Re: Convention Hotel
I recall that the original cc hotel study said 735 hotel rooms as the benchmark; which interestingly has now decreased to 600 rooms. Also note, this was the rooms needed for the typical large convention OKC is hoping to get - so you'd usually have a room count higher than your benchmark for non-convention purposes and crush large bookings.
So here we go, OKC settling with the bare minimum benchmark ONLY (at 600 rooms) and not even using the original study of 735.
As for the hotel, I don't too much mind the design as it is modern and goes along with Devon and BOKPP. But what irks me most besides the relative lack of height is that the hotel tower is set back away from the boulevard. Is there a master plan for more towers in this area? Otherwise, this will look stranded and separated from downtown rather than 'somewhat' connected as Omni is desiring/stating.
Can we have a compromise here? A) can the hotel tower(s) rise from the boulevard or better yet, B) how about an L shaped 'tower" so that some rooms can have park side views if we can't go higher than 19 floors (15 hotel floors)? It seems as though the conceptual design is trying to create a resort with poolside facing the park and views of Devon yet this is supposed to be a HQ convention hotel.
Finally, can we reconsider the room count? While I like the idea of possibly another hotel being built, I think the likelihood of such happening is closer to zero especially given the cost of this lower end cc hotel proposed by Omni vs. the amount of public subsidy. The city already owns the land (right?) and there doesn't appear to be anything particular about this proposal that would warrant it to be double BOKPP in cost.
Anyway, I don't want to be a downer as I am excited about this all moving forward. But it appears to be the same 2nd rate thinking/design that starts out as being a 'conceptual' rendering but that very same concept ends up as the final with nobody questioning anything (except Shadid; who always argues about projects after they've already been approved RATHER than argue about the design and/or quality/capacity of the conceptual design that turns into final far too often).
Oklahoma City, the RENAISSANCE CITY!
Bookmarks