Omni Hotel

[SoonerFP]

I'm in San Antonio this weekend and I got to walk around the Convention Center down by the River Walk, and dreamed a bit about how great it would be for OKC to get a convention center like this. From the signs I was reading, it looks like they're adding on the Grand Hyatt to the convention center after the fact, instead of building the CC and the hotel concurrently. Looks like they even added a turn in the river channel to allow access to the River Walk for the CC and Hotel, which could be done in OKC with an extension to our canal eventually as well. It could work very well, and integrate Bricktown and Downtown... Maybe I'm just dreaming, but why not dream big?!

[Laramie]

Is a Hyatt Regency or Sheraton in the cards for a downtown Oklahoma City convention center hotel?

This 25-story, 696-room (317 feet high) Hyatt Regency in downtown Phoenix, AZ was construction for less than $100 million.


This 31-story, 1,000-room (360 feet high) Sheraton Phoenix is the largest hotel in Arizona.

A recent study says that Oklahoma City can support a 735-room hotel as part of the new convention center.. Now that the mayoral election is over; you could see a $15 million dollar incentive to build something of this magnitude towering 20-30-stories/325-400 feet high which should rival the Bank of Oklahoma Plaza or Sandridge Tower in Downtown, Oklahoma City.

[betts]

I would be fine with a nice incentive. I don't think OKC should completely fund a hotel.

[Urbanized]

That's not even an option. Never has been, nor will it be.

[warreng88]

Is a Hyatt Regency or Sheraton in the cards for a downtown Oklahoma City convention center hotel?

This 25-story, 696-room (317 feet high) Hyatt Regency in downtown Phoenix, AZ was construction for less than $100 million.


This 31-story, 1,000-room (360 feet high) Sheraton Phoenix is the largest hotel in Arizona.

A recent study says that Oklahoma City can support a 735-room hotel as part of the new convention center.. Now that the mayoral election is over; you could see a $15 million dollar incentive to build something of this magnitude towering 20-30-stories/325-400 feet high which should rival the Bank of Oklahoma Plaza or Sandridge Tower in Downtown, Oklahoma City.

The Hyatt Regency is a bad example because it was built in 1976. The Sheraton started construction in 2006 and opened in 2008 so that is not a bad example.

Is there a chance a developer would want to come along and like the Plaza in NYC build condos on the top several floors? Has that been done anywhere else recently?

[warreng88]

That's not even an option. Never has been, nor will it be.

It was just language used by ES to scare the people of OKC into thinking it was an option. $50 million is the most I ever heard from anyone except for ES.

[Pete]

Is there a chance a developer would want to come along and like the Plaza in NYC build condos on the top several floors? Has that been done anywhere else recently?

The Ritz Carlton in downtown LA was just developed very successfully in this manner.

[CaptDave]

The Hyatt Regency is a bad example because it was built in 1976. The Sheraton started construction in 2006 and opened in 2008 so that is not a bad example.

Is there a chance a developer would want to come along and like the Plaza in NYC build condos on the top several floors? Has that been done anywhere else recently?

Yes - Omni Ft Worth. I do not get Red River envy very often, but I like this place a lot.

Downtown Fort Worth Condos | Ft. Worth Luxury Condominiums - 1301 Throckmorton

[Plutonic Panda]

I like this



New Miami-Dade convention center hotel

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/1...on-center.html

A big player in downtown Miami development has solidified plans to build a major, privately financed convention center topped by a massive, 1,800-room hotel — the largest in South Florida — on the site of the demolished Miami Arena.

MDM Group confirmed Thursday it has a contract to purchase the old arena site from the developers of the larger Miami World Center, a long-planned mixed-use project that would take up several blocks in the Park West district west of Biscayne Boulevard downtown. Terms were not disclosed.

MDM and its architects also released a rendering and a video, posted on You Tube, of a swooping, cascading, three-legged Marriott hotel tower rising over a huge podium containing the 500,000-square-foot convention center, a 1,500-seat theater, and a 2,300-car garage partly buried under ground.

So obviously ours would be bit smaller, but we should go for a cool design like this one. I hope it is taller then 25 stories as well.

[warreng88]

Yes - Omni Ft Worth. I do not get Red River envy very often, but I like this place a lot.

Downtown Fort Worth Condos | Ft. Worth Luxury Condominiums - 1301 Throckmorton

Interesting. Looks like the pricing is $329,000 for 1bed, 1 bath condo, 873 square feet. $625,000 for 2/2, 1547 and $549,000 for 2/2.5, 1697. Not too terribly outrageous.

By comparison, there are Block 42 townhomes for sale, both for $420,000 with 2/3 or 2/2.5. Two Brownstones for sale for $600,000 for 2/3, 2700 and several homes in The Hill for sale over $800,000.

[CaptDave]

Omni is the convention center hotel in FTW and Dallas (and several others). That added to their experience with combining hotel and condo concierge operations makes them a great candidate for an OKC CC hotel with residential on the upper floors.

[SoonerFP]

Is there a chance a developer would want to come along and like the Plaza in NYC build condos on the top several floors? Has that been done anywhere else recently?

The Grand Hyatt in San Antonio that was built over their convention center has condo levels on top. They're called The Alteza and range from 803 sq.ft. 1 bed 1 bath flats to 6252 sq.ft. penthouses.

[warreng88]

I really hope a convention center hotel is built but I guess we can talk more about that once we know if the actual convention center is going to get derailed by ES and his supporters. Do we have any idea how close OKC is to closing on the land for the CC?

[CaptDave]

I haven't heard a word about that lately. I am still holding on to a shred of hope the site will be changed to south of the arena backing up to EK Gaylord along the BNSF line and opening toward the park or boulevard. Tiny shred I know..... but maybe. (I still like the rendering BG918 shared quite a while back better than any other proposal.)

[warreng88]

I haven't heard a word about that lately. I am still holding on to a shred of hope the site will be changed to south of the arena backing up to EK Gaylord along the BNSF line and opening toward the park or boulevard. Tiny shred I know..... but maybe. (I still like the rendering BG918 shared quite a while back better than anything other proposal.)

I liked the original Core to Shore with the CC on that spot as well, but I actually like the new location as long as they stick with the configuration where it is not just a huge wall on all side (i.e. the Cox Convention Center). The idea of the having the larger contiguous space underground and some sort of pedestrian area between the hotel and the smaller meeting space actually appeals to me.

Let's say the make an offer on the land and it is accepted by the summer. Can they start building the CC so the petition is null since construction has already started? The City Council would have to agree to it of course, but is it possible?

[CaptDave]

I've no idea - good question though. Hopefully someone will know the answer and enlighten me.

[traxx]

Is a Hyatt Regency or Sheraton in the cards for a downtown Oklahoma City convention center hotel?

gah!

Hopefully we could do better than that. It looks like a government building.

[CaptDave]

gah!

Hopefully we could do better than that. It looks like a government building.

But but but - it has the NFL logo on it!! It must be cool right?

[betts]

I liked the original Core to Shore with the CC on that spot as well, but I actually like the new location as long as they stick with the configuration where it is not just a huge wall on all side (i.e. the Cox Convention Center). The idea of the having the larger contiguous space underground and some sort of pedestrian area between the hotel and the smaller meeting space actually appeals to me.

Let's say the make an offer on the land and it is accepted by the summer. Can they start building the CC so the petition is null since construction has already started? The City Council would have to agree to it of course, but is it possible?

You can't start a MAPS project until you have all the money to complete it in the bank. That's one of the reason some of the projects have stages. Because you can complete stage 1 without having to have the money for all stages. Once they start building the CC, they pretty much have to finish it, so they can't stage the construction. They don't even have a design yet so the answer is pretty much, "no", if Shadid really has his 6,000 signatures and they're legit.

[Laramie]

Dr. Shadid received 15,739 votes in the mayoral election; a 6,000 signature petition recall probably won't be difficult for his supporters.

If the convention center is recalled; an election will probably take place March 2015 at the earliest? It is my understanding that Dr. Shadid's council seat (April, 2011) will come up for an April 2015 election. Any ward council seat elections could be held concurrently with a possible convention center recall. Let's hope the city can get started on the convention center within a year or ASAP.

As some posters have mentioned; it would set a bad precedent to begin recalling MAPS items which were approved by the voters. If Dr. Shadid continues to push against the convention center (he approved) with a costly recall election next year; any delays will be costly for eventually getting a new convention center drafted.

We're going to need a new convention center and not just for local graduations, gathering and proms which recirculates money already in our economy. The city needs to stay on the executive radar for potential corporate expansion & relocation. National & regional conventions bring executives and conventioneers drawing out-of-state money into our local economy with an infusion of new currency for our city through hotels, transportation, food, lodging, retail sales etc...

The FOP needs to be careful about supporting anyone against growth of our city. Facilities will need security which use additional police; those off duty police working security jobs.

Comments & corrections are welcomed with any updates pertaining to the above mentioned data as my memory is not what it use to be.

"Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ...as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.

[betts]

Dr. Shadid is probably going to be even more motivated to stop the convention center now, because it's his only way of staying meaningful to a lot of the voters and keep himself in the public eye. He does, however, put his Council seat at risk by so doing, because his ward was decidedly pro-MAPS. And one of the problems with his campaign was precisely the reason I didn't think Mick should debate him. He was continually throwing out different untruths and he can change subjects on a dime. It's like whack-a-mole: disprove one thing and he's on to another subject. However, with a one-issue vote, everything he says will be examined under a microscope and any falsehoods will be easy to identify. He's going to have to try to win this one on the truth, as only his followers will listen to him and not question, and maybe not all of them. He'll get the anti-tax people too, but I'm not sure either of those groups are much different than the anti-MAPS people in the last MAPS election.

However, what's true for Shadid is also true for the city and the Chamber. They're going to have to be honest with the voters or risk losing them. And that may mean not selling them on pie-in-the-sky promises on economics. It might put the Convention Center expansion (phase II) at risk as well. Less so the hotel, I think, as long as they're not financing the whole thing. Since we've never had a high end chain hotel in this city, you can probably sell people on the glamour of that, as long as it's just an incentive we provide. But regardless, a CC phase II would require a MAPS 4 or 5. There will be a lot of new voters when that happens anyway, so probably best for them not to even talk about an expansion.

My son promised me that once he got his internship secured, he would look at the convention center and convention center hotel articles from Heywood Sanders and analyze the data. He decided not to take a consulting internship and is doing something with Google, so is not going to be quite as motivated, but I'm holding him to that promise. Since he goes to the U. of Chicago, they've got a pretty rigorous mathematical background and I'm going to be interested in his analysis. If I get anything interesting from him, I'll share it.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City is at the threshold of becoming a solid market with potential for more growth. We saw Charlotte and Nashville go this through these stages in the early 90s where their metro populations exceeded 1 million. Twenty-plus years later Charlotte boast 2.2 million & Nashville 1.7 million.

Oklahoma City has an advantage because MAPS I jump-started our economy. We are a unique community because we invested in ourselves. Word is getting out about the make-over of Oklahoma City--the magazines are telling our story and placing us in the company of some of the more progressive cities in the U.S.

We're on the radar as this is evident with recent announcements by Boeing & General Electric. As we continue our momentum--there will be more announcements and developmental growth about our city as we become a competing city.

The energy companies are making our area attractive as talent is brought to the city; our unemployment numbers reflect this trend. Our hospitality industry is on the rise with the rapid growth of our area hotels. OU Medical research park (formerly Presbyterian) in getting poised for new growth & development.

We need to continue to keep our home grown talent here as well as attracting talented professionals from other states--that's the key to sustained growth.

It is going to become important that we build up Will Rogers to where we can have more destinations added to our airport instead of having to channel through magnet airports like Dallas' DFW & Southwest Airlines.

Oklahoma largest airports: Oklahoma City Will Rogers & Tulsa International have been funneling traffic to mega airports in Dallas (via OKC) and Kansas City (via Tulsa) where they can connect to other destinations not offered at either of Oklahoma's major airports. If Will Rogers continues to build and pull some of the traffic Kansas City is getting from Tulsa with more direct & non stop routes out of Will Rogers instead of our people going 200 miles to Dallas and Tulsa connecting 200 miles to Kansas City--our city will boom.

Oklahoma City saw some recent expansion of $100 million in the first decade of 2000 with another $70 million of expansion planned for 2015. We're slowly getting there.

Oklahoma City needs to position and brace for growth.

The convention center & hotel will attract the intangibles you can't always measure. It's like the investment yield from the first MAPS that gave our city the shot-in-the arm to immune ourselves from the vices of the Grapes of Wrath image it has taken us so long to shake. Marketing our cities is on-going and the convention center & hotel will pay more dividend as executives get that 'feel good image' that we are ready and ripe for business & industry's expansion and relocation.

Let's build that convention center & hotel because our investment will be returned; much like what we have already experienced with the original MAPS.

"Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ...as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.

[bchris02]

I agree that the convention center and hotel are key to taking growth in OKC to the next level. That's why it baffles me so many people think the Cox Center is good enough.

[GaryOKC6]

Oklahoma City is at the threshold of becoming a solid market with potential for more growth. We saw Charlotte and Nashville go this through these stages in the early 90s where their metro populations exceeded 1 million. Twenty-plus years later Charlotte boast 2.2 million & Nashville 1.7 million.

Oklahoma City has an advantage because MAPS I jump-started our economy. We are a unique community because we invested in ourselves. Word is getting out about the make-over of Oklahoma City--the magazines are telling our story and placing us in the company of some of the more progressive cities in the U.S.

We're on the radar as this is evident with recent announcements by Boeing & General Electric. As we continue our momentum--there will be more announcements and developmental growth about our city as we become a competing city.

The energy companies are making our area attractive as talent is brought to the city; our unemployment numbers reflect this trend. Our hospitality industry is on the rise with the rapid growth of our area hotels. OU Medical research park (formerly Presbyterian) in getting poised for new growth & development.

We need to continue to keep our home grown talent here as well as attracting talented professionals from other states--that's the key to sustained growth.

It is going to become important that we build up Will Rogers to where we can have more destinations added to our airport instead of having to channel through magnet airports like Dallas' DFW & Southwest Airlines.

Oklahoma largest airports: Oklahoma City Will Rogers & Tulsa International have been funneling traffic to mega airports in Dallas (via OKC) and Kansas City (via Tulsa) where they can connect to other destinations not offered at either of Oklahoma's major airports. If Will Rogers continues to build and pull some of the traffic Kansas City is getting from Tulsa with more direct & non stop routes out of Will Rogers instead of our people going 200 miles to Dallas and Tulsa connecting 200 miles to Kansas City--our city will boom.

Oklahoma City saw some recent expansion of $100 million in the first decade of 2000 with another $70 million of expansion planned for 2015. We're slowly getting there.

Oklahoma City needs to position and brace for growth.

The convention center & hotel will attract the intangibles you can't always measure. It's like the investment yield from the first MAPS that gave our city the shot-in-the arm to immune ourselves from the vices of the Grapes of Wrath image it has taken us so long to shake. Marketing our cities is on-going and the convention center & hotel will pay more dividend as executives get that 'feel good image' that we are ready and ripe for business & industry's expansion and relocation.

Let's build that convention center & hotel because our investment will be returned; much like what we have already experienced with the original MAPS.

"Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ...as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.

Very well put!

[GaryOKC6]

I agree that the convention center and hotel are key to taking growth in OKC to the next level. That's why it baffles me so many people think the Cox Center is good enough.

Good question. The cox center was good for us in the early 70's when it was built because it was all that we had and needed at the time. This is a different city that it was 50 years ago and it does not meet our needs today. It is more arena than convention center. Hopefully we have enough vision and leadership to build a new cc and tear down the cox center.