Sandridge possible purchaser of KerrMcGee Tower
Tom ward, a former owner of this site, told me his company might be int he running for KerrMcGee. Check this out below.
City seeks new tenants for tower
By Steve Lackmeyer
Business Writer
An 800-pound gorilla is sitting in the middle of downtown Oklahoma City's resurgence. In light of comments made last week by Mayor Mick Cornett and Downtown Oklahoma City Inc. President Brett Hamm, it's difficult to pretend it doesn't exist.
Had Kerr-McGee Corp. departed Oklahoma City just two years ago, Cornett and Hamm might have been on the verge of despair over prospects of finding a new tenant for the company's landmark tower. But Cornett and Hamm are confident there are companies in the city willing to make the tower their new home. The challenge now isn't finding a buyer. Instead, city leaders are concerned whether the building's owner, Houston-based Anadarko Petroleum, will agree to sale terms with an existing Oklahoma City company interested in making the tower its new headquarters.
No one is publicly identifying companies that might make the tower their new home, but here are some possible candidates:
• SandRidge Energy (formerly Riata Energy), has publicly stated it is looking for new digs since the company moved from Amarillo earlier this year. Chief Executive Officer Tom Ward was a co-founder of hometown giant Chesapeake Energy and has already signaled he plans to grow this new Oklahoma company as well.
McGee Tower would be a landmark for the company where it could display its name across the rejuvenated downtown skyline.
• American Fidelity Insurance has for years had its home at NW 20 and Classen Boulevard. The parking lots surrounding the headquarters are packed full with employee vehicles. The company has made no public statements about moving. Back in 1998, the company sold its three buildings to a New Jersey partnership. A couple of years ago, members of the downtown business improvement district board of directors discussed a potential American Fidelity move to Britton Road and Broadway Extension, and agreed they needed to sell the company on moving closer to downtown, not farther away.
• A third prospect is now out of the running. Tronox, a spin-off of Kerr-McGee, is the only tenant left in the building. Last week the company signed a lease to move to downtown's Leadership Square, leaving an even more uncertain future for occupancy of the McGee Tower.
• Devon Energy might be considered a likely candidate, considering the company's offices already are spread out among four downtown buildings. But Chief Executive Officer Larry Nichols recently discounted a move to McGee Tower, saying "it's too small."
Downtown real estate observers were previously distressed when they learned Anadarko Petroleum hired a broker with offices around the world, including Houston, but with no presence in Oklahoma City. Cornett said he contacted Anadarko and asked that the tower not be allowed to stay on the market for too long. Hamm said he ideally would like to see the tower's future resolved within six months — before the departure of Tronox.
It's been years since Oklahoma City has seen major corporations considering a new downtown corporate headquarters. As evidenced by Tronox, the window of opportunity for one of them to consider a home at McGee Tower may be closing. John Christiansen, an Anadarko spokesman, responds the company is trying to sell the former Kerr-McGee headquarters and understands Cornett's concerns. "We're working to complete this process in a timely manner," Christiansen said Monday. "But how quickly a sale can occur, we can't speculate."
Originally Posted by metro
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