Convergence (formerly Innovation Plaza)

[baralheia]

This project looks FANTASTIC, and my only complaints with what's shown in the renderings are nitpicky at best... mostly just things like I'd like to see Stiles Park retain the grassy circle around the Beacon of Hope. I'm also a little confused about how they keep calling the Baker Hughes building the "OSU Discovery". The pickup/dropoff bumpout in front of the Innovation Hall is exactly where the current BH guard shack is right now, and the rendering shows a massive sculpture in the middle of the round court right in front of the BH building. Do they know something we don't about that building?

Also love how they've done parking here... Since that area is elevated, I wonder how far down they'll go for the underground parking garage?

[G.Walker]

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news...nt/7910646002/

I thought Wheeler Labs was the anchor?

[Pete]

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news...nt/7910646002/

I thought Wheeler Labs was the anchor?

It is; that story is just restating what was already included in the original press release from last December.


It's a PR piece angling to move up in the MAPS 4 pecking order and get a bunch more in public money.

[chssooner]

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news...nt/7910646002/

I thought Wheeler Labs was the anchor?

It says Wheeler Bio is the anchor. Seems like they are just renamed.

[Plutonic Panda]

Wow those new renderings from the Oklahoman article are a letdown from the initial renderings. Is that really the new plan?

[Pete]

Wow those new renderings from the Oklahoman article are a letdown from the initial renderings. Is that really the new plan?

They are exactly the same that we posted back in December.

[shawnw]

"Ziggurat building at 120 Robert S. Kerr Ave." is mentioned in the article...

Since when is the Parkside building called "Ziggurat"?

[DoctorTaco]

I have lived in OKC long enough to be very very skeptical of any of this. Anyone want to take the following bet: If Wheeler Labs occupies an office in a new-build innovation district building by or before 1/1/2024 I will buy 2 tickets (Loud City level) to a mutually agreed-upon regular season Thunder game.

[Pete]

^

They are already operating in the Parkside Building alongside Echo Energy, as Christian Kanady is driving both.

He's also funding Prairie Surf Studios.


For this Innovation project, they are going to rely heavily on MAPS4 and public money. We'll see how much of that comes to pass.

[soonerguru]

^

They are already operating in the Parkside Building alongside Echo Energy, as Christian Kanady is driving both.

He's also funding Prairie Surf Studios.


For this Innovation project, they are going to rely heavily on MAPS4 and public money. We'll see how much of that comes to pass.

Or when. They won't be able to just wave a wand and jump in front of other projects.

[gopokes88]

^

They are already operating in the Parkside Building alongside Echo Energy, as Christian Kanady is driving both.

He's also funding Prairie Surf Studios.


For this Innovation project, they are going to rely heavily on MAPS4 and public money. We'll see how much of that comes to pass.

He's a complete failure in the O&G business. Hopefully that trend doesn't continue here.

[catch22]

I have absolutely zero substance to this and I promise I am not being libelous but only a series of spidey senses going off. Is this guy going to be on American Greed? It follows the same script as every single one of those episodes, a relatively unknown guy rises up through the ranks of a city's corporate world, funding all sorts of big ideas and tries to make a huge impression in the city. Only to be found with 5 cents to his name and millions of dollars in debt to hundreds of different investors.

Is this guy legit? Pokes sounds like you know of him well.

[G.Walker]

I think this project has more steam than most. Anytime you have an anchor tenant ready to sign, it makes things a lot easier vs. building spec.

[StrongCider]

I have absolutely zero substance to this and I promise I am not being libelous but only a series of spidey senses going off. Is this guy going to be on American Greed? It follows the same script as every single one of those episodes, a relatively unknown guy rises up through the ranks of a city's corporate world, funding all sorts of big ideas and tries to make a huge impression in the city. Only to be found with 5 cents to his name and millions of dollars in debt to hundreds of different investors.

Is this guy legit? Pokes sounds like you know of him well.

Historically he has been good at raising money. As far as running a business, just look at what he did to his baby "echo". If he is simply raising capital for this and other projects in the city it may be fruitful; however, if he is involved in managing these projects, I would stay far away.

Debt: (1) bought the Parkside building (a couple years ago) to house echo and lease out the other floors after extensive buildout. No tenants to date. (2) owns three lots in Nichols Hills: one that he razed the house for his wedding, one that he lives in currently with his wife and kids, the other being the old Kueykendal (sp?) behemoth he bought a couple years ago and has done absolutely nothing with. (3) pending lawsuit with his previous TX investor who is claiming fraud on the behalf of kanady & echo.

A lot of moving parts here, all with a lot of baggage.

[gopokes88]

Historically he has been good at raising money. As far as running a business, just look at what he did to his baby "echo". If he is simply raising capital for this and other projects in the city it may be fruitful; however, if he is involved in managing these projects, I would stay far away.

Debt: (1) bought the Parkside building (a couple years ago) to house echo and lease out the other floors after extensive buildout. No tenants to date. (2) owns three lots in Nichols Hills: one that he razed the house for his wedding, one that he lives in currently with his wife and kids, the other being the old Kueykendal (sp?) behemoth he bought a couple years ago and has done absolutely nothing with. (3) pending lawsuit with his previous TX investor who is claiming fraud on the behalf of kanady & echo.

A lot of moving parts here, all with a lot of baggage.

Lot of people fail in O&G, its an extremely difficult business. Hopefully that's the reason he failed.

Cause IF it was fraud, then yeah won't be great for this project.

[HangryHippo]

He seemed extraordinarily egotistical in the Oklahoman’s video interview with him. The guy from Cytovance is a smart cookie though. So who knows?

[Ryan]

Historically he has been good at raising money. As far as running a business, just look at what he did to his baby "echo". If he is simply raising capital for this and other projects in the city it may be fruitful; however, if he is involved in managing these projects, I would stay far away.

Debt: (1) bought the Parkside building (a couple years ago) to house echo and lease out the other floors after extensive buildout. No tenants to date. (2) owns three lots in Nichols Hills: one that he razed the house for his wedding, one that he lives in currently with his wife and kids, the other being the old Kueykendal (sp?) behemoth he bought a couple years ago and has done absolutely nothing with. (3) pending lawsuit with his previous TX investor who is claiming fraud on the behalf of kanady & echo.

A lot of moving parts here, all with a lot of baggage.

Kuykendall. Uncle Hershel still has his place a few doors down. Kirk died a few years back so Kay may have moved out to Florida.

[WheelerD Guy]

He seemed extraordinarily egotistical in the Oklahoman’s video interview with him. The guy from Cytovance is a smart cookie though. So who knows?

Christian and Kate are naturals when it comes to putting together a Raise.
Not as good as Aubrey, of course, but pretty dang salty.
And the guys with the big egos tend to attract capital, for better or worse.

[StrongCider]

Christian and Kate are naturals when it comes to putting together a Raise.
Not as good as Aubrey, of course, but pretty dang salty.
And the guys with the big egos tend to attract capital, for better or worse.

That is essentially my point. It is one thing to raise money, but it is an entirely different animal to be able to deploy capital, operate within your means, and grow a business organically (and ethically). I'm not here to say it can't be done. But there should be a good degree of skepticism with him involved if tax payers dollars are being used.

[Cocaine]

I looked at the renders and this looks very very Chinese. Like some of the random mixed use mall / apartment / office buildings near suburban subway stations. They do serve a purpose and it's actually decent urban planning because it has everything you need in one small area as well as it adds to density along with plenty of retail.

[Rover]

I looked at the renders and this looks very very Chinese. Like some of the random mixed use mall / apartment / office buildings near suburban subway stations. They do serve a purpose and it's actually decent urban planning because it has everything you need in one small area as well as it adds to density along with plenty of retail.

Chinese? I see that type of building all over the world.

[catch22]

Looks more like something you’d see out in LA in a new development, to me.

[Laramie]

Innovation District

Would be great if we could get something under construction within the next three years.

Proposed $71 million (uncollected) for connecting neighborhoods and economic growth in recently passed MAPS 4 initiative. If a project of this magnitude would qualify, offer $10 million from that budget to kick-start the development on the condition that the rest could be raised thru grants and private funds.

MAPS 4 sales tax collections started April 2020. Estimate 12-13 months at this time. Have no idea where we are with MAPS 4 sales tax collections.

[HOT ROD]

Can they please!!! stop trying to combine with Automobile Alley and Oklahoma Health Center!!!

It's a HUGE copout in my opinion for them to keep trying to combine the three areas - doing so then they wouldn't need to densify the Innovation District lands but could claim to be walkable (because AAlley already has density. ...)

I think the Innovation District can survive on its own making it's own imprint BETWEEN Automobile Alley and OHC. Make that dense, walkable and then it would "naturally" connect to the already dense/expanding AAlley and could help bring density to OHC. Plenty of opportunity for dense development already in the Innovation district area between the two established districts. Innovation District should be it's own neighborhood or subdistrict without leaching onto AAlley (especially).

[shawnw]

I griped about this on Twitter in response to their post including auto alley and no response

https://twitter.com/shawn_dubs/statu...63050022342659