SandRidge Center & Commons

[Spartan]

I don't see any harm, after all it's their money, their land.

And it's our city.

[Kerry]

You know what is so sad in all of this is that the main tower was put in the wrong place so they could have the corporate plaza in front of it. When that turned out to be a major screw-up the solution they come up with is to make the corporate plaza larger. Good idea, take the one thing that messes up the whole site and make it larger - brilliant.

[metro]

Well said Kerry, I've never thought of it that way before.

[Doug Loudenback]

I've got pics of yesterday's "hug-in" up now at Doug Dawgz Blog: Hugging Our SandRidge Buildings ... I haven't stuck any names in yet since I am still trying to get those that I can.

Click pics for larger ...





Glad to see Metro there ... and ... can you believe it ... David Glover was there and he and I are actually on the same side of something for a change. Wonders never cease.

[metro]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention David Glover, which was a little weird, but yeah it was odd to see Doug and I on the same side as David.

[Doug Loudenback]

Even though he and I have been at odds about votes (beginning with the Ford Center tax, ending with the MAPS 3 vote), he's really a decent guy and I've known his mom for years.

[Kerry]

If I send you a picture can you photoshop me in?

[Doug Loudenback]

Sure, not a problem!

[MikeOKC]

I haven't seen Doug post here about his latest article on his website, so I thought I would step in and send you that way. I visited the site last night and was, once again, blown away at his amazing skills. Doug's a retired lawyer and his latest post reads and looks like a well-planned courtroom defense for these buildings. He looks at them one by one, shows visually what will be destroyed, gives some history of the smaller buildings that we haven't read before, and just gives us another amazing piece. Doug is a treasure to this city. Really. Go read his latest, it's terrific.
Doug Dawgz Blog: SandRidge Proposal — What Have We Got To Lose?

[Doug Loudenback]

I haven't seen Doug post here about his latest article on his website, so I thought I would step in and send you that way. I visited the site last night and was, once again, blown away at his amazing skills. Doug's a retired lawyer and his latest post reads and looks like a well-planned courtroom defense for these buildings. He looks at them one by one, shows visually what will be destroyed, gives some history of the smaller buildings that we haven't read before, and just gives us another amazing piece. Doug is a treasure to this city. Really. Go read his latest, it's terrific.
Doug Dawgz Blog: SandRidge Proposal — What Have We Got To Lose?

Ha ha, now that's funny!

1. It's true that I didn't (I don't think) post a link to the "What Have We Got To Lose?" article here ... I think that I may finally be getting to the point of feeling guilty for being so self-serving (if that is, in fact, possible) but I'm surely pleased that you posted the link. You can be my sidekick anytime.
   
2. It's not actually my latest ... the latest is about the "hug-in" which occurred yesterday, which I did mention here in the larger SandRidge ... thread. To throw off the phony non-self-serving cloak, that one is here: Doug Dawgz Blog: Hugging Our SandRidge Buildings
   
3. Last, I'm not retired. I just don't work as much as I used to. Gotta keep some income coming in, don't you know?
   
4. Love the way you talk, Mike! Keep it up. Problem is, I know who the real hero is, and one who I'll never come close to matching ... Jack Bauer, who, one day, will save us all. Damn I love that guy.

[Spartan]

You know what is so sad in all of this is that the main tower was put in the wrong place so they could have the corporate plaza in front of it. When that turned out to be a major screw-up the solution they come up with is to make the corporate plaza larger. Good idea, take the one thing that messes up the whole site and make it larger - brilliant.

I've never been a fan of Pietro Belluschi's (or however in the hell you spell his name) anyway. 1980s Le Corbusier wannabe, and I just hate that entire design genre..it's interesting that OKC ended up being graced with a piece of it, although I will admit it looks awesome at night.

[Doug Loudenback]

I've added a brief section in the blog post ... something I hadn't thought to do originally ... add up the number of stories that would be destroyed in the SandRidge proposal ... the brief concluding section now looks like this:

[MikeOKC]

I've added a brief section in the blog post ... something I hadn't thought to do originally ... add up the number of stories that would be destroyed in the SandRidge proposal ... the brief concluding section now looks like this:

.

I thought I'd read about this from every possible angle, but Doug, I've never even thought to look at it that way. And, you're absolutely right, urban is up, after all.

[barnold]

Echo Mike's sentiments, never thought about it that way.....thanks doug.

[Soonerus]

I have been downtown 33 years and nothing is lost if these dogs are put out of their misery...they have been vacant eye sores for years....totally useless...thank you Sandridge for the vision....

[Larry OKC]

Thanks Doug for the great info you always provide.

To Soonerus: I am not saying that in every instance, every building needs to be saved just because it is old. And there is a certain validity to the argument that if a building has been vacant for years, why not get rid of it? But if the reason that it is vacant is because the owner doesn't want anything done with it...? And the final thought is the destruction of any building needs to be carefully thought out. Once the building is gone, it removes all possibility of renovating or restoring it.

[Spartan]

25% of downtown is currently vacant. Let's get out the wreckin ball!

[Larry OKC]

There ya go Spartan...that should increase the occupancy percentages! (I kid)

[soonerfan_in_okc]

anyway they could renovate a few of those old buildings to look like they did originally? like the ymca building for example. The way it looks now, i say get rid of it. But if they could make it more historic and take it back to its roots, then i say go for it.

[Spartan]

There ya go Spartan...that should increase the occupancy percentages! (I kid)

We can total up the overall cost of demolishing every parcel of empty space in downtown and then put it in a press release and send it out to Forbes, Fortune, CNBC, NY Times, and others..to create "national buzz" about OKC's amazing downtown development.

[rcjunkie]

We can total up the overall cost of demolishing every parcel of empty space in downtown and then put it in a press release and send it out to Forbes, Fortune, CNBC, NY Times, and others..to create "national buzz" about OKC's amazing downtown development.

Disagreeing and debating this issue is good, but why some feel the need to become a smart ass is childish!!

[sgt. pepper]

I think if they must demolish buildings, let them tear down that UGLY Kerr-McGee building

[Kerry]

I think if they must demolish buildings, let them tear down that UGLY Kerr-McGee building

No kidding - so long as they don't replace it with empty open space.

[wsucougz]

I've never been a fan of Pietro Belluschi's

He had more talent than Jim, though.

[Platemaker]

Just curious... I wonder how much OKC's downtown office vacancy would drop if the building are all demolished. Could that make downtown look 'better'?