Someone that does a lot of work for Chesapeake that I know was told by some of Aubrey's employees that Aubrey plans to build at least a five story office building on Lake Hefner where the restaurants and little light house are located. Could be that he only mentioned this in passing and has since decided to not do so. Too early to tell.

Someone that does a lot of work for Chesapeake that I know was told by some of Aubrey's employees that Aubrey plans to build at least a five story office building on Lake Hefner where the restaurants and little light house are located. Could be that he only mentioned this in passing and has since decided to not do so. Too early to tell.

I know about half of the people at AEP and haven't heard that, but would be interesting.

Someone that does a lot of work for Chesapeake that I know was told by some of Aubrey's employees that Aubrey plans to build at least a five story office building on Lake Hefner where the restaurants and little light house are located. Could be that he only mentioned this in passing and has since decided to not do so. Too early to tell.

I thought the City put a moratorium on new commercial develop around Lake Hefner.

I thought the City put a moratorium on new commercial develop around Lake Hefner.

If he is interested in headquartering a billion dollar company in OKC limits and will likely be creating hundreds to thousands of well payed jobs in the coming years, I would be shocked if the city did not work with him on it. If they did a structured parking arrangement, that place has lots of space that could be developed in walking distance of all the restaurants there.

I thought they put a hold on lake development too. Which I kind of disagree with. You could have another handful of acres developed with minimal negative impact. I think a 5+ story residential tower would be great on the lake.

Or buy back CHK in a few years... haha.

I laughed!

Can't really imagine Aubrey building on the Lake. I mean, anything is possible, but he has never been remotely connected to anything going on over there, so why would he start now?

Aubrey owns tons of land off Broadway and Britton/Wilshire and has been heard saying that is where he would like to develop.


Back to SandRidge, all that landscaping looks really nice now that it's relatively complete. Look forward to seeing the whole area in person when I'm in town in August.

When you do, have someone take your photo in the plaza so we can see what it would look like with a person in it.

.. Back to SandRidge, all that landscaping looks really nice now that it's relatively complete. ...

It's very nice. I paused to enjoy it briefly a while back after I enjoyed Kitchen 324. I was on my way to meet someone or I would have paused for quite a bit longer.

When you do, have someone take your photo in the plaza so we can see what it would look like with a person in it.

:lol2:

Obviously there is little activity in the plaza during work hours - but lunch has been quite active.

Some will be critical regardless of its execution. However, it seems to work. That doesn't dampen the sting of tearing down the buildings, but give the area its due. Given the buildings are gone, this isn't the apocalypse some would like to proclaim. When the old library is finished, this will be a more traveled route through the campus. I suspect those walking from DD now cut through and enjoy it on their way to K324 and to midtown.

Some will be critical regardless of its execution. However, it seems to work. That doesn't dampen the sting of tearing down the buildings, but give the area its due. Given the buildings are gone, this isn't the apocalypse some would like to proclaim. When the old library is finished, this will be a more traveled route through the campus. I suspect those walking from DD now cut through and enjoy it on their way to K324 and to midtown.

I agree, I wish they had left the Savings & Loans building (or whichever one was on the corner of Robinson and Robert S. Kerr) and maybe the india temple, but it really isn't bad as it stands now. Looks nice and is a pretty active area especially at lunch and during the day on weekends. Could have been a lot worse.

I agree, I wish they had left the Savings & Loans building (or whichever one was on the corner of Robinson and Robert S. Kerr) and maybe the india temple, but it really isn't bad as it stands now. Looks nice and is a pretty active area especially at lunch and during the day on weekends. Could have been a lot worse.

I have no idea what the true condition of the India Temple was, but I really wish they would've saved the building at Robinson and Kerr. They could've renovated that like the Braniff and it would probably have turned out extremely well.

I have no idea what the true condition of the India Temple was, but I really wish they would've saved the building at Robinson and Kerr. They could've renovated that like the Braniff and it would probably have turned out extremely well.

Yeah, at least for use as housing or something if SD had no plans to use it. Though I don't think it would've looked near as nice as Braniff due to being a different type of facade. Having said that it still could've looked pretty cool.

That is really my only major qualm with SD's execution. I can't complain too much about the overall plan though, it has definitely done more good than bad for the area. If something ends up happening to SD, that tower is now very marketable. I wish I could see a before and after comparison because from the little I've seen of how it looked prior, it was a pretty spectacular renovation.

I would have been pretty satisfied if that were the only building retained. With the amazing job they've done on the Braniff, it's depressing to think how great it would have been a similarly-boned, similarly-renovated building next to it.

I'm not disputing that the plaza was well-planted and pleasant to look at, but street interaction is nonexistent. I drive/walk/scoot past that plaza perhaps 20 times a week, intentionally looking for activity, and I have literally never seen a human being other than a hardhat actually IN the plaza.

I agree, losing that building on Robinson was by far the worst part of all of this and especially because the primary reason given was to "create sight lines" to the tower.

At some point, I hope a building can be erected on that spot as there is plenty of room and it's one of the most important intersections in all of downtown.

I stopped by today during my lunch break hoping to catch a glimpse of all of the activity mentioned earlier in the thread, but I think 12-1 lunch break I took today was probably too late. Pics were taken around 12:45. I'm guessing SR folks must go to lunch at 11 or 11:30, because I missed them..? It was the first time I had walked up into the plaza, and it IS landscaped really nicely. Also, the area under the canopy does look like a nice place for a cup of coffee or lunch. Maybe if they put some tables out there to go with the chairs there would be even more lunchtime activity than there already (reportedly) is...



3870 3871 3872 3873 3874 3875 3876 3877 3878

http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/urban-development-buildings/3875d1372186740-sandridge-center-commons-2013-06-25-12.56.49.jpg

Thanks for those photos!

When the Braniff Building opens for business that should bring more life to the area.

Oh, I did see some people lunching outside Kitchen 324, so at least now I can't say I've never seen anyone in the plaza!

http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/urban-development-buildings/3873d1372186739-sandridge-center-commons-2013-06-25-12.56.29.jpg

That photo reminds me that I would love AT&T to sponsor some sort of mural project for their massive monolith of beige concrete.

It's much, much more noticeable now that SandRidge has cleared out those buildings.

What the... There is noway that they just have a bunch of awkward chairs positioned around invisible tables?

Why is there no tables? Anyone?

That photo reminds me that I would love AT&T to sponsor some sort of mural project for their massive monolith of beige concrete.

It's much, much more noticeable now that SandRidge has cleared out those buildings.

No kidding. That building is the ugliest thing downtown. Just hideous and it takes up such a prominent, visible space.

Probably just haven't received them yet.

The landscaping isn't even completely finished.

I kinda like it. Sure it's not pretty, but in 30 years maybe people will think it is a classic.

No kidding. That building is the ugliest thing downtown. Just hideous and it takes up such a prominent, visible space.

Ugliest downtown is kind of a stretch, don't you think? I mean the 200 ft AT&T semi-windowless nuclear bunkers next to it look much worse to me. At least the SD tower has some design elements. I wish someone could think of something to make those more interesting. They seem like a nice blank canvas for something.

I love the way the building is illuminated at night.

I've wondered, any of the architects here have any ideas of what could be done to the main tower to give it a different and more interesting appearance? I'm not in the camp of "oh dear God! It's hideous!" so I'm really just asking out of curiosity. Are there surface treatments you see that could be done to give it a different look that would make it more appealing (I guess) to the masses? Again, just curious. Not trying to fuel any debate really.

To be honest. I like the texture, rhythm and proportions of the building as it is. It's not an attention-grabber, but it has an underplayed refinement about it. The only thing I would change is the color. Our skyline, especially in this portion of the CBD, has a very 1970's-urban-renewal-brown tint. I'd like to change that. Maybe a charcoal gray color ala Chesapeake.

Ugliest downtown is kind of a stretch, don't you think? I mean the 200 ft AT&T semi-windowless nuclear bunkers next to it look much worse to me. At least the SD tower has some design elements. I wish someone could think of something to make those more interesting. They seem like a nice blank canvas for something.

Let's back up a bit - the semi-windowless nuclear bunker of AT&T is what I was talking about... I like the SD tower, particularly now that they've renovated it. It's not my favorite building, but I don't mind it at all.

For clarification, this is the building I was saying I find to be the ugliest: Google Maps (http://goo.gl/nEq15)

Let's back up a bit - the semi-windowless nuclear bunker of AT&T is what I was talking about... I like the SD tower, particularly now that they've renovated it. It's not my favorite building, but I don't mind it at all.

For clarification, this is the building I was saying I find to be the ugliest: Google Maps (http://goo.gl/nEq15)

I'm guessing that was you on Steve's chat last Friday that told him what you thought was the ugliest building downtown? I think he got confused so I made a clarification on which actual building you (or the random person that isn't you) were talking about in the comments section ;-)

I'm guessing that was you on Steve's chat last Friday that told him what you thought was the ugliest building downtown? I think he got confused so I made a clarification on which actual building you (or the random person that isn't you) were talking about in the comments section ;-)

Ha, it wasn't me, but it's nice to know I have a kindred spirit out there.

Or buy back CHK in a few years... haha.

Billy Durant, squeezed out of General Motors in 1910, set up a new car company -- Chevrolet -- and by 1916 was running GM again. (He was squeezed out again in 1920, but that's another story.)

Steve Jobs was run off the job by Apple's board in '85. We all know how that worked out.

It is fairly common to run off the founder(s), may times they are not ready for the position of leading a public company. Sometimes that is a big mistake, others it can help tremendously.

Yeah, I'm guessing it probably works more often than not, especially when a founder is maybe great at startup ideas but not adept at corporate governance. Just pointing out that at times visionary founders ended up returning to - and sometimes saving - companies that once gave them the boot.

Board members ad big shareholders start believing they are smarter than the founder. Usually they aren't and it is just ego. The big funds confuse their money with IQ points. They have too much of one and not enough of the other...and more ego than anything else. They want to take over AFTER someone else has done the hard work of building it.

To be honest. I like the texture, rhythm and proportions of the building as it is. It's not an attention-grabber, but it has an underplayed refinement about it. The only thing I would change is the color. Our skyline, especially in this portion of the CBD, has a very 1970's-urban-renewal-brown tint. I'd like to change that. Maybe a charcoal gray color ala Chesapeake.

That's an idea. Maybe a red similar to the CNA Plaza in Chicago?

Board members ad big shareholders start believing they are smarter than the founder. Usually they aren't and it is just ego. The big funds confuse their money with IQ points. They have too much of one and not enough of the other...and more ego than anything else. They want to take over AFTER someone else has done the hard work of building it.
Yep.

In regards to this pic...

http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/urban-development-buildings/3875d1372186740-sandridge-center-commons-2013-06-25-12.56.49.jpg


Here's a shot of this space from about a month ago (posted May 24):

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/965363_604450559580033_1628427364_o.jpg

Employees enjoying Free Burger Friday (lucky devils)

Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=604450559580033&set=a.349361798422245.87135.256268377731588&type=1


So, evidently, the space is used at least once in awhile. But it would be nice if that area could be used more often and in some communal fashion that benefits the whole downtown area.

Elevator core going up
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2855/9235921592_31968beb82_b.jpg

Looking good.

I took a few instagram pics while I was in town. @eurokie if anyone is curious, I don't know how to copy/paste them into here without uploading them somewhere else..

I took a few instagram pics while I was in town. @eurokie if anyone is curious, I don't know how to copy/paste them into here without uploading them somewhere else..

Not sure of the site has changed recently, but I added a picture directly from my iPhone the other day. Pretty easy.

In regards to this pic...

http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/urban-development-buildings/3875d1372186740-sandridge-center-commons-2013-06-25-12.56.49.jpg

Here's a shot of this space from about a month ago (posted May 24):

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/965363_604450559580033_1628427364_o.jpg

Employees enjoying Free Burger Friday (lucky devils)

Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=604450559580033&set=a.349361798422245.87135.256268377731588&type=1


So, evidently, the space is used at least once in awhile. But it would be nice if that area could be used more often and in some communal fashion that benefits the whole downtown area.
So...people have to be bribed into this space with free food..? That's hardly the beehive of activity advertised previously on the thread.

So...people have to be bribed into this space with free food..? That's hardly the beehive of activity advertised previously on the thread.

Not only that but they aren't even wearing togas.

I've yet to see anyone other than maintenance and construction crews in that plaza. It's not very inviting. There is something about having to walk up steps to enter that says - "if you don't have a reason to be here, you best just stay on the sidewalk."

Someone mentioned earlier that lunches were "quite active." I'm on a quest to catch all of that activity on camera (on a non free-food-for-everybody-as-long-as-you-eat-it-in-our-windswept-corporate-plaza-day), so we can all feel a bit better about having another windswept corporate plaza. So far, it's sortof like hunting for Bigfoot.

Good luck - let us know if you determine that the concept fails as badly as you hope it does

I'm going to try to have a picnic there one day to see what happens.

Good luck - let us know if you determine that the concept fails as badly as you hope it does
Heck no! I'd love to find Bigfoot. Unfortunately, decades of intrepid Bigfoot hunters have failed. Pretty similar, in fact, to the decades of failed corporate plazas here and throughout the United States. You would think it would be instructive...but no.

I will say that this particular plaza is very pretty to look at. And serene, sortof like a Japanese garden. No matter what, it encourages contemplation.

To be fair, the plaza area is still somewhat under construction and the Braniff Building is still in progress.

Also, Carnegie Centre can use all that open space as a draw for prospective tenants. :)

Someone mentioned earlier that lunches were "quite active." I'm on a quest to catch all of that activity on camera (on a non free-food-for-everybody-as-long-as-you-eat-it-in-our-windswept-corporate-plaza-day), so we can all feel a bit better about having another windswept corporate plaza. So far, it's sortof like hunting for Bigfoot.

Except people have reportedly seen bigfoot.

I will say that this particular plaza is very pretty to look at. And serene, sortof like a Japanese garden. No matter what, it encourages contemplation.

Is that what the 'urban campers' are calling it now-a-days?

Maybe you can get one of those animal trap cameras and set it up. It will take a picture of anything that walks by. That way you don't have to stand there all day.

I usually contemplate what it would like like if the beautifully-restored and updated Braniff Building had a near-twin standing immediately south of it.

It will be fine once everything is finished and people realize that the space is publicly accessible.
Right now it is mostly foot traffic of SD employees I see heading to lunch, and some people mingling outside 324.

The tables only showed up a couple weeks ago, but they are low to the ground - so I doubt many people will actually eat outside

SandRidge Commons (July 8 2013) - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/sets/72157634592956455/)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/sets/72157634592956455/

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7416/9261761413_ea8565d541_b.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3672/9261760219_a11ddb4226_b.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2861/9261758413_b0abbf1c2a_b.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3811/9264523422_15814d8c0e_b.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2810/9261741593_b9f9b6f8d5_b.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2825/9261739991_2c4432f80c_b.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5539/9261738881_625d13c4f3_b.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5501/9261737579_96e86b4644_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7430/9267996218_7ec27f96d8_o.jpg

Hey look... somebody in the Commons patio!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1149444_10151549448127312_1229369247_o.jpg

Source: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151549447317312.1073741837.53385692311&type=1

Ok, it's only someone picking up trash. :(

That overhead really is a cool structure. Too bad not many have found a way to make use of this nice space.