Century Center

[Centerback]

hopefully that awful pain color will be the next thing to go. not sure what that will be to support the look they are going for, but I'm sure they can't leave what's there, or I hope not...

I agree about the paint color. The picture shows a greyish color on the large round garage entry that should reduce the adobe effect still on the Sheraton.

[shawnw]

I really hope it looks close to the rendering. That will make such a difference.

[Pete]

Photos from Metro and Will:

[catch22]

Sad to say that it looks 1,000 times better in this deconstruction state than the pre-demolition state.

[Snowman]

Why not? Are they really happy with that look? This is a great time to re-imagine the look and feel of this woebegone property (that has been "renovated" multiple times and has continued to lose its umbilical connection to major hotel brands). Why not make it nice now?

I am pretty sure the chose those paint colors since they hide dirt well and they have every intention on doing as little as possible on the exterior of the building.

[Bellaboo]

It looks as if the structure was sagging when built and then braced ?

The beams have been reinforced at multiple stress points.

[shawnw]

Kinda wish they would/could have done this with both the Carnegie (e.g. torn down the brutal facade and added glass to open up the place a little) and the AT&T building (the monolithic one with no windows, not the older buildings).

[Just the facts]

Sad to say that it looks 1,000 times better in this deconstruction state than the pre-demolition state.

I thought the same thing. If the developer ran out of money today and this is all we got out of it, it would still be an improvement.

[warreng88]

Kinda wish they would/could have done this with both the Carnegie (e.g. torn down the brutal facade and added glass to open up the place a little)...

I think the original plan was to add more windows but with just using the historic tax credits, they couldn't really do anything to the outside of the building.

[Urbanized]

It looks as if the structure was sagging when built and then braced ?

The beams have been reinforced at multiple stress points.

I'm no structural engineer, but would bet rather than retrofit bracing that is instead original to to structure and is cross-bracing designed to keep the building from twisting/leaning. Like the cross-braces on a barn door. There is a lot of clear span in that building, which eliminates a lot of the traditional points of support.

[metro]

Kinda wish they would/could have done this with both the Carnegie (e.g. torn down the brutal facade and added glass to open up the place a little) and the AT&T building (the monolithic one with no windows, not the older buildings).

I think the original plan was to add more windows but with just using the historic tax credits, they couldn't really do anything to the outside of the building.

THIS, yes Judy Hatfield (developer) originally wanted to, but historic tax credits dictate what one can do. I think after so many years (5 maybe?) tax credit requirements expire, so it's possible they could add them later. I believe this was the case with the Park Harvey. Tanenbaum originally used tax credits, so wasn't allowed to dramatically alter the exterior of the building from its original facade, however as one can observe now, they recently painted the exterior a very bright palette of colors.

[traxx]

Sad to say that it looks 1,000 times better in this deconstruction state than the pre-demolition state.

It was such a boring looking structure that I'm sure people that passed by it every day never actually noticed it or paid any attention to it.

[shawnw]

If I wasn't paying attention and you told me it was anything other than a parking garage, I'm not sure I would have believed you.

[kevinpate]

I know it should not, but I profess that anytime I see an existing building stripped down like in the downtown area, it still unsettles me a bit.

[Dubya61]

LOL! ... afraid the destruction switch will gain ascendancy in the brain and "accidentally" raze the structure?!
hmmm. must not raze the century center must not raze the century center must not raze the century cent ... oops!

[kevinpate]

Nope. That isn't it. Like I said, it ought not even be a factor. I know it, it's logical to know it, and normally logic simply carries the day. Just not always.

[Just the facts]

I know it should not, but I profess that anytime I see an existing building stripped down like in the downtown area, it still unsettles me a bit.

You aren't going to start a "save the century center" campaign are you?

[kevinpate]

puh-leeeeeze.

[Plutonic Panda]

Nope. That isn't it. Like I said, it ought not even be a factor. I know it, it's logical to know it, and normally logic simply carries the day. Just not always.

to me, it almost brings back an eerie feeling about the bombing

[Urbanized]

I suspect that is what Kevin was hinting at. The last time I had that unsettling feeling was during the demo of the old Oklahoman production building on 4th, which made room for the downtown YMCA. It was only a few years after the bombing, and it was an eerie déjà vu moment for a while.

[Spartan]

to me, it almost brings back an eerie feeling about the bombing

I agree that I too get that feeling when a facade is removed exposing a bare building.

[dankrutka]

Mahogany Prime Steak House to open restaurant at Century Center in downtown Oklahoma City | NewsOK.com

[soonerguru]

Wish I found this exciting, but I don't. Still, it's better than Subway, so YAY.

[Pete]

Mahogany Prime Steak House to open restaurant at Century Center in downtown Oklahoma City | NewsOK.com

Glad to see this confirmed.

That's going to be a lot of steakhouses downtown with Red Prime, Mickey Mantles and now Broadway 10 and Mahogany.

Hope Mahogany creates a nice patio facing the park.

[soonerguru]

This is a meat and taters town.