started yet. The bureau’s sales team had tried to secure the U.S. National Guard’s annual conference, which promised about 12,000 room nights for local hotels. Organizers wanted evidence of progress before committing their own resources.

Carrier said that experience highlights the need for better promotional material. People are too used to seeing large projects be announced and not come to fruition.

“Once folks see it start, we’ll see some changes in attitude,” Carrier said.

To that end, the bureau created a video that targeted the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, which was trying to find a place for its 2020 convention. Carrier said investing in material from the Ackerman McQueen media consultant agency made the feature possible, and having a staff videographer helped a lot.

“We have been working with a 12-person customer advisory board of meeting planners around the country with various levels of experience with Oklahoma City,”
Spillman said. “Using that feedback we’re pulling together a program that will launch with the groundbreaking of the new convention center, and then the plan is to keep a steady trickle of information and buzz out there.”

[Pete]

Looks like they are moving forward with -- and expanding -- the skywalk between the Omni, parking garage and convention center.

The renderings show creating an enclosed corridor that would then connect to another enclosed bridge to the parking structure.

This was proposed by the MAPS 3 manager so I suspect this will be another addition to the convention center budget.

These plans will be reviewed in the next meeting of the Downtown Design Review Committee:

[David]

Hmn, so they're looking to close off 4th between the hotel and the convention center? Was that always part of the site plan?

[stile99]

I am totally fine with this. Not having a skybridge would be a very bad decision, and the singular reason the opponents could give against it isn't even valid.

[Pete]

Hmn, so they're looking to close off 4th between the hotel and the convention center? Was that always part of the site plan?

Yes, plans have always shown 4th closed between the convention center and the hotel.