Wasn't he the only one to vote against it. I think that says it all. He seems to always be against progress. Think goodness for the other 6 or 7 who voted for and not against economic progress in OKC.

Incorrect.

Please read what mcca7596 has to say along with thousands of Oklahomans.

Wasn't he the only one to vote against it. I think that says it all. He seems to always be against progress. Think goodness for the other 6 or 7 who voted for and not against economic progress in OKC.
Be honest, man, are you one of the "good ol' boys?" How have you been benefitting from the corruption as usual?

Doesn't matter, tax payer dollars are still being used. His point is a valid point.

For or against doesn't matter - but you have to be honest about it. If you don't have honesty, what do you have?

For or against doesn't matter - but you have to be honest about it. If you don't have honesty, what do you have?

Who's not being honest? Did the city or did they not offer a 7 million dollar incentive? Doesn't matter when the city spends the money, before, during or after the move...it was offered as part of the move.

I think it does matter when it was offered; giving money to a company to help create new jobs is different than relocating existing jobs. The city has given around 3 million to Chesapeake and will be giving money to Boeing too. I think incentive funds for Dell's Campus came from the same fund as well. I never heard as much fuss about any of them as Continental's pending payment.

Who's not being honest? Did the city or did they not offer a 7 million dollar incentive? Doesn't matter when the city spends the money, before, during or after the move...it was offered as part of the move.

"Dishonest" is saying the money is going to pay for the relocation of a company that said it is already moving to OKC. One local TV station and one City Council Member said that and it isn't true. That is my only point. The money is going for the creation of new jobs AFTER the company relocates - these are new jobs, not relocation jobs. If access to this fund persuaded CR to move to OKC vs some other city then great, that is exactly what it was designed to do. Mission accomplished and can I have some more please.

"Dishonest" is saying the money is going to pay for the relocation of a company that said it is already moving to OKC. One local TV station and one City Council Member said that and it isn't true. That is my only point. The money is going for the creation of new jobs AFTER the company relocates - these are new jobs, not relocation jobs. If access to this fund persuaded CR to move to OKC vs some other city then great, that is exactly what it was designed to do. Mission accomplished and can I have some more please.

I absolutely agree, Kerry. I hope some of the naysayers have much more of the same to complain about.

Great news! Sandridge announced it is going to build a new tower about the same size as their 29-story headquarters and triple their workforce to around 2,000 employees (within the next 5 years). Tom Ward said other oil/energy companies may also make DT their home in the future (maybe more new towers!).

Great news! Sandridge announced it is going to build a new tower about the same size as their 29-story headquarters and triple their workforce to around 2,000 employees (within the next 5 years). Tom Ward said other oil/energy companies may also make DT their home in the future (maybe more new towers!).

29 floors? :-(

Devon got 50-52 floors.

Sandridge can only do 29? LOL C'mon, can't they project that there will be a need for more floors than that in the future? Modern skyscrapers can last 50+ years under regular maintenance. No need to build another skyscraper when the time comes for more expansion when they can just build a 1,000 footer today. They can lease extra spaces until the time comes when they need to expand within the tower.

Maybe they are doing similar to Devon did when they first announced plans. Most of the rumors were 30-35 stories. Then it was announced later that it would be around 50-60.

Maybe they are doing similar to Devon did when they first announced plans. Most of the rumors were 30-35 stories. Then it was announced later that it would be around 50-60.

Gawd, I hope you are right. Now all of us will have sleepless nights waiting for the finale announcement.

Btw, my guess is the old Ford Dealership across from the Ford Center for this tower.

Btw, my guess is the old Ford Dealership across from the Ford Center for this tower.
Your guess would be totally wrong, Thunder. That site, again, is for the new Convention Center. It said in Steve's story that the tower will be built directly east of the current tower, as speculated, at Broadway and Kerr.

Gawd, I hope you are right. Now all of us will have sleepless nights waiting for the finale announcement.
.

I'm going to sleep just fine tonight, thank you. LOL

Took this picture on September 10, 2011. I love this view!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kayneshots/6154661787/in/photostream/

Gawd, I hope you are right. Now all of us will have sleepless nights waiting for the finale announcement.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/UnFrSaKn/GIFs/landauncomfystaring.gif

Took this picture on September 10, 2011. I love this view!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kayneshots/6154661787/in/photostream/

Awesome!

I agree!!!

Steve said 850ft. in his newspaper article about the Devon Tower topping-out on Wed. I was surprised he didn't say 844ft. instead. Curious!

Out of state quote:


Speaking of size, how large will the parking structure be? I'm assuming it will have sufficient height and space for multitudes of large 4x4 pickups with oversize tires. But will it have room for farm tractors and combines also?

Out of state quote:That would be an "out of touch" quote.

Well shoot fire and save matches, don't them furinars know we gots fancy pantsy park and rides to corral the combines over on the outskirts of the stockyards? Cain't be havin' dem thangs startlin' the hosses or cattle as they come through. Thought anyones ought be smart nuf to know that if they done lernt typin' and all.

Excerpt from the September 18 2011 Sunday Oklahoman...

For two years, hundreds of construction workers have been busy altering the Oklahoma City skyline, building what will be the state's tallest skyscraper and the new home for Devon Energy Corp.

On Wednesday, those workers will pause and celebrate the topping off the $750 million tower at 50 stories — 850 feet high. At a ceremony set to begin at 11:30am. an evergreen tree planted nearby at the start of construction will be hoisted to the very top of the tower in what is a long-standing tradition.

"It was not that long ago that we were standing at the corner of Sheridan and Hudson, thanking all of those who helped us to the point where we could finally break ground on our new headquarters," said Larry Nichols, who as ex-executive chairman of Devon Energy helped plant the tree in October 2009.

"Less than two years later, we are watching the building move closer to becoming the foundation for Devon's future. Considering the enormous scale of this project, I don't think it could have run any more smoothly than it has."

While Nichols and a small contingent of Devon executives will be present for the topping out, John Wood, project manager with the developer, Hines, said the celebration will belong to the guys in the hard hats.

Wood noted the final 30-foot-long steel beam to be put in place is one signed by all of the Devon employees — a deviation from tradition that would ordinarily just have it signed by construction workers.

"We tweaked this a little bit," Wood said. "We wanted to engage the Devon employees in that gradation. To make it more meaningful, we selected a structural beam, one that will be visible from the maintenance floors of the tower... if you're up on the maintenance floors, you will see it."

Work is far from finished at 333 W. Sheridan Ave. Wood said the glass installation, which has gone in horizontal patterns to date, will go up vertically on the remaining crown of the building. Wood expects the glass work to be finished by the end of the year, coinciding with the removal of the last two tower cranes on the site.

The exterior elevators will be removed soon after, while interior construction, under way for the past year, will continue through mid-2012.

"Once we get the structure done and focus on the inside, we're going to start landscaping," Wood said. "We'll begin to lose the structural and glass workers, but we will be gaining landscaping workers, so we'll be keeping about 1,200 to 1,400 people on the site for a few months to come."

Wood notes Devon Energy Center is a rarity these days, with far fewer skyscrapers going up after the Great Recession. He said Devon tower is comparable in size to Freedom Tower going up in New York City at the former site of the World Trade Center.

"Buildings like this just don't get built that often anyway," Wood said. "If you get one like this in a major city every few years, it's a big deal. You might get a building like this in Chicago every few years."

Devon Tower facts featured in the article...

-Glass: Devon Energy Center will feature 805,000 square feet of glass, equal to nearly 17 football fields. Each floor of the 50 story tower will be encased in 144 glass panels.

-Concrete: Contractors poured 123,000 cubic yards of concrete throughout the job site, equal to about 7,200 residential driveways.

-Steel: Contractors erected 19,000 tons of rebar steel, enough to build 100 Boeing 747s. Construction required another 3,500 tons of structural steel.

-Restrooms: The new Devon Energy headquarters will include 177 restrooms, topping the number at Buckingham Palace.

-Elevators: The tower and adjoining buildings will have about 50 elevators. A total round-trip for all elevators would be about 3.5 miles.

-Workers: More than 1,200 people are at work on the site, and that number will go up to about 1,400 this winter before construction winds down in mid-2012. More than 2,000 people, including employees, contractors and food service staff will be working at the new Devon Energy Center when it opens next year.

-Food: Restaurants open to the public will be operated in the ground floor warden wing and on the tower's 49th and 50th floors.

Next Milestone: Devon is preparing for the gradual transition from its current headquarters at 20 N. Broadway to the new Devon Energy Center in March. The full migration is expected to be finished by June 30.

Inside the Building: The inside of the building is a beehive of activity as 1,200 workers spread out over 1.8 million square feet. Every conceivable sub-contractor is active within the building. The work they are doing includes the installation of heating and air systems, electrical, plumbing, drywall, flooring, ceiling, painting and a wide variety of other interior work. Outside windows will continue to be installed through the fall. Floors four through eight are nearing their final stages of completion. As lower floors are completed, activity will move higher.

Completion Date: While all employees are expected to be in the new building by the end of June, construction work will continue into the first quarter of 2013. Most major construction should be complete by Oct. 1 2012.

Landscaping To Start: Landscaping work will begin later this year. Crews are waiting for cooler weather before beginning the process of planting about 150 trees and other landscaping material. The two-acre park will also include stone benches, water features and granite.

Devon Tower facts featured in the article...

-Steel: Contractors erected 19,000 tons of rebar steel, enough to build 100 Boeing 747s.



Since when did Boeing start building airliners out of steel...?

Since when did Boeing start building airliners out of steel...?

TkN4J2l1UaA

2024 and 7075 Aluminum Alloy are the most common.....steel is a wee-bit heavy. LOL

2024 and 7075 Aluminum Alloy are the most common.....steel is a wee-bit heavy. LOL

C'mon, do the LOCO MOTION the next time you fly on the plane! Wait, that may grab the attention of Homeland Security! :-O But...what the hell, Matt, live and lets live!!!

C'mon, do the LOCO MOTION the next time you fly on the plane! Wait, that may grab the attention of Homeland Security! :-O But...what the hell, Matt, live and lets live!!!

http://www.realcavsfans.com/uploads/images/qd3fn14wkdc4ndh7vd6j.gif

Out of State (Touch) Quote:


This is a nice building but sad to say for OKC its like putting gaudy high gloss lipstick on a pig. I just hope the rest of the city can "catch up" but I dont see any evidence of that. Is that tacky podium and artificial pond like area at the base suppose to impress me? Its like something you would see on the inside of a mega-mall in the suburbs. It looks so "artificial".

Who said that UnFrSaKn? Sounds like someone is just jealous because the excellent Devon Tower isn't in their city. Sorry Tulsa folks but i hope they're not from Tulsa, with this one ugly individual stinkin' the joint up with these wrong, trashy, and total ignorant arrogant comments. Wherever they are from, oh yeah, must be a better "city" with an attitude like that.

Who said that UnFrSaKn? Sounds like someone is just jealous because the excellent Devon Tower isn't in their city. Sorry Tulsa folks but i hope they're not from Tulsa, with this one ugly individual stinkin' the joint up with these wrong, trashy, and total ignorant arrogant comments. Wherever they are from, oh yeah, must be a better "city" with an attitude like that.

Doesn't the quote say it's from out-of-state? So, isn't Tulsa the only city that we know for sure that person is not from? Am I missing something?

Who said that UnFrSaKn? Sounds like someone is just jealous because the excellent Devon Tower isn't in their city. Sorry Tulsa folks but i hope they're not from Tulsa, with this one ugly individual stinkin' the joint up with these wrong, trashy, and total ignorant arrogant comments. Wherever they are from, oh yeah, must be a better "city" with an attitude like that.

Portland, Oregon

Out of State (Touch) Quote:
Things that make you go, Hmmmmm.

Out of State (Touch) Quote:

I could waste everyone's time to explain why JoePDX knows nothing about Oklahoma City besides that we're building a huge skyscraper, but he would never see the post and everyone here already knows what Oklahoma City has lined up for the next 10 years.

Besides, he has always had negative thoughts about Oklahoma City so I doubt anyone could change his sorry opinions of us, even if we started stating facts.

I could waste everyone's time to explain why JoePDX knows nothing about Oklahoma City besides that we're building a huge skyscraper, but he would never see the post and everyone here already knows what Oklahoma City has lined up for the next 10 years.
Besides, he has always had negative thoughts about Oklahoma City so I doubt anyone could change his sorry opinions of us, even if we started stating facts.True. It seemed obvious seeing the first post. That would be a west coast elitist that hates the fact little ol' Oklahoma City "stole" his Sonics (yes, there are/were a number of Sonics fans living in Portland). We'll need to get ready for more as OU and OSU fans experience life in the Pac 16.

As the tower tops out, I have to say this has been a fascinating journey, watching the webcam as the tower emerged, hearing reports and speculations, etc. I'm excited to see the tower move closer to completion, and eagerly anticipate other projects downtown, but I'll miss visiting these pages for news about the Devon project. I'm one of those mostly silent participants who reads the postings fairly religiously. Thanks to all for your photos, videos, and comments.

Yes, it's been very fun to watch, especially since everything has been so well documented with photos and video.

However, we still have a long way to go in terms of the finishing touches: exterior LED lighting, the auditorium, the park, the rotunda, interior shots, the garden wing (retail and restaurants), and the top-of-the-tower restaurant. Still lots to look forward to and this will all continue to unfold for more than a year. By then, I hope we have multiple other buildings to track.

As the tower tops out, I have to say this has been a fascinating journey, watching the webcam as the tower emerged, hearing reports and speculations, etc. I'm excited to see the tower move closer to completion, and eagerly anticipate other projects downtown, but I'll miss visiting these pages for news about the Devon project. I'm one of those mostly silent participants who reads the postings fairly religiously. Thanks to all for your photos, videos, and comments.

Im just like you! I like to just silently read all the postings and reply to them sometimes, they have best photos and videos of downtown Okla.City

I heard construction will be going on well into the 1st qtr of 2013, thats just a really long time :( I am beyond anxtious and ready to visit the top of this tower

well said

Oh cool, thank you BG918, i had missed where this debbie downer dude was from on the original quote. My bad guys!

Drove by today just for an up close view. Looks like the crown is framed on all sides now. Shot from I40

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/l527/mrktguy29/293366_819467548741_44000224_37818698_93805354_n.j pg

Actually, as much as we have loved those cranes, I think it will be nice to see them gone soon and see the true finished building outline.

Actually, as much as we have loved those cranes, I think it will be nice to see them gone soon and see the true finished building outline.

It's weird, cause I'm gonna miss the cranes and construction once it's all complete but at the same time I really want to see it complete. Mixed emotions.

Actually I'd like to see those cranes gone...to another site in downtown OKC.

That would be very welcome as well. ;-)

Is anyone else concerned about all the picture and videos posted on here being taken from the driver's seat?

Is anyone else concerned about all the picture and videos posted on here being taken from the driver's seat?

No.

... We'll need to get ready for more as OU and OSU fans experience life in the Pac 16.Scratch that.

Got the whole topping out ceremony earlier....

Construction Workers Celebrate Devon Tower In OKC (http://www.news9.com/story/15510813/devon-tower-marks-major-milestone-for-downtown-okc-skyline)

Dana Hertneky, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Devon Tower is a major milestone for the Downtown Skyline. It has reached its peak and construction workers will celebrate with a topping out ceremony Wednesday.

The ceremony is for the 1200 to 1400 construction workers who have been working on the tower.

Out of State Quote:


To define a place as a "large city" there are many requirements beyond mere population size that Oklahoma City does not meet. It does not have 2 or more major sports franchises. It does not have iconic structures or a skyline that people throughout the country would see and immediately think "Oklahoma City". It does not have any cultural institutions known and revered beyond its very small region, nor can it claim any unique cultural identifiers (e.g. there is no "Oklahoma City school" of architecture, "Oklahoma City style" pizza, etc.). It has a relatively miniscule GMP. The city has no nationally-known celebrities living in it. The "downtown" could be walked end to end in 5 minutes. It has no tourist attractions that can draw beyond 100 miles, much less internationally. I could go on and on. Large city? Not by any stretch. Clearly Oklahoma City could never hope to be any more than a medium-sized city at best. But that doesn't mean it can't be a pleasant place to live.

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x355/crallf1sh/IMG_2004.jpg

I too have silently read these postings and appreciate so much the contributions of everyone that post all the photos and comments.

Out of State Quote:

Obviously it is a very subjective argument as to what qualifies a city as "large." I'm glad they have their criteria, but that's just their opinion, man. A lot of people probably agree that OKC is not a "large city" in their minds, but that's okay. I disagree on several specific points (celebrity residents include Wayne Coyne (he's known worldwide), Kevin Durant...; you cannot walk downtown in 5 minutes; the OKC Memorial, Thunder games draw beyond 100 miles) Like she/he implied, being a large city doesn't make it better. Nothing to see here.

took the above photo from the roof of the arena, thought id share... i wouldnt get too caught up in the definition of "large city" a lot of those articles are out dated..

Great photo jaycee! Thanks so much.

Great photo jaycee! Thanks so much.

Indeed!

Ceremony video should be done uploading within an hour.

Out of State Quote:To define a place as a "large city" there are many requirements beyond mere population size that Oklahoma City does not meet. It does not have 2 or more major sports franchises. It does not have iconic structures or a skyline that people throughout the country would see and immediately think "Oklahoma City". It does not have any cultural institutions known and revered beyond its very small region, nor can it claim any unique cultural identifiers (e.g. there is no "Oklahoma City school" of architecture, "Oklahoma City style" pizza, etc.). It has a relatively miniscule GMP. The city has no nationally-known celebrities living in it. The "downtown" could be walked end to end in 5 minutes. It has no tourist attractions that can draw beyond 100 miles, much less internationally. I could go on and on. Large city? Not by any stretch. Clearly Oklahoma City could never hope to be any more than a medium-sized city at best. But that doesn't mean it can't be a pleasant place to live.

Personally, I don't want Oklahoma City to be a large city. Large cities have high crime rates, corruption, large numbers of self centered people that don't care about the people around them, large sections of the city that just trashed beyond imagination... the list goes on.

I like the fact I can drive from one side of the city to the other in twenty minutes or less (30 minutes in rush hour). I like the fact our politicians are still down to earth. They know we will send them packing and throw them in prison if they become corrupt. I like that our city is kept fairly clean. The state and the city ticket those who litter and have litter crews out regularly cleaning up the trash. Last of all I like the fact that people make a reasonable effort to help those in distress. If somebody is in trouble people react personally or they call 911 and report it. People don't turn a blind eye to danger/violence and keep moving like they do in most major cities.