SandRidge Center & Commons

[Pete]

Lease and parking costs are too expensive in the CBD for an operations center.

[Lafferty Daniel]

News 9 just said SandRidge is cutting down to 26 employees downtown and 100 in the field.

[Laramie]

News 9 just said SandRidge is cutting down to 26 employees downtown and 100 in the field.

So unfortunate, reminds me of the movie The Incredible Shrinking Man.

When Devon mentioned in 2010 about needing more space, many of us thought Kerr-McGee Tower would be their destination. Now, it looks as though the Class A office space downtown is being absorbed over time. Maybe the OTC could look at BOK Park Plaza Tower or the old Fidelity Bank Tower...

[OKC Guy]

My understanding is the following state agencies will be taking space in SandRidge Tower (what will be the new name I wonder?):

DEQ: ~400
Dept. of Health: ~400
Water Resources ~100
Bureau of Mines ~20

That's approximately 1,000 new downtown workers.

The OTC has about 450 employees in OKC and unless the list above changes, there is likely not enough room for them, although they may be moving elsewhere.


As I previously posted, the building would be sold with all existing furniture, which is beautiful.

Pete, I’m not up to speed on where those employees are now but thought DEQ had a spot downtown already and would just be moving buildings? If so its not a net gain.

Do you know where all these employees work now? Are they scattered in many buildings or just one for each branch? And if downtown gains them it means someone is losing them. Which city areas will be hurt by this? Or are all over at capitol area?

Trying to get a sense of where they move from and how many from each area. Those micro economies will possibly be hurt if say 400 move from an area where they are biggest employee base.

Thanks

[LandThieves]

Pete, I’m not up to speed on where those employees are now but thought DEQ had a spot downtown already and would just be moving buildings? If so its not a net gain.

Do you know where all these employees work now? Are they scattered in many buildings or just one for each branch? And if downtown gains them it means someone is losing them. Which city areas will be hurt by this? Or are all over at capitol area?

Trying to get a sense of where they move from and how many from each area. Those micro economies will possibly be hurt if say 400 move from an area where they are biggest employee base.

Thanks

The DEQ office is at 6th and Robinson. And it’s closer to 500 employees than 400.

[yukong]

Health Department is in a tower at 1000 NE 10th. East of Lincoln. So if Pete's numbers are correct, that will be a 400+.
Water Resources Board is at 38th and Classen...so again assuming Pete's numbers are correct, another 100.
The article stated tourism would also be moving to Sandridge...I'm not sure how many are at the tourism HQ on N. Stiles...but they have listed over 1500 employees statewide. So it would be safe to assume there are 300 or so at their HQ, but that is just a wild guess. So, another 300 or so.
Then Department of Mines is at 29th and Classen. Add another 25 or so.
That adds between 750 and 1000 (depending on how many are at tourism.
DEQ is already Downtown. They are at 6th and Robinson. They are listed to have up around 500 employees. But they have offices around the state. Pete's numbers say 400 downtown. That is a wash though.
Now the question is OTC. They have probably 400-500 at three different locations. They occupy all of the Connors Building at the Capital Complex plus another building around 28th and Lincoln. Then someone else in this thread said their legal department was downtown already. But I doubt that many people would comfortably fit in the Sandridge building.

Anyway... if this is a real deal...you can expect at least 750 or more new employees downtown. If OTC is in the mix...make it over 1000 new employees downtown. It will be good to see the Sandridge building active again. I'm sure the restaurants down there will be happy for the influx of more customers.

[Bellaboo]

If OTC is involved, Their IT group has another 25-35 contractors that would make the move.

[Pete]

The DEQ office is at 6th and Robinson. And it’s closer to 500 employees than 400.

They will not be moving all their employees because they have an extensive lab which will be housed elsewhere.

[hookertime]

They will not be moving all their employees because they have an extensive lab which will be housed elsewhere.

It would be odd to move the lab and not move it to the same building with the rest of the employees. As I understand it, the cost of moving the lab has been a large hurdle for the state to overcome in selling the building. It just wouldn't make much sense to move it somewhere else.

[Pete]

It would be odd to move the lab and not move it to the same building with the rest of the employees. As I understand it, the cost of moving the lab has been a large hurdle for the state to overcome in selling the building. It just wouldn't make much sense to move it somewhere else.

If this all works out, they would be consolidating their lab with a few other state agencies but it wouldn't be at SandRidge Tower.

[Merman]

Didn't DEQ have plans to refresh their Midtown building with a new parking garage? Has this changed due to the availability of the sandridge building?

[Pete]

Didn't DEQ have plans to refresh their Midtown building with a new parking garage? Has this changed due to the availability of the sandridge building?

That was killed.

[OKC Guy]

Health Department is in a tower at 1000 NE 10th. East of Lincoln. So if Pete's numbers are correct, that will be a 400+.
Water Resources Board is at 38th and Classen...so again assuming Pete's numbers are correct, another 100.
The article stated tourism would also be moving to Sandridge...I'm not sure how many are at the tourism HQ on N. Stiles...but they have listed over 1500 employees statewide. So it would be safe to assume there are 300 or so at their HQ, but that is just a wild guess. So, another 300 or so.
Then Department of Mines is at 29th and Classen. Add another 25 or so.
That adds between 750 and 1000 (depending on how many are at tourism.
DEQ is already Downtown. They are at 6th and Robinson. They are listed to have up around 500 employees. But they have offices around the state. Pete's numbers say 400 downtown. That is a wash though.
Now the question is OTC. They have probably 400-500 at three different locations. They occupy all of the Connors Building at the Capital Complex plus another building around 28th and Lincoln. Then someone else in this thread said their legal department was downtown already. But I doubt that many people would comfortably fit in the Sandridge building.

Anyway... if this is a real deal...you can expect at least 750 or more new employees downtown. If OTC is in the mix...make it over 1000 new employees downtown. It will be good to see the Sandridge building active again. I'm sure the restaurants down there will be happy for the influx of more customers.

Thanks for the reply. You know the old saying one persons gain is another persons pain, in a manner of speaking. While this is great for core the flip side is service businesses in the area they move from. Micro economy. A lunch spot close to existing buildings is likely to lose a lot of business. They key is if someone comes in behind and puts people in the buildings being vacated.

Its a good move by the city though. They should cut costs centralizing some of their employees and buildings.

[LandThieves]

They will not be moving all their employees because they have an extensive lab which will be housed elsewhere.

Correct - The scientists and techs who work in the lab will not relocate to the SD tower, but the rest of the SELS Division will.

Still closer to 500 than 400.

[Pete]

Correct - The scientists and techs who work in the lab will not relocate to the SD tower, but the rest of the SELS Division will.

Still closer to 500 than 400.

No one is sure of the exact number so how about we just agree it's somewhere between 400 & 500 and stop splitting hairs?

[LandThieves]

No one is sure of the exact number so how about we just agree it's somewhere between 400 & 500 and stop splitting hairs?

lol works for me.

The lab that has been proposed in consolidation is much too small to accommodate, and faces additional issues in regards to the proximity to residential zones. But I guess all of that can be taken care of with some persuasion.

[OKGuru]

I am happy this building is going to get filled up with more tenants. I wish they could paint it white or light it up where it looks super white at night. Even some nice alternating LED's would look great and wouldn't be a big expense. A nice crown on top would look mighty nice as well. I think if a few others buildings did this, our downtown could look so much better and not as dark.

[HOT ROD]

even the aviation beacons would add/make a diff. Wonder why they along with City Place dont have aviation beacons?

[Teo9969]

My understanding is the following state agencies will be taking space in SandRidge Tower (what will be the new name I wonder?)...

Why, Oklahoma Tower, of course!!!

[Laramie]

State of Oklahoma Tower.

[TheTravellers]

Why, Oklahoma Tower, of course!!!

We've already got an unimaginatively named one like that, shame it's not on Oklahoma City Boulevard, though.

[FighttheGoodFight]

Imagine That Tower

[rte66man]

The article stated tourism would also be moving to Sandridge...I'm not sure how many are at the tourism HQ on N. Stiles...but they have listed over 1500 employees statewide. So it would be safe to assume there are 300 or so at their HQ, but that is just a wild guess. So, another 300 or so.

If true, that would be a great waste of taxpayer money after the State spent so much to fix that building up.

Now the question is OTC. They have probably 400-500 at three different locations. They occupy all of the Connors Building at the Capital Complex plus another building around 28th and Lincoln. Then someone else in this thread said their legal department was downtown already. But I doubt that many people would comfortably fit in the Sandridge building.

Why would the State send OTC downtown when they already own the Connors Building?

The cynic in me wants to know who's behind all this. When OMES was looking to move their Data Center, they we originally going to move to the SW corner of Western and Memorial (owned by OTA). One Edmond legislator threatened to block the deal because he wanted they to rent space on Broadway (coincidentally owned by an 'acquaintance'.

[TheTravellers]

If true, that would be a great waste of taxpayer money after the State spent so much to fix that building (Tourism HQ on Stiles) up....

Well, that location is full. Wife does copy-editing and fact-checking for part of the year for them, usually starts in June, and last year it was pretty cramped, and they eventually just told a bunch of the fact-checkers to work from home because there just wasn't room for them. Will be the same this year, especially with COVID-19 around. And if they moved from there, I'd assume that someone at some point would buy/lease it instead of it just sitting there (I'd hope, but yeah, no guarantee that would happen).

[yukong]

If true, that would be a great waste of taxpayer money after the State spent so much to fix that building up.



Why would the State send OTC downtown when they already own the Connors Building?

The cynic in me wants to know who's behind all this. When OMES was looking to move their Data Center, they we originally going to move to the SW corner of Western and Memorial (owned by OTA). One Edmond legislator threatened to block the deal because he wanted they to rent space on Broadway (coincidentally owned by an 'acquaintance'.

Tourism currently leases space in the building housing the Department of Commerce over on N. Stiles. Tourism wants to be back downtown. When they were in the First National Tower, they had a gift shop and information center somewhere downtown and they made a lot of money from that shop. More than from any of the other tourist centers. They want that exposure and income back. Further, Commerce needs the space and wants Tourism out of their building. Also...the Lieutenant Governor has an office in the Tourism HQ. My understanding is that while he has an office in the Capital, he spends most of his time in the tourism office. I believe he too wants downtown. And, I was incorrect on the numbers...Tourism only has about 125-150 in their HQ here in OKC.

OTC does not own the Connors building...that is owned by OMES from what I've heard. Further, OTC is spread out over 3 different locations. But my understanding is that OTC is not part of this possible move to Sandridge Commons. I guess it could happen...but that is not what was in the original plan. That plan had Health, Tourism, DEQ, Water Resources and Dept of Mines moving to Sandridge. I doubt there is room for OTC.

And as an FYI...on Thursday, the Governor signed HB2840, the bill directing the sale of the DEQ building. So, that is now pretty much a done deal. The law requires that the Commissioners of Land sell it if they can get the right return on it...but you know that will happen...regardless of the appraised value.

There is a lot of politics at play here.