I'm surprised no one mentioned devon's 3Q results...they had enough NET income to build this building three times :)

Any chance to expand the tower a bit taller due to OUGrad05's comment?

Hey, any news? Also, isn't there a really nice, new parking garage where the tower will be? What will happen to it? Torn down?

Hey, any news? Also, isn't there a really nice, new parking garage where the tower will be? What will happen to it? Torn down?

Devon is purchasing the west parking garage and increasing it five stories to a total of ten stories and the other will rein open to the public.

Devon is purchasing the west parking garage and increasing it five stories to a total of ten stories and the other will rein open to the public.

I'm having trouble seeing how all of this project will fit next to that garage? When will the construction for the tower begin?

Seriously...read the 22 previous pages and you will get more than enough info.

I'm having trouble seeing how all of this project will fit next to that garage? When will the construction for the tower begin?

The Devon tower will be directly west of the Colcord Hotel. The atrium, meeting area, etc will be west of the tower. All this will be facing Sheridan Ave directly across the street from the Myriad Gardens. They will have to take out the below ground parking where all this is located, but the five stories of parking they are adding onto the existing garage should more than make up for it. I believe they are set to start construction in about a year, Fall 2009.

This is a rendering of what is will look like looking north:

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/devon_tower/presskit_03_generallayout.jpg

You can see the Colcord to the far right and the parking garage will be directly behind the meeting area.

They will have to take out the below ground parking where all this is located, but the five stories of parking they are adding onto the existing garage should more than make up for it.

There will be 2 levels of underground parking below the tower & pedestal, on top of the 10-story garage behind the pedestal.

Devon will present more ideas to Oklahoma City
BY STEVE LACKMEYER
Published: November 19, 2008

The Downtown Design Review Committee on Thursday will consider a request by Devon Energy to remove the bridges linking the west and east City Center garages, shown above, and to create a glass curtain facade for an addition to the west garage facing Hudson Avenue.

More details are emerging this week about the proposed Devon Energy world headquarters as the project is being presented to the Downtown Design Review Committee.

The $750 million project is the largest ever to be considered by any of the city’s design review committees.

New details to be considered Thursday include:

• An addition to the Colcord Hotel, which Devon Energy bought in August, that could provide meeting space and a fitness center and connection to the tower.

• Removal of bridges connecting the east and west City Center garages. Devon is negotiating to buy the westgarage from the city.

• A west garage addition would extend it west to Hudson Avenue and add a glass curtain facade.

Taller garage planned
Klay Kimker, Devon’s corporate services manager, said the bridges removal is related to the company purchase of the west garage and expansion from five to 10 stories.

"From a security standpoint, it’s better off to separate the two garages as we are intending to have only employee parking in the west garage,” Kimker said.

John Wood, project officer with Hines, the tower’s developer, said the bridges also would diminish the architectural significance of the rotunda portion of the new complex if they are not removed.

With the garage’s west extension, the company proposes a glass curtain facade facing Hudson that will allow for a fitness center between the addition’s second and third parking levels of the addition.

Wood said the Colcord Hotel addition is the least developed item. Architects are tasked with linking hotel and tower. They are looking at whether meeting rooms and a fitness center can be included in the addition.

From a security standpoint, it’s better off to separate the two garages as we are intending to have only employee parking in the west garage.”

http://photos.newsok.com/2/showimage/517441/lead620/

I kinda like the bridges. I hate to see them go.

I'm very glad to hear about the possibility of connecting the Colcord.

I was surprised when the original plans not only didn't show any sort of connection but that the layout would make it very hard even to walk between the two structures.

I can understand that if they want to keep them employee parking, that they need to remove the bridges. However, I think they could also leave them and install badge readers on some doorways so that only emlpoyees can get through. That way an employee could still park on the east if they needed, and still get over to the west. Who knows why they would need to right now, but you don't plan for today, you plan for tomorrow for the things you don't think of. Plus if you remove them, it would always be a lot more expensive to add them back instead of finding a work around now.

I'm very glad to hear about the possibility of connecting the Colcord.

I was surprised when the original plans not only didn't show any sort of connection but that the layout would make it very hard even to walk between the two structures.

Ditto.

I can understand them wanting to remove the bridge between the garages as well. I looked for a rendering of the tower from the north (looking south from Park and Harvey) to see how the bridge would interfere with the view of the building and atrium but couldnt find one. So I'll wait to make a judgement on that. But with a building as beautiful as this I would want an unobstructed view of both the tower and the atrium.

? ... For refrence does anyone know how tall the towers at the antenna farm are along N. Kelly?

Some are over 1000'.

The KWTV-9 tower tops out at around 1,500'.

I was surprised when the original plans not only didn't show any sort of connection but that the layout would make it very hard even to walk between the two structures.

Probably this was because the hotel was only purchased a few weeks before the plans were revealed. They hadn't had time to make the changes.

Personally, I don't feel real great about a modern glass structure being attached to the side of the Colcord. I would rather it just be an underground tunnel connection or something.

The addition will probably be only 1-2 stories high.

Probably this was because the hotel was only purchased a few weeks before the plans were revealed. They hadn't had time to make the changes.

Personally, I don't feel real great about a modern glass structure being attached to the side of the Colcord. I would rather it just be an underground tunnel connection or something.

I believe the connection will be underground (between the Colcord and the tower).

Here's another question to ponder: A Bridge to Somewhere? (http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/11/19/a-bridge-to-somewhere/)

Hmm. “Ornate bridges”???

I don’t see anything there worth trying to force into another location out of architectural context.

I like the bridges but I don't think they will look good once the west garage is expanded. Could they go over the canal somewhere?

That architecture doesn't fit in bricktown at all. It's a couple concrete bridges with metal supports.

Why are we clamoring to save them? This isn't the Walnut Ave Bridge.

I noticed that Devon's stock was down again today...and I know we've discussed this before on this thread...but does anyone think that the LOW stock value will have any effect on the project? I know Larry Nichols has said in the past that he is confident that the market will turn around by the time construction begins...and in the long run...but does anyone think this could cause a delay?? I HOPE NOT!! :)

If they have cash ready on-hand, this shouldn't be a problem to them.

I don't care how much the stock value is and whatever else... They got billions of dollars, they can afford it. Nothing can excuse the delay or cuts.

Panel OKs Devon plan for building
BY STEVE LACKMEYER
Published: November 21, 2008


Inspired by the success of the New York Times’ new Manhattan headquarters, architects designing a world headquarters for Devon Energy are proposing to construct an auditorium at the corner of Hudson and Sheridan avenues.

The auditorium is one of several new details revealed Thursday as Devon Energy successfully presented its plans for approval by the Downtown Design Review Committee.

Weather considered
Architect John Pickard said designers have met challenges designing retail spaces along the ground floor of the "podium” building that will be just west of the 54-story tower and rotunda.

They want to open the spaces to the park, but also must contend with Oklahoma’s changing weather.

Their answer was to create rooms with French doors that could open up into the adjoining gardens and pavilions, designed to be open during fair weather and enclosed with glass during extreme conditions.

Pickard said the rotunda is designed to not just be a dramatic space — but a space that will be filled with people.

He said garage connections are designed to force all of Devon’s work force, as well as the public to enter through the rotunda.

Similar changes are being planned for the neighboring Colcord Hotel, which Devon bought in August.

‘Very urban thing’
Committee members praised the plans, but urged Devon Energy to consider adding a retail level on the first floor of a garage extension to face Hudson Avenue.

Member James Loftis noted the Devon project meets the city’s desires for urban architecture downtown compared with a "suburban” style building approved by the committee in September.

"This is a very urban thing — it goes far beyond anything I thought we’d see in our lifetimes,” Loftis said.

He also praised Devon Energy for placing the public rotunda instead of the tower in the center of the block.

"It’s phenomenal — I can’t wait,” member Richard Tanenbaum said.

"Why don’t you start construction now?”

http://photos.newsok.com/2/showimage/518412/lead620/

As I understand it, the only real reason they are waiting till next year is so that the City has time to get everything lined up that Devon asked them to do to help pay for the TIF improvements. There is a lot of paperwork process that has to happen to get things rolling on that side, and believe Nichols said that start of construction was contention on those items getting through the City.

Also, remember they have to spend time developing the actual engineering plan to make the rendering work. Just because we saw what the concept was, doesn't mean the thought behind it is completely worked out structurally. Obviously the architects keep ability in mind when designing, but there are still plenty things to have to do before the first shovel. So yeah it's going to be a year, but I don't think any of us mind waiting for the result that we're going to get.

I drive by downtown every day and think, "man I wish that tower was there". And I just picture in my mind how amazing the view is going to be once it's even under construction.

Glad to see the committee pushing for ground level retail on the new parking garage. We need the city to keep that up.

The article from the JR seems a little more informative with details:

Devon plans auditorium at world headquarters
by Kelley Chambers
The Journal Record November 21, 2008

OKLAHOMA CITY – Devon Energy Corp. is tweaking and refining its plans for a world headquarters now set for completion in 2013.

Initial plans released by the company in March called for several structures on a piece of Urban Renewal land.

In August Larry Nichols, CEO of Devon, unveiled plans for a 54-story skyscraper, an additional 400,000-square-foot office building connected to the tower by a glass rotunda, and park space on the southwest side of the site.

One new addition presented to the Downtown Design Review Committee on Thursday included an auditorium nestled in the park space at the corner of Hudson and Sheridan avenues.

Jon Pickard, principal with the architecture firm Pickard Chilton, said the auditorium will be similar to the Times Center, a 378-seat auditorium built by the New York Times in Manhattan.

The Devon auditorium will likely seat about 250.
Pickard called the auditorium the “jewel of the park,” and said the company wants it to be available for community use.

“As we developed the design and we started to better analyze the needs of Devon for meeting facilities it seemed to be that an auditorium would help support the Devon corporate mission,” he said.

“It was always there as a thought, we just hadn’t developed it.”
Pickard said the auditorium is still a concept at this point and the exact size and cost have not been determined.

The second floor of the office building, dubbed The Podium, will also be a conference center.

Plans for parking were also discussed.

John Wood, vice president with Hines, and project officer for the Devon site, said plans are in the works for Devon to acquire the west side of the City Center Garage and add five floors exclusively for the company’s use.

Wood said the company would like to start work on expanding the garage upwards, and to the west toward Hudson Avenue, in the first quarter of 2009 and it should take 21 months to complete.

Plans for the tower call for demo work on the site beginning next year and the foundation for the tower could be in the ground by November.
The current timeline for the project calls for completion in early to mid-2013.

The auditorium is a good idea.

I still say keep the bridges where they are now. Plenty can be done from a security standpoint to make them functional and secure. Even if no one ever walks on them between garages, they add elements to the garage and should stay.

I still say keep the bridges where they are now. Plenty can be done from a security standpoint to make them functional and secure. Even if no one ever walks on them between garages, they add elements to the garage and should stay.

I don't think your grasping the bigger picture of how everything will look when the tower is completed and how out of place they are and an obstruction to the view of key elements in the tower. Keep in mind the parking garage will look nothing like it does now when completed also, the west garage will look like a completely different structure. Right now they are exact opposites and a mirror in style, so the bridge complements each of them since they are proportionate. When the other garage becomes twice as wide and tall, it's going to look like we did some cut in paste job if they were left there, not to mention, obstruction NICE views looking south on Harvey towards the tower.

Plus they will obstruct the view of the Rotunda, which could be a landmark architectural element.

Any interested architects, the schematics of the Devon tower are in this (large) PDF:

http://www.okc.gov/planning/planning_library/drc/08-072.pdf

The very first page confirms the 2 levels of underground parking that I mentioned and nobody seems to believe.

Check out page 48 for those of you who don't like the idea of removing the bridge. This gives you an idea looking east from Hudson what the view will be like from the extended parking garage. We previously haven't seen photos from this viewpoint.

The image he speaks of...

It's the only new rendering in the packet.

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g320/martymcflyjb/Picture1-2.png

To sum up the rest:

-The Colcord will get a 2 story addition to accommodate additional meeting space and a larger fitness center/spa.
-The Colcord will get a wider drive on Robinson, and the back side will be strictly a landscaped terrace.
-Sheridan and Hudson will be narrowed in favor of streetside parking with landscaped "bulbs" (seen in the rendering)
-Hudson will go 2-way
-There will be a crosswalk and light even with the Harvey axis on Hudson to allow connection between the Gardens and the Rotunda entry plaza
-there is now a small auditorium on the SW corner at Hudson & Sheridan. The stage overlooks the park.
-the expanded garage will have a fitness center on levels 3 and 4 overlooking Hudson, with retail a possibility on the ground level.
-it sounds like the "pumping room" for the two identical fountains on Sheridan happens to be on the north side, so the north fountain will be demolished along with the pumping room, meaning the south fountain will not flow until the Gardens renovation is addressed and implemented. :(
-There will be additional landscaping along the Harvey extension all the way up to the Library, I guess

Retail on the bottom floor of the garage would be nice.

So out of a 50 floor tower, we think a bridge that can serve to connect foot traffic on floor 5 is out of whack? Even though the west garage is changing it's facade, the rendering here shows a facade that doesn't look sooo different that the bridge couldn't stay as it is.

Again, my arguement is, not what it is going to be used for right now. But more for what about later. Maybe Devon decides later that it wants to buy the East garage. Wouldn't it be a crapper then if they had torn the things down.

So out of a 50 floor tower, we think a bridge that can serve to connect foot traffic on floor 5 is out of whack? Even though the west garage is changing it's facade, the rendering here shows a facade that doesn't look sooo different that the bridge couldn't stay as it is.

Again, my arguement is, not what it is going to be used for right now. But more for what about later. Maybe Devon decides later that it wants to buy the East garage. Wouldn't it be a crapper then if they had torn the things down.

Think of it this way, we're getting $1 BILLION with a B in private investment. That will reshape our downtown, this city, and the perception of this state to outside investors and will make them think twice about us being a major player. We will get significant improvements to Myriad Gardens and all of downtown because of the TIF district. All we have to do is give up two measly pedestrian bridges that connect a parking garage, and we'll loose a fountain. I'm willing to make that trade.

I like the bridges as they are now but once the west garage is made taller they won't look good. However, aesthetics is not the main problem. At the end of the day you would have a private garage attached to a public garage. You would have to find a way to keep the public out of the Devon garage and Devon employees out of the public garage. The easiest way to do that is to have one controlled access point, not three.

I'd have to look down Harvey from Park to the finished tower and see how it relates to the garages before rendering personal opinion as to whether the aesthetics are better or worse with or without the bridges. I think there is a lot of hand-wringing going on over something that is very difficult to visualize at this point.

I personally really like the bridges as they relate to the current, twin, five story structures with an empty parking lot and the Crystal Bridge in the distance. But I suspect a 925' tall tower and the attached podium, plus five more stories on the west garage, will change that view greatly. Perhaps the bridges would actually detract from the overall appearance at that point.

If it were important to have visual elements spanning those two garages, I suspect they would add non-functional bridge elements, just for aesthetics. Based on what we have seen so far, I doubt they are making an architectural decision based only on security, and nothing is being done in a shoddy or halfway manner. Plus, the entire project seems to be done with an eye to the future. I'm sure they have considered the possibility of needing to make use of the east garage at some point. I am willing to trust the architects -- and Devon -- to do the right thing, architecturally and otherwise. They haven't done anything other than that to date.

The very first page confirms the 2 levels of underground parking that I mentioned and nobody seems to believe.

? Sounds like an egotistical personal problem too me............


Anyways, the schematic design drawings appear far along and well developed.

The security issue isn't really an issue. It's soooooo easy to put in badge controlled doors. Most lots downtown already have them anyway....beep your card and the gate opens. All you have to do is door-up the entrance to the garage and people can still have access if they are authorized to. If they aren't authorized, they can't get in. You can get nodes that provide power and keep their memory of who can access the door as well as keep it working off the magnetic lock when the power goes out.....for hours. So I just don't see the complaint on the security side. It would cost Devon a lot less to add a couple doors than demo and fill in a hole on both garages.

I don't anyone would say Devon would hold up the project because of the two bridges. We're not going to ever see them again once the tower is there either. It's just a functional item that could help them for unforseen future issues. It would be a shame to lose it.

At the risk of starting to sound like an OnTrac person though, let me counter my own argument. If Devon wants them gone, tear those sons of guns out.....build me that tower! I don't want to sound like Tom on Union Station afterall.

The security issue isn't really an issue. It's soooooo easy to put in badge controlled doors. Most lots downtown already have them anyway....beep your card and the gate opens. All you have to do is door-up the entrance to the garage and people can still have access if they are authorized to. If they aren't authorized, they can't get in. You can get nodes that provide power and keep their memory of who can access the door as well as keep it working off the magnetic lock when the power goes out.....for hours. So I just don't see the complaint on the security side. It would cost Devon a lot less to add a couple doors than demo and fill in a hole on both garages.

I don't anyone would say Devon would hold up the project because of the two bridges. We're not going to ever see them again once the tower is there either. It's just a functional item that could help them for unforseen future issues. It would be a shame to lose it.

At the risk of starting to sound like an OnTrac person though, let me counter my own argument. If Devon wants them gone, tear those sons of guns out.....build me that tower! I don't want to sound like Tom on Union Station afterall.

:)

It doesn't really matter to me. I think the bridges look pretty cool, but I can't visualize how they'll look once they enlarge the one side. I don't know how difficult it would be to add on 5 more floors and keep the bridges, either.

But basically, my thought is, if Devon wants them gone, that's their business. When you build a billion dollar building, you get to decide what you want to do with a parking garage footbridge. It's not like they're historic, or a major tourist attraction or anything.

The security issue isn't really an issue. It's soooooo easy to put in badge controlled doors. Most lots downtown already have them anyway....beep your card and the gate opens. All you have to do is door-up the entrance to the garage and people can still have access if they are authorized to. If they aren't authorized, they can't get in. You can get nodes that provide power and keep their memory of who can access the door as well as keep it working off the magnetic lock when the power goes out.....for hours. So I just don't see the complaint on the security side. It would cost Devon a lot less to add a couple doors than demo and fill in a hole on both garages.

I don't anyone would say Devon would hold up the project because of the two bridges. We're not going to ever see them again once the tower is there either. It's just a functional item that could help them for unforseen future issues. It would be a shame to lose it.

At the risk of starting to sound like an OnTrac person though, let me counter my own argument. If Devon wants them gone, tear those sons of guns out.....build me that tower! I don't want to sound like Tom on Union Station afterall.

It's also soooooo easy to walk in behind someone that swipes their card to open the door too. Again, you're not thinking 4th dimensionally. We live in a world that is becoming more "secure" in relation to these measures by the day. Especially with predictions of terrorism rising by the year. By 2013, iris scan or fingerprint scan readers will be more commonplace, especially in a large corporate HQ as this. Heck, even RFID might be.Cards or badges are so old school even today, just not in OKC yet. Keep in mind other things could happen in the tunnel/bridge if someone was really wanting to do something. A "security badge" isn't going to stop someone from doing something bad. Eliminating access will make it alot harder. Get rid of the skywalk bridges and it makes it instantly harder to access the secured parking garage. I'm not so sure why you're mad about them removing them, are you the designer or builder of these? I like them now, but I could care less compared to what we're getting for the exchange.

I disagree with Bomber, but in his defense, he did concede that it's not worth fighting over, a la OnTrac.


? Sounds like an egotistical personal problem too me............

I'm sorry if it came across that way. There were several people that kept insisting there was no underground parking even though I had seen the plans and explained that there is.

i work in the COLCORD at SOLEIL and the XO LOUNGE... so i'm super stoked that i have a front row seat as the tower goes up.

WOO HOO!

i'd also like to mention that since DEVON bought us, we now have a new menu as well as a new chef. i'd be thrilled if some of you fine folks decided to swing thru and check us out sometime.

cheers,
o0 edwardicuss 0o

I liked the old menu. What changed on it?

Metro, I disagree with the statment about walking behind someone. We have the same situation with my office, we just make sure every employee understands very clearly that they are responsible for the door closing. You see someone coming up to the door with you, you ask to see their badge before you open the door for them. Whether you recognize the person or not, you still ask....people can be fired one day and come back the next to do stuff, so you ALWAYS ask.

I liked the old menu. What changed on it?
it wasn't a complete overhaul... just think of it as a redesign of your favorite car. we lost some of the items that didn't sell well, the buenos aires chicken and clam chowder, and have new desserts as well. many of the dishes were simply modernized and brought into the 21st century. there are some great new apps too. i mostly run the room service and do stuff at XO... so i haven't kept up with all the changes that just took place on the menu, but i did try many of the new dishes.

Devon Tax District Public meeting: December 2, 8:30 a.m. City Hall Council Chambers, 200 N Walker. For anyone wanting to learn more the Gazette has an article this week (http://www.okgazette.com/p/12738/a/2995/Default.aspx?ReturnUrl=LwBEAGUAZgBhAHUAbAB0AC4AYQB zAHAAeAAslashAHAAPQAxADIANwAzADgA) How Tifs work http://www.goodjobsfirst.org/accountable_development/tif_basics.cfm

the Gazette has an article this week (http://www.okgazette.com/p/12738/a/2995/Default.aspx?ReturnUrl=LwBEAGUAZgBhAHUAbAB0AC4AYQB zAHAAeAAslashAHAAPQAxADIANwAzADgA)

That's called an editorial.

As much as I want it built, I'm starting to join the mumblings that this thing might fall flat on its face.

What goes down, must come back up. We have less oil on our planet than we did yesterday, and we consume millions of barrels each day. Investors are finicky yokels. They panic at every corner. And when short supplies return, so to will the prices, and Obama's cheesy windfall tax that is a horrible, horrible idea. Thankfully he backed off for now.

I noticed pushes of alternative energy have subsided. Funny how people talk the talk. Now they will be burning oil like there is no tomorrow, over-topping their gas tanks, going back to petty trips and trucks and SUVs.

ssandedoc...What mumblings about the tower project falling flat are you referring to? I know that there was some worry in the past when the economy initially started going down, but since then we have seen a continual stream of things coming out about the tower...further plans have been made...the TIF issues...Larry Nichols even said himself that he has no intention of cancelling the project. I'm just wondering where you heard this, or if it's just a concern that you have...?

As much as I want it built, I'm starting to join the mumblings that this thing might fall flat on its face.

http://reformedpastor.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/chicken_little.jpg

Anyway...

Anyone know why Devon Tower is not listed at Emporis.com?

Don't know but it is on Skyscraper Page. These sites are privately informed sites... that is, little contribution is made from engineering firms or the companies themselves.

In a nutshell, it doesn't matter why Emporis doesn't list it yet. Your concern should be Pickard Chilton's website. The minute they take Devon's link down, that would be when I'd be concerned.

Go after the source, people, not word of mouth. Word of mouth is what got our country in trouble to begin with.

I wasn't asking for that reason. I just wondered.

I don't think they are ready for the economic recession and huge dip in price of oil. The project will be scaled back or not be built.