Omni Hotel

[jedicurt]

Meh, I can guarantee you that no convention worth anything to OKC will not pick OKC because of it.

what about the International Convention of Skywalk Enthusiasts?

[dankrutka]

what about the International Convention of Skywalk Enthusiasts?

They can come to OKC to protest the grotesque conditions.

[TheTravellers]

They can come to OKC to protest the grotesque conditions.

They'll have to stay somewhere else than the Omni, though.

[jccouger]

I've been to conventions where a small outside walk was required and depending on the time of year, IT SUCKS and people definitely talk about it.

It sucks having to leave your hotel room with a coat/umbrella and then carry it around a convention for the next 8 hours, which of course you could just suck it up in the minute or 2 walk but it makes for a very unpleasant walk. Most work conventions start early in the morning and you can have temps in the single digits.

[David]

What's weird to me about the Omni requesting no skywalk is I'm only familiar with the brand because of the CC & Omni pairing down in Dallas, and it absolutely has a skywalk.

[Laramie]

I've been to conventions where a small outside walk was required and depending on the time of year, IT SUCKS and people definitely talk about it.

It sucks having to leave your hotel room with a coat/umbrella and then carry it around a convention for the next 8 hours, which of course you could just suck it up in the minute or 2 walk but it makes for a very unpleasant walk. Most work conventions start early in the morning and you can have temps in the single digits.

Many places will have a coat-umbrella check where they give you a storage number so you can pick up your belongings. Understand that most people feel more secure with keeping up with their own apparatus.

[dankrutka]

I've been to conventions where a small outside walk was required and depending on the time of year, IT SUCKS and people definitely talk about it.

It sucks having to leave your hotel room with a coat/umbrella and then carry it around a convention for the next 8 hours, which of course you could just suck it up in the minute or 2 walk but it makes for a very unpleasant walk. Most work conventions start early in the morning and you can have temps in the single digits.

Hold on. Maybe I've misunderstood, but aren't we talking about the equivalent of crossing the street? Most of it will be covered, right? If that's right (and maybe I'm wrong), you seem to be talking about walking a block or two outside (which is common at many big conferences).

[Pete]

[Jeepnokc]

Pete....when is the Omni projected to open? Hopefully they do some locals specials. I really like the presence and stance of this building

[Pete]

Pete....when is the Omni projected to open? Hopefully they do some locals specials. I really like the presence and stance of this building

January but I just read that they have pulled their workers off the project for now.

Probably because they are mainly now working indoors in enclosed spaces.

[Plutonic Panda]

Meh, I can guarantee you that no convention worth anything to OKC will not pick OKC because of it.

You are probably right but the same could be said with doing away with any number of amenities currently being built

[Laramie]

We all are anxious and excited about the opening of the roughly $575 million Oklahoma City convention center complex.

There is no way anyone can predict when this exciting new venue will be available for opening ceremonies with the Covid-19 pandemic upon us today.

[Pete]

I had been told the Omni had pulled their construction crew, but I was just by there and they had a ton of people out there working away.

[Southsider2]

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/l...241344321.html

It looks like the Forth Worth Omni is expanding.

[HOT ROD]

omg, OKC needs to take lessons from FTW on how to guide development using incentives.

FTW wont pay a dime until its complete, must be a certain room count (additional rooms btw), front a dead street to activate it, 20+ floors, and so on. ..... And the grant is paid not by TIF but by the room taxes the hotel will generate. OMG .

see you don't need to give away the city and settle for second best just to get quality development. use incentives to guide development and demand quality, features you want/need not just let any developer lock out all of downtown to get a lowly tower only 2 floors higher than what we already have. ..

No way OKC should pay double, upfront, with additional landmark incentives yet only get a 600 room hotel that isnt even 20 floors. ... think about that.

[HFAA Alum]

Here's the difference, Fort Worth is a city that's more attached to Dallas and is hardly any distance from anywhere. It will always be a travel hub. And being that the city is tied on to Dallas, the negotiations can flow a bit differently because Omni truly wants to be there and they're willing to argue a few terms to get their desired hub.

Sadly, OKC is a new player in an old market. Omni is just striding the waters, plus it's uncertain of how much development they want to invest in because of the yearly weather conditions, I'm sure they wouldn't want an episode similar to the one on the Devon tower. It doesn't have the incentive of boasting a huge population like Dallas. And then it also doesn't have the power of boasting multiple major sport franchises under it's belt. Places that immediately surround OKC is as followed: Moore, Norman, Midwest City, and Edmond. Neither of those locations are exactly booming with businesses that require vertical expansions, they're just suburban developments. Midwest City can easily be compared to Virginia Beach (sans the sea and sand), a low elevated district with an established military presence that requires all buildings to maintain low clearance, so they just commence to sprawling outward. Moore is another suburban development, one that is very susceptible to bad weather. Edmond is no different. And Norman's only real draw is the university. Compare that to Fort Worth and you'd have a city that's bigger than both OKC and Norman COMBINED.

If anything, Omni has no true incentive to bring business away from their much larger location south of I-35. I wish we had the draw to make them consider putting another highrise to fill out the southern "cliff", but we'll have to swallow that one to let them see that the market is viable enough to do so. Personally, I think the money gone to Omni would've been great to upgrade many areas in the NE sector of town, preferably anything above NE 36th.

[Pete]

^

And Fort Worth is very close to DFW which has direct flights to almost everywhere.

[Pete]

[Pete]

^

You can see the blue insulation is starting to be covered with the final metal cladding on the first and second levels.

The only bit of color will be the orangeish square on the north facade at the west end.

[SEMIweather]

Any word yet on what the lighting scheme is going be?

[mattbrafford]

[bigsmooth]

Any word yet on what the lighting scheme is going be?

Disappointing is my prediction.

[Rover]

Disappointing is my prediction.

Beat the crowd...be negative before it’s even finished. 😂

[OKC Guy]

Disappointing is my prediction.

Have you seen a mock up? I have not and am wondering if you have can you link me to it so I can form my opinion? I would love to see it but can’t find anything.

Just curious why you are so disappointed, figured you must be privy to a mock up.

[Southsider2]

Have you seen a mock up? I have not and am wondering if you have can you link me to it so I can form my opinion? I would love to see it but can’t find anything.

Just curious why you are so disappointed, figured you must be privy to a mock up.