Don't you live in the suburbs?

I do three days a week. The other 4 days are spent in one of the denses urban areas in the country. That perspective allows me to compare the 2 lifestyles side by side on a weekly basis. All I really think about is how much suburban living costs me in yard maintenance, 2 cars, gasoline, property taxes, higher utility bills, time wasted driving, social isolation, etc... Is urban living for everyone? Nope, but offering a choice in OKC is hard when every attempt to urbanize downtown is met with resistance.

...and doesn't even live in Oklahoma City (and neither does Spartan)...

And neither does Rover, so what is your point?

...and doesn't even live in Oklahoma City (and neither does Spartan)...

And neither does Rover, so what is your point?
....nor does the forum owner (California) and I am in the process of moving to Denver splitting time between here and Austin until February and when the house is sold in Austin. Just because we don't live in OKC anymore doesn't mean that we don't have its' best interests in mind when we comment. I spent 37 of my 47 years in OKC and my parents, sister and nephew still live there and want the best the place can be for them in the future. That would be a place where you can have a choice of urban or suburban living with options similar to how both Denver and Austin have transformed their downtown and near downtown areas in recent years. There is absolutely no reason why the two can't coexist, it seems to everywhere else and did many, many years ago in OKC.

Taking a look here this morning, I thought I was going to see some new pics or discussion about the Devon Tower, but.................

Taking a look here this morning, I thought I was going to see some new pics or discussion about the Devon Tower, but.................

Same can be said here, can't believe a complaint in a Devon topic. I was looking for more pix, but....

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devon12611.jpg

Spartan has earned the respect but doesn't keep patting himself on the back and telling the rest of us how stupid we are. How praise for someone's fine photograph gets turned into another "I told you I am smarter than you" is pretty telling.

This is what is really aggravating me. I just don't understand the negativity that seems to be SWIRLING around this forum. It never used to be like this, but posters with opinions slightly too strong for A DISCUSSION BOARD are really bringing this forum down a notch. It's as if one of us that isn't qualified enough on the subject at hand isn't allowed to have an opinion or it has to be stupid. That's called logically projecting. People assume just because others have different opinions, we are either: stupid, wrong, or we just don't get it. Well I'm tired of that crap. On top of that I feel like we have some really well-received TROLLS on this forum that really add nothing to the discussion, but we keep them around anyways.

Did you take that picture Pete? Beautiful. Driving by downtown yesterday night and it LOOKED BEAUTIFUL! All the lights, people, and just pure vibrancy.

Pete is in California. Someone sent him the picture to post it.

Pete is in California. Someone sent him the picture to post it.

I think he flew to Oklahoma City a few nights ago.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devon12611.jpg Yay Pete! Well timed move... and excellent picture! (super way to ease the tension)

Looking at William's video of the Skydance Bridge today, I think they are getting very close to dismantling the cranes on Devon Tower.

All the steel is up and they are just down to windows... Probably will use the cranes to help with the windows on the backside of the crown, and that will probably be it.

You know they have to come down soon if they hope to meet their goal of moving some employees in by March.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devon12611.jpg

That's pretty snazzy c: I think this will be favorite photo number two.

A buddy of mine who works for a contractor on the data cabling side said he heard it should be glassed in my the end of the year, I guess we'll see.

A buddy of mine who works for a contractor on the data cabling side said he heard it should be glassed in my the end of the year, I guess we'll see.

That's only 2 weeks away but at the rate they've been going over the past week it's probably more likely to happen than not it would seem.

The "glassing in" he was talking about was probably where the old construction elevators were located. Also, effectively the floors at the top of the building have been enclosed and they are now just working on the steel crown.

When everything is done a group should organize a run-up race like they do with the empire state building

I guess this can be in this thread. I love this special effect. Feel free to use as a desktop, on either your computer or cellphone!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6539294381_e70c58dea9_b.jpg

Dan Thomas Reports From Atop Devon Tower (http://www.koco.com/video/30031093/detail.html)

From KFOR:

http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-12/292957700-19133603.jpg

http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-12/188602840-19133721.jpg

These pictures look like an excavation of some alien culture we've discovered. Lol.

These pictures look like an excavation of some alien culture we've discovered. Lol.

OH MY GOD, ALIENS IN OKLAHOMA CITY!!! And that tall thingy is the actual spaceship!!!!!!

I guess this can be in this thread. I love this special effect. Feel free to use as a desktop, on either your computer or cellphone!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6539294381_e70c58dea9_b.jpg

My image will get lost in traffic due to having originally been posted near the bottom of a page.

And neither does Rover, so what is your point?

Another accurate "fact". Lol. Of course I live in OKC full time. Need to check your facts better. I do spend some weeks in NYC where I love the urban experience.

Another accurate "fact". Lol. Of course I live in OKC full time. Need to check your facts better. I do spend some weeks in NYC where I love the urban experience.

Actually, no one really cares where you live.

Actually, no one really cares where you live.

Kerry, you seem upset. You wanna talk and get some things off your mind? I'm here for you. =)

Nope, but offering a choice in OKC is hard when every attempt to urbanize downtown is met with resistance.. This assumes YOUR view of urban OKC is the only acceptable view. Other viewpoints are legitimate too. The resistance isn't against urbanization, for sure.

Kerry, you seem upset. You wanna talk and get some things off your mind? I'm here for you. =)

LOL - I'm good.

a 3rd party operator will run an upscale cafiteria in the garden wing .. do to open around march ...

devon will own/run the 50th floor restaurant and the new colcord restaurant
I thought the restaurant was on the 49th floor.

I thought the restaurant was on the 49th floor.

No, I think its on the very top.

A couple of screen captures from KFOR's video of today's media tour...

The first one shows they are starting to take the plywood off the top of the rotunda which will not only throw much more light into the space, it's a sure sign the cranes will be coming down soon.

They said the first employees are still set to move in sometime in March and everyone will be moved no later than July.

The second photo shows some of the windows before they are snapped into place (must be the very top floor).


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devon121911a.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devon121911b.jpg

That's pretty sweet. Will the rotunda be open to the public?

Yes^^

No, I think its on the very top.
No offense Thunder... But I'd prefer to hear it from a more trusted source.

http://www.wahospitality.com/devon_tower.html john Williams seems to think it's on the 49th floor. (I decided to Google it)

The restaurant will be on the 49th and 50th floors.

There is one more floor above (51) but it is all mechanical.

Interesting quote from Nichols:


Nichols said in addition to the restaurant, there are plans for a bar, club and banquet area.

When everything is done a group should organize a run-up race like they do with the empire state building

The already do this with the Chase building.

Tour reveals a Devon Energy Center almost ready for employee move-in (http://newsok.com/tour-reveals-a-devon-energy-center-almost-ready-for-employee-move-in/article/3633410)

BY STEVE LACKMEYER slackmeyer@opubco.com
Published: December 19, 2011

Tower cranes and elevator hoists that have scaled the outside of the 50-story Devon Energy Center since construction began more than two years ago are coming down and preparations are under way for employees to begin their move this spring.

Interesting quote from Nichols:

Surely that club will not be like a dance club, lol. I'm thinking more like a VIP club...

They should make the half the building a club with different themes on each floor... MIXED USE!

Some nice photos from Paul B. Southerland of the Oklahoman:

http://photos3.newsok.com/cache/r960-de4267a7219b635d797701a0426be05a.jpg

http://photos3.newsok.com/cache/r960-0b9d52776fbdcbaa302ccdd11f0ae89c.jpg

http://photos3.newsok.com/cache/r960-671d78b6bb811635757271f93644fdbc.jpg

http://photos3.newsok.com/cache/r960-0000d88c6c5adb46a6d26308ccf8bf02.jpg

"They should make the half the building a club with different themes on each floor... MIXED USE!"


I saw this on the show Three Sheets when he was in Hong Kong. 30+ story buidling with each floor a different theme/music. Sign me up.

Captcha: Cheesy

Captcha: Cheesy

Captcha: LOL

Captcha: Cheesy

Captcha: Whoa!!!

Devon Tower is nowhere near Cheesy. It's glorifying!

No Thunder, I meant his idea of a different theme per floor, NVM.

No Thunder, I meant his idea of a different theme per floor, NVM.

Sometimes all you can do is shrug your shoulders and walk away. LOL

Surely that club will not be like a dance club, lol. I'm thinking more like a VIP club...
Probably more like The Signature Room in the John Hancock Center (http://www.signatureroom.com/Home/) in Chicago.

Probably more like The Signature Room in the John Hancock Center (http://www.signatureroom.com/Home/) in Chicago.

Love the Sig club - been a few years since I was last there, but that is a fun place ! I recommend the Drake Hotel, nearby as well.

There are already themes for blocks of floors, such as Museum District, Bricktown, etc...

I don't know if you guys watched the Thunder game last night on Fox Sports, but they had some nice shots of downtown, Chesapeake Arena, and Devon Tower, and it looks like it all coming together. Devon Tower looked great all lit up with CHK Arena in the background.

This is a screen capture from the Oklahoman's video tour and it took me a while to realize it's of the ground floor of the Garden Wing building, looking east or back toward the rotunda.

Very open and great spot for restaurants and retail/service:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devongardenwing.jpg

Here's another interesting screen capture from the auditorium looking out on the park area.

The ductwork on the ground will be underneath the stage and the scaffolding above will give way to a full wall of frameless windows that slope out towards the open space.

You can also see they have planted some trees and started to do some hardscape, with the terraced steps coming down from the garden wing:

http://mmcelderry.com/BIG%20IMAGES/AUDITORIUM/SECTION%20600_410_GIF.gif

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devonauditorium.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devonpark1.jpg

Who is going to shop at this retail - just employees?

I suppose that would depend on what type of retail they are able to lure there. As I understand it, that particular space is going to be open and welcoming to the public.

It seems Devon shares a similar strategy to Chesapeake's (creating neighborhood amenities designed to attract and retain employees). I suppose if they recruit specialty retailers who otherwise would not locate downtown, they will probably at the very least draw other downtown workers and downtown residents.

The Garden Wing will be open to the public; at least the ground floor.

Here is a cool rendering I came across that I've never seen before:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devonamdstudio.jpg

That rendering was first shown at the Jon Pickard lecture at the Museum of Art back in October.

Where did you find that at, Pete?

^^Sweet,thats gonna be my new avatar!

^^Sweet,thats gonna be my new avatar!

So we noticed. LOL

Where did you find that at, Pete?

www.studioamd.com