How About Galleria Tower?

[okcpulse]

Also, a 50-story building was planned for where the library is now, with an enclosed mall filling in the rest of the block with the parking garage underneath.

Even though the library is built where this proposed office tower was to be built, and the new Galleria parking garages are finished, what if Vincent Corrozza's plan for a 50-story tower is revived, under another prospective developer, for the southwest corner of the Galleria block, on the northwest corner of Sheridan and Hudson.

Oklahoma City leaders should focus in continuing to revive downtown itself. Develop a mester plan that would attract a developer to convert the First National Tower to a high-rise apartment building, eliminating roughly 200,000 square feet of office space. Then, attract a developer to build a 50 or 60 story tower at the corner of Sheridan and Hudson, eliminating some of the surface parking on that lot.

Since the new tower would corner the boundary of the Arts District, design the new office tower with architectural splendor. There are several threads on the forum pitching ideas for a new office tower that will replace Chase Tower as Oklahoma City's signature building. Let's get serious about this.

[Pete]

I think the best chance would be for Devon to cosolidate all their offices into a new building.

Unfortunately, rent on new construction -- especially high-rise -- would be much more expensive than what they are paying now.

Because vacancy is still pretty high downtown, rents are very low and therefore there isn't a way to make new construction financially viable.


I'd love a new office tower but frankly all Leadership Square did (the last one built) was cannibalize other buildings.

[jbrown84]

I definitely think the area south of the new Galleria garage needs some kind of development. I'd like to see a retail village and a Hyatt Regency overlooking the Gardens.

[Patrick]

Building a new 50-60 story high rise downtown would give Devon the opportunity to make itself known as the oil company of the city, for sure. They need a symbol, since they are the largest independent oil company.

[John]

Devon's job in updating the exterior of the Mid-America tower was amazing, and their new sign is one of the cooler parts of our skyline. I'd like to see what they could do with new construction. I bet it would be head and shoulders above any highrise currently standing. (And I'm not just talking about height)

[floater]

I'd like to see a mixed-use tower with offices, condos, and a convention hotel. I'd like a primary tenant to be an exhibition gallery; it is in the arts district, after all.

It'd be nice if the tower was capped with a step-down top ala Leadership Square, only with lights. Overall, it would be styled art deco. It'd be cool if they could integrate the squares of the Colcord windows and the long glass of Oklahoma/Corporate towers.

Combining the styles of nearby buildings -- that seems to be the design ethic of that block. The library is essentially a combo of the urban renewal towers and the WPA art deco government buildings. Those long blue glass strips down its walls mimic the vertical windows of the county building. The Colcord's squares are repeated in the IRS building and the Galleria garages. I hope any new tower would do the same.