SandRidge Center & Commons

[jbrown84]

As a SandRidge employee, I would like to provide a few details that you may or may not know.

Thanks for that info. So the employees that are there already were never in Valliance? And are the lower floors already renovated or is that phase 2?

[taylor83]

Some of the employees started out in Valliance but they moved downtown to make room here. There was a lot of moving around a couple months ago because of all the new hires (mostly fresh from college) coming in. The lower levels were not gutted and renovated like the upper floors. They were just slightly updated to fit our needs. I believe there are plans to renovate the lower floors at a later date. Also, FYI, the floors being renovated are visible from the outside. If you notice there are 3 tiers and each tier has a different shaped window. The top tier's windows are the longer rectangles and these are floors 17-29.

[HOT ROD]

very nice plans! Thanks for the update.

and yes, Sandridge deserves credit ala Devon~!!!

[shane453]

Dang, sounds like Sandridge could get even more interesting when we find out what this NYC architect is planning for the rest of the block. I almost forgot that we still have to worry about the fate of the India Temple building.

[DelCamino]

Glad to hear of their progress. I'm still hopeful Sandridge will leave the older buildings on Robinson, and the India Temple building, standing. The taking out of the Robinson buildings would kill the building/canyon atmosphere along that street.

[DelCamino]

I'm wondering if, in all the new makeover plans, if Sandridge is planning on altering or adding something to the facade of the tower? As is, the building will, for next decade or so, be known as the 'old Kerr McGee building.'

If they were to add (if possible) a new architectural feature of some sort to the top of the tower, seems that would go a long way to change to mental history of the building.

Has anyone heard of such plans?

[OKC74]

DelCamino - I haven't heard of any plans, but I've been thinking the same thing. The outside of the building, while attractive (maybe) for it's day, is a bit boring, IMO. Of course altering the exterior of the building would add a lot more money into the project, but I'm in agreement that something atop the building could change the look of the building completely...make it new and give it a fresh look. I've often thought the same about Chase...something that would get rid of the flat, boxy look. Maybe something that angled up from all 4 sides into a point at the top? Something like that may look good...I don't know...just throwing out ideas... Here is a link to the Dow Jones building in NYC...something like this is what I was thinking... New York City Sky Scrapers

[Pete]

I thought they had announced previously they were going to renovate the plaza in front of the building.

I think it would be hard to do much with the facade and although it's somewhat dated, it still looks pretty good, particularly when lit up properly at night.

[HOT ROD]

I think they should just update the glass glazing, with some sort of coloured glass - something that is energy efficient and attractive.

Blue glass or light blue glass windows will make the tower attractive and add to it's LEED worthiness.

[metro]

HOTROD, even better would be to paint the concrete facade black or some other color (ala Chesapeake did to the old Skrivner building off I-44 recently). And then they should put energy efficient clear green windows in it. Now that would look much more modern.

[shane453]

Just to be clear... The facade of the Kerr McGee building is one of its most striking features... It won a lot of architectural design awards, and the distinguishing characteristic is the window size changes from small to big at the top, making some optical illusions. If you stand right in front of one of the faces and look up, the building appears to widen at the top.

[jbrown84]

I don't think it would look right to add on to the exterior. It would look very tacked on.

[taylor83]

Update:

Floors 17-20 have been completed and some Valliance Tower employees have moved in. The next phase of move-ins starts in a few weeks and will include floors 21-27. This will nearly complete the move from Valliance Tower to downtown. The executive floors, 28 and 29, are said to be taking quite a bit longer and they expect to move in after the new year.

[jbrown84]

Do they have any exterior signage yet identifying it as Sandridge?

[metro]

Not that I've seen jbrown. I also haven't heard anything about them funding the remodel of Couch Park and their entrance. I thought they were supposed to announce the plans last year then it got delayed until early this year. Sandridge has been awfully quiet since they've moved to OKC. Progressiveboy, this is one of those "large" companies that you keep referring to that OKC needs to lure. Sandridge was a good start. Now if we can buy back some of those energy firms that left years ago for Dallas or Houston and bring them back.......

[jbrown84]

Well we need to diversify. I say let them have their Dallas/Houston traffic headaches and overbloated cost of living. Let's recruit some non-energy companies.

[hoya]

We do need to diversify, but companies generally like to operate near like companies. It will be harder to lure non-energy companies to OKC than it will be to lure energy companies. We need to find some industry that doesn't already have a "go to" area of the country (such as Silicon Valley, etc), and start luring them in.

[jbrown84]

I still think we need to do everything we can to lure Hertz here. They already have a significant presence in OKC with their financial and reservation centers and Tulsa is home to two car rental companies. It would make a lot of sense for them to move their headquarters here.

[bretthexum]

I still think we need to do everything we can to lure Hertz here. They already have a significant presence in OKC with their financial and reservation centers and Tulsa is home to two car rental companies. It would make a lot of sense for them to move their headquarters here.

I've always heard that Hertz sucks to work for. Anyone else have an opinion? (Sorry for the threadjack)

[lasomeday]

There is a lady I work with that used to work there a month ago, and she said they don't give raises and you are have to justify every piece of copy paper you use, and she was in accounting where documentation is a must. The problem is the top management in the Northeast from what she told me.

[sgt. pepper]

Tom Ward sold 8.9 million shares of his personal stock to a Tulsa businessman for 50 million dollars. Should this be a concern, or is this normal stuff?

[Kerry]

I think the biggest concern is that 8.9 million shares were only worth $50 million. I am continually stunned how and why people own stock in the sme comapny that provides their paycheck. Talk about putting all of your eggs in one basket.

Here is an example. I placed a $100 bet on Florida for the game Thursday. If Florida wins I get $100. If OU wins I paid $100 for OUs 8th NC. I win either way (unless Florida wins by 3 or less).

[metro]

Plus isn't Ward worth over $1 billion, selling $50 million shouldn't be too much of a concern, considering most of his net worth is on paper anyways. I'd be more interested in how much percentage of stock he still owns. If anything, we should be happy another Oklahoman owns that much in Sandridge stock (obviously they believe in the company) and would help keep it out of the hands of out of state investors, REITS or corporate raiders.

[sgt. pepper]

according to thier web site Tom Ward still owns 29 million shares, about 17.5% of common stock. So i guess Sandridge is not moving to Tulsa.

[wsucougz]

I am continually stunned how and why people own stock in the sme comapny that provides their paycheck. Talk about putting all of your eggs in one basket.

It's the guy's company - his legacy, his baby. It's categorically different than some secretary putting 100% of their 401k in the Enron company stock.