Boardwalk at Bricktown / Dream Hotel

[_Kyle]

Oh! I forgot to mention the new 1 BILLION dollar arena, and the soccer stadium.

[mrokc777]

It sounds like some folks here have a lot of enthusiasm and optimism for the potential development of the Matteson Capitol skyscraper in Oklahoma City. It's true that sometimes people underestimate what can be achieved, and it's always exciting to see ambitious projects come to life. The addition of a residential and hotel component could indeed increase the chances of the project being realized, as it may attract more interest and investment. The presence of influential families and companies in the area could also contribute to the success of the project. As for the possibility of hosting the All-Star game, having a new arena and a luxury hotel nearby could certainly make Oklahoma City a more attractive destination for such events. It's great to see your enthusiasm for the project and the potential benefits it could bring to the city.

[gopokes88]

This thing is hilarious and I hope it gets built.

[stlokc]

I am far more excited about the dense, 35-story towers that represent the first phase of this development. They will be considerably more impactful to the city and have a far better chance of getting done. I like the density of these towers on their lot, I like the location strategically at the crossroads of Bricktown, the traditional CBD and the Scissortail Park area. I think they will have the potential to have a big impact on Bricktown and street-level retail and services, which is of supreme importance to the health of the city. I still think the lagoon is a waste and these things should be built in an outward-facing manner in order to bring life to the streets around them, rather than concentrating their residents on an interior artificial feature.

At the end of all that, if there is further demand for 100+ stories of residential (I have serious doubts), I would much rather see five 20-story buildings (or even ten 10-story buildings) scattered strategically on infill lots around the inner core. The way I see it, an absurdly tall building will be so out of place that it will invite ridicule and laughter, not envy. What will always be better is to have more streets within the core activated by additional buildings and more vacant lots disappearing.

[Ryan]

I am far more excited about the dense, 35-story towers that represent the first phase of this development. They will be considerably more impactful to the city and have a far better chance of getting done. I like the density of these towers on their lot, I like the location strategically at the crossroads of Bricktown, the traditional CBD and the Scissortail Park area. I think they will have the potential to have a big impact on Bricktown and street-level retail and services, which is of supreme importance to the health of the city. I still think the lagoon is a waste and these things should be built in an outward-facing manner in order to bring life to the streets around them, rather than concentrating their residents on an interior artificial feature.

At the end of all that, if there is further demand for 100+ stories of residential (I have serious doubts), I would much rather see five 20-story buildings (or even ten 10-story buildings) scattered strategically on infill lots around the inner core. The way I see it, an absurdly tall building will be so out of place that it will invite ridicule and laughter, not envy. What will always be better is to have more streets within the core activated by additional buildings and more vacant lots disappearing.

Same. Although I do wish Devon would’ve built to their original planned height. The biggest problem okc’s inner core has ( aesthetically ) is lack of infill or even worse surface parking lots or 2 to three story developments. I do think the lack of infill does a tremendous amount of damage in perception of okc as a city. There are angles (from the south) where DT looks like there are only 4 buildings. Does give a low rent vibe.. but surface parking lots and 2 story banks are cheap and going vertical is not.,

[HOT ROD]

I think this is going to get built. The press release had more info on the 3 towers at 345 feet: two residential with workforce and market rates plus the Hyatt Dream hotel tower and residences (nearly 500 hotel rooms plus 80 hotel serviced condos). No doubt this phase 1 will happen, sounds like they have met with the city on this more than just the TIF.

Then they asked OKC for a variance for phase two now known as Legends tower at 1775 feet, plus a 132 spire to equal 1907 (OK as a state), itself containing a Hyatt hotel and 100 hotel condos - becoming the tallest building in the western hem. I'd be ok with it being 1889 feet (OKC's birthday) but 1907 is significant.

think about the supertall, it will be hotel and residences. If it's 100 residences and the rest a Hyatt hotel with observation and restaurant on the top 6 or so floors, I could really see it happening. It would be OKC's Space Needle type observation tower - just it would all be livable (vs just the top). And to think, the actual building height, if built, of the supertall at 1775 is significantly taller than the Freedom tower (1,368) or the Sears Tower in Chicago 1,450 feet. Legends as a building will be 325 feet higher than Sears. WOW

the fact that they have another press release, updated with more details that they've met with the city and asked for variance on the supertall, and they seem bullish the other two towers will be built along with the rest of the downtown development announced and still to come (Olympics, REHCO, Cotton Seed), I could totally see this supertall being built. And the fact that 1907 is not some arbitrary height number, I believe it WILL be built - again, as OKC's observation tower. WOW

[David]

In the press release they said that they will request a variance, not that they have already done so:

Matteson Capital, a multifaceted real estate investment and development company operating since 2004, and AO, a leading full-service architecture firm with design expertise spanning the full commercial and multi-family real estate spectrum, announced today that they will request a variance from the City of Oklahoma City to increase the height for one of the towers in the already entitled development known as The Boardwalk at Bricktown. If approved, the height variance will make the structure the tallest building in the United States and currently fifth tallest in the world.

[jn1780]

I kind of wonder why they just didn't make it 1 foot taller.

Spanning approximately 5 million square feet, the project is a mixed-use marvel, including a 480-key Dream Hotel by Hyatt with 85 residential serviced condominiums in the Dream Tower; an additional 350-key Hyatt hotel with 100 serviced condominiums in the Legends Tower; 1,776 residential units ranging from market-rate to affordable workforce and luxury options; and a vibrant retail and restaurant scene with over 110,000 square feet of space designated for commercial use, food and beverage, and a workforce development center for the community at the street and second levels. The top floors of the supertall tower will consist of a public observatory, restaurant and bar where visitors will be able to enjoy the sweeping city views.

One to many 'Merica references?

So what would be the hypothetical parking space count needed for this many residences?

[Jersey Boss]

If I am not mistaken, Oklahoma City is not even one of the top 40-50 large metros in the country for new apartment construction in the past five years. Regardless of the exact number, the fact that our new apartment construction is not keeping pace with population growth, and is in fact a limiting factor, is one of the more pressing problems we face in terms of development. We simply need more apartments being built in the city at all price points.

What is the current vacancy rate for rental properties in OKC and how does that compare to the 40 largest metros?

[fortpatches]

What is the current vacancy rate for rental properties in OKC and how does that compare to the 40 largest metros?

US Rental Vacancy Rate
US Major Metro Area (data courtesy of Census.gov)	Vacancy Rate Q1, 2023
Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, SC…………………….	15.3%
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ……………….	12.8
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ……………….	12.3
Birmingham-Hoover, AL………………………………………………………………..	11.9
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL………………………………………………..	11.8
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR……………………………………….	11.2
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN………………………………………………….	10.9
Raleigh, NC24………………………………………………………………………………..	10.9
Dallas-Ft. Worth-Arlington, TX………………………………………………………	10.8
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ……………………………………	10.1
Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN……………………………..	9.9
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA…………………………………………….	9.8
New Orleans-Metairie, LA…………………………………………………………….	9.6
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY ………………………………………………………..	9.5
Oklahoma City, OK……………………………………………………………………….	9.4
Kansas City, MO-KS………………………………………………………………………	8.7
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL…………………………………………….	8.7
Tulsa, OK……………………………………………………………………………………..	8.7
Richmond, VA……………………………………………………………………………….	8.6
Tucson, AZ ………………………………………………………………………………….	8.4
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI…………………………………………………….	8.3
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX…………………………………………………	8.2
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL……………………………………………………………..	8
Jacksonville, FL…………………………………………………………………………….	7.5
Austin-Round Rock, TX…………………………………………………………………	7.3
Baton Rouge, LA……………………………………….	7
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, ……………………………..	7
St. Louis, MO-IL…………………………………………………………………………….	6.9
Pittsburgh, PA……………………………………………………………………………….	6.8
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, …………………………..	6.8
Columbus, OH………………………………………………………………………………	6.4
Toledo, OH………………………………………………..	6.3
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN7………………………………………………………………….	5.9
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA………………………………………………	5.9
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ……………………………………..	5.6
Salt Lake City, UT………………………………………………………………………..	5.6
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ……………………………………………	5.5
Dayton, OH…………………………………………………………………………………	5.5
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV……………………………………………	5.5
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV……………………….	5.5
Memphis, TN-AR-MS…………………………………………………………………..	5.3
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ………………………………………………………..	5.2
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT……………………………………	5
Albuquerque, NM……………………………………………………………………….	4.9
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA………………………………………..	4.9
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-W…………………………………………..	4.7
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA……………………………………….	4.7
Knoxville, TN…………………………………………………………………………….	4.6
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA……………………………………………………	4.6
Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA…………………………………	4.6
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC…………………………………………	4.5
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL…………………………………………….	4.5
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ………………….	4.5
Urban Honolulu, HI……………………………………………………………….	4.5
Greensboro-High Point, NC………………………………………………………..	4.4
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO………………………………………………….	4.1
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ……………………………….	4.1
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT…………………………………………….	4
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY4………………………………….	3.8
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI……………………………………………………..	3.8
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA…………………………………………………..	3.8
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI……………………………	3.7
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, …………………………………..	3.5
New Haven-Milford, CT……………………………………………………………	3.5
Akron, OH …………………………………………………………………………….	3.3
San Diego-Carlsbad, ………………………………………………………	3.3
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA……………………………………………………	3.3
Syracuse, NY………………………………………….	3.1
Columbia, SC………………………………………….	2.9
Fresno, CA………………………………………………	2.9
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH3………………………………………	2.7
Cleveland-Elyria, OH8…………………………………………………………….	2.5
Rochester, NY……………………………………………………………………….	2.5
Worcester, MA……………………………………………………………………….	1.7
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN……………………………………………..	1.2

[Jersey Boss]

Thank you for researching and posting this information. I am surprised at the numbers of southern cities that occupy the top 15.

[stlokc]

Same. Although I do wish Devon would’ve built to their original planned height. The biggest problem okc’s inner core has ( aesthetically ) is lack of infill or even worse surface parking lots or 2 to three story developments. I do think the lack of infill does a tremendous amount of damage in perception of okc as a city. There are angles (from the south) where DT looks like there are only 4 buildings. Does give a low rent vibe.. but surface parking lots and 2 story banks are cheap and going vertical is not.,

Largely agree with you, although I've never understood the need to "go vertical" simply for the sake of "going vertical." I definitely don't want one-story strip malls anywhere in the core but, especially in Midtown, I love the 3-10 story buildings that have been rising in the last few years. (In the "innermost" core - the CBD - I would want substantially taller than that). But I would rather get all those infill lots developed even if it means fewer skyline-changing buildings. The view from the highway is fine for eye candy purposes, but street-level interaction is the name of the game. Look at Washington DC as an example: a great urban city in my estimation, with not one building taller than the US Capitol. I'm always jealous in older cities of the block-after-block-after-block of density. If we could do that up to 13th and over to Classen, then we can talk about 100+ stories in Bricktown.

[HOT ROD]

they want to make a statement with the Legends tower. OKC doesn't have a landmark tower, yes Devon tower is currently serving that purpose but it was not built to be a landmark tower; it was built to be an office building. OKC doesn't have a space needle or a true landmark - I see this tower, Legends tower, as being OKC's observation landmark p particularly when you see the height (1907) and that the top 6 floors look to be restaurant/observation.

while I agree with you stl in principle, in reality developers don't always follow logic if they have other intentions. This developer looks to capitalize on OKC's momentum and be the first-to-market for high-end hotel condos and luxury apartments in OKC. This is evident with the phase 1 three towers. It also appears they want to capitalize on the downtown momentum of the stadium, new arena, and other projects announced (including infill) - to make a statement with the Legends tower becoming OKC's landmark. 1907 says it all to me, along with the 6 top floors; and it surely would put OKC on the map much moreso than Devon.

[stlokc]

Everybody sees things from their own perspectives and neither of us is "right" or "wrong."

Personally I find it hard to believe a developer will spend what will easily be hundreds of millions of dollars to build a 134 story building just to make a statement. Who in the world would finance that? And why would a California developer care about "creating a landmark" in Oklahoma City? He will build it if the market need will dictate it and if he could get financing. I just doubt either of those will materialize.

I see people talk about OKC wanting/needing a landmark structure a la the space needle. But very few cities really have that. What is the landmark structure in Phoenix? Or Charlotte? Or Pittsburgh? Or for that matter since they are booming cities - Austin or Nashville? I will tell you from experience that St. Louis has a landmark - the Gateway Arch - and the urban core of this city has faded pretty dramatically in the 60 years since it was built. Not one iota of difference has the Arch made to St. Louis beyond a pretty picture as you cross the river. Not saying these things have to be mutually exclusive. You could have a landmark and a thriving city. But this just seems like a vanity project. And not realistic. I think this developer is capitalizing on the attention this is getting (It was in the Daily Mail in London, for God's sakes!) and bully for him.

It's fun to speculate and dream and that's what this thread is about. But the 35 story towers in Phase 1 will be their own game changer, and in a good way, and have a much better chance of happening.

[sroberts24]

I love the development, the 3 buildings that are realistic. If they were to do a 4th building, would much rather see a tower between 700'-775' to bridge the gap in the skyline between Devon and Bank First buildings.

[dankrutka]

I am far more excited about the dense, 35-story towers that represent the first phase of this development. They will be considerably more impactful to the city and have a far better chance of getting done.

I almost always agree with this view... except in this case. I think it's better for the OKC core to have a lot of infill of 3-6 story, mixed use buildings rather than any more towers. Generally, I could care less if another tower was ever built in OKC.

However, if the tallest building in the U.S. was actually bulit in OKC it would have a pretty large impact. It would immediately become a destination and create a lot of buzz, even if some people think it ridiculous. I suspect that would actually be more impactful in terms of catapulting OKC's core urban development forward in the end.

[Tyson]

St. Louis has a landmark - the Gateway Arch - and the urban core of this city has faded pretty dramatically in the 60 years since it was built. Not one iota of difference has the Arch made to St. Louis beyond a pretty picture as you cross the river.

The Gateway Arch and a residential/hotel/observatory tower are two very different things with very different capacities to make economic impact. People can go inside of, live in, and dine in this tower, as well as the height and exterior being a tourist draw itself. But yes, I agree that if there was a different intention for this project, it would be much shorter. But I'm all for dreaming big with this.

[Bunty]

It seems they're either serious about this tower, or aiming for the stars to hit the moon.

If the new $5.5 billion refinery actually gets started this year in Cushing and the $2 billion American Heartland theme park near Vinita gets started as well, then maybe this mega Legacy Tower won't seem so much like a far-fetched dream.

[soonerguru]

Other than the dramatically insane issue with scale compared to the rest of the skyline, I'm a bit less incredulous about this than I was previously.

This development is going to happen; it's only a question of how tall this building will be. Why not make the biggest building?

The marketing savvy of this development group is next level. This has now generated two rounds of international news coverage. Talk about a way to stimulate additional development. If you think about it, the retail portion of this development is probably fielding all kinds of inquiries as a result. And while it's hard to imagine a single development that includes affordable housing units, a hotel, and luxury condos, there probably is a way to pull it off and maybe these folks are just really ambitious and cutting edge in their thinking.

To the folks saying they wish this were split up by like four or five towers, I understand that viewpoint. However, if you could build the tallest building in the US that in itself would provide a lot of free marketing fodder. It's also a more efficient use of land, and would likely create a domino effect of additional high-rise development in OKC.

A lot of supertower residential buildings in New York and other cities are used primarily as investment vehicles for rich people around the globe. There are buildings that have opened there that were 100% sold out with scarcely any residents actually living in them. Residential real estate has been on quite a run, and if you're going to invest in a high-rise residential property, why not invest in the tallest apartment building in the Western Hemisphere? Suddenly it doesn't seem quite so insane.

Putting down the bong for a moment, yes, this is unlikely to be built at this scale, but this aggressive and ridiculously successful public relations campaign will no doubt have folks from all over the world inquiring about putting down deposits.

At worst, this PR bonanza will be a massive boost for the retail component of this development. Those renderings are all over the world, now. Hundreds of millions of people will see those renderings.

Very impressed with the savvy of this group. Whatever amount of money they are paying to their PR team is not enough.

It's also entirely possible that this development group is being blackmailed by Plutonic Panda, and this is just an elaborate troll operation.

[LocoAko]

It's now even got a whole piece from ABC News.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/plans-prop...0&id=106665288

[Pete]

It's now even got a whole piece from ABC News.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/plans-prop...0&id=106665288

I still believe the chance of this happening is extremely low, but that's some great publicity for our city at a national level.

[Tyson]

I still believe the chance of this happening is extremely low, but that's some great publicity for our city at a national level.

With that, the publicity that the proposal brought will bring the publicity for the "It's going to be half the height" or "It's not happening" announcements. A less-than-likely project getting this much attention doesn't sit right with me. Don't get me wrong, I really want this to happen.

[Pete]

I would be beyond thrilled if we get the 3 towers.

[G.Walker]

New Yorkers are not too happy, lol.

[dankrutka]

That's a pretty funny. I could watch an hour of New Yorker's reacting to this proposal. Maybe they could go over to MSG and get some Knicks' fans reactions to the proposal after a loss. Lol.

This development is going to happen; it's only a question of how tall this building will be. Why not make the biggest building?

Of course, this is not true. Developments don't to fruition all the time. It's possible this one doesn't too. I don't know how you could have been on this board for very long and not realize that proposals, even good ones, don't always happen.