Convention Center

[OKCRT]

Dankrutka- you're right and wrong. This hotel was in the works for quite a while. The c.c. wasn't close to being a done deal for that area. Remember they had to swap land just to make everything fit. After the second proposal came out everybody loved it. After they started building the Omni up, everyone started to hate it.

I'm sure they knew the CC Hotel Room count was going to come in way below what was recommended and seen an op to take up some of the slack they city fell short on. The Omi should have been another 10 stories and another 100-150 rooms but as we all know, the city always comes up short it seems. Just seems they always underbuild these projects to save money.

[jonny d]

I'm sure they knew the CC Hotel Room count was going to come in way below what was recommended and seen an op to take up some of the slack they city fell short on. The Omi should have been another 10 stories and another 100-150 rooms but as we all know, the city always comes up short it seems. Just seems they always underbuild these projects to save money.

Didn't Omni pick how many rooms they were going to build, so OKC paid them accordingly?

[jn1780]

They pulled the trigger on Fairfield inn only a couple weeks after the original convention center site hit a dead-end. If your a smart person, it was pretty obviously there was only one other realistic place the convention center could go (Probably hoping to get more money out of the city, so they turned drawings into real actions) . I would be willing to bet the hotel would either be in the "planning" stages still if convention center site went in at the original site. Either way it was a nice educated gamble that paid off beautify. Actually, it was never really a gamble, it just would have taken longer to see the benefits with just the park down there.

[kevin lee]

Okcrt- I have to go back and look but I think this hotel was in the works before Omni was even chosen for the c.c. I wonder if there would be the same blowback if the c.c. were placed on one of the other sites.

[OKCRT]

Didn't Omni pick how many rooms they were going to build, so OKC paid them accordingly?

Not sure but it was prob. a collaboration between the city and omni. But the study that was done recommended 750 rooms for new CC Hotel I believe.

[Laramie]

A 2013 market study conducted for the Alliance by Dallas-based Stone Hospitality and Real Estate suggests OKC’s convention center business can support a headquarters hotel with 735 rooms and 68,000 square feet of meeting space. The largest existing hotel in downtown OKC is the Sheraton Oklahoma City Hotel with 396 rooms and 28,000 square feet of meeting space...

Oklahoma Gazette: https://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/i...nt?oid=2950071

Had we gone with the 735 room hotel market study on the convention center complex, OKC would have a total of 888 rooms available for convention goers on one site with the 133 room Fairfield Inn & Suites. This could have had a significant impact on conventions the city would be able attract.

The extra 130 rooms added to the Omni using the current design may have added 4 additional floors to the current building; making the Omni 21 instead of 17 stories--more money would have been needed to subsidize the hotel as well.

[Laramie]

Reported by the Oklahoman, December 2013:

Study suggests Oklahoma City can support $200 million, 735-room conference hotel: https://oklahoman.com/article/391444...ference-hotel?

[HOT ROD]

double

[HOT ROD]

Instead, we're getting a 17-floor $200+ million 600-room conference hotel.

I'm with RT - this is underwhelming, I don't care how much amenities it will have. Should have been 735 rooms esp for the same cost (particularly since the city is paying nearly half the cost). ...

[Laramie]

Instead, we're getting a 17-floor $200+ million 600-room conference hotel.

I'm with RT - this is underwhelming, I don't care how much amenities it will have. Should have been 735 rooms esp for the same cost (particularly since the city is paying nearly half the cost). ...

You have a wealth of knowledge, what's your remedy.

[jn1780]

You have a wealth of knowledge, what's your remedy.

I think CC and Omni need to be open for at least 2 years before we can say we screwed up by adding those extra 150 rooms. We can have study's done, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter if you can't find an operator willing to build at that size. We would have to give them even more money to maintain their level of risk.

[Rover]

So, another 135 rooms adds around $35-40 Million. Was the city willing to underwrite that and guarantee occupancy levels. NO. That’s not cheap, that’s smart.

I’f the demand for 4 star rooms is there after opening, another convention hotel will be built in proximity. There is a huge amount of vacant space to build within 2-3 blocks, including the old convention site. I’d rather fill up than go up more. This is high enough to satisfy the ego height requirements.

[warreng88]

So, another 135 rooms adds around $35-40 Million. Was the city willing to underwrite that and guarantee occupancy levels. NO. That’s not cheap, that’s smart.

I’f the demand for 4 star rooms is there after opening, another convention hotel will be built in proximity. There is a huge amount of vacant space to build within 2-3 blocks, including the old convention site. I’d rather fill up than go up more. This is high enough to satisfy the ego height requirements.

And if I remember correctly, the Omni has rights to a part of the cox convention center land to build another hotel if they choose. I remember seeing that somewhere.

[runOKC]

And if I remember correctly, the Omni has rights to a part of the cox convention center land to build another hotel if they choose. I remember seeing that somewhere.

Yes I believe they have the first right of refusal on at least part of that land. Is Omni part of a larger hotel network? Just wondering what brand/flag they would build.

[jonny d]

Yes I believe they have the first right of refusal on at least part of that land. Is Omni part of a larger hotel network? Just wondering what brand/flag they would build.

Only the Omni brand. They would probably either build a new tower or build on to their current building.

[Laramie]

Many of us understand the gravity of projects built through MAPS. Many want height, accommodations and quality reflected in a project--nothing different than what we see in other cities of our size or larger.

OKC focused on options for expansion.

Personally, I wanted to go with 1,000 rooms because it would have allowed us to be open to bid on a number of conventions and events that a city of our size in the tier III range wouldn't normally get. To the contrary, let's be real and work with the hand we've been dealt.

I'm a pie-in-the-sky guy, my ideas would have bankrupted this city years ago. Over the years, our city leaders have made low risk conservation type decisions where we've worked with the numbers that support what we can achieve. You can call it 'inexpensive' or 'cheap,' whatever fits your fancy--it's what you get when all you can afford is on the clearance rack.

OKC does possess a vehicle to pay as we go. As a growing city, we'll acquire more revenue to fund future projects. As we move from simplicity to complexity, our citizens have an appetite that has grown bigger than its leaders.

[Laramie]

So, another 135 rooms adds around $35-40 Million. Was the city willing to underwrite that and guarantee occupancy levels. NO. That’s not cheap, that’s smart.

I’f the demand for 4 star rooms is there after opening, another convention hotel will be built in proximity. There is a huge amount of vacant space to build within 2-3 blocks, including the old convention site. I’d rather fill up than go up more. This is high enough to satisfy the ego height requirements.

Only the Omni brand. They would probably either build a new tower or build on to their current building.

Excellent points. We have the land available to expand or build another 300 room addition to the Omni hotel on site or in the vicinity if the demand is there to exceed supply. Omni, has first rights, if they don't exercise that option, OKC has the option to bring in another band and developer.

There's also Oklahoma's only 5 star hotel with plans to open at First National Center. Our city will be poised to support conventions that require certain specifications.

[BoulderSooner]

Excellent points. We have the land available to expand or build another 300 room addition to the Omni hotel on site or in the vicinity if the demand is there to exceed supply. Omni, has first rights, if they refuse to expand, OKC has the option to bring in another band and developer.

There's also Oklahoma's only 5 star hotel with plans to open at First National Center. Our city will be poised to support conventions that require certain specifications.

where?

[Laramie]

where?

Current convention center complex under construction.

Also, what about the parcel of land south of Patel's Fairfield Inn & Suites. There's options for another hotel if Omni doesn't exercise their options.

That cause to give Omni first rights, doesn't negate the rights for our city to pursue other alternatives.

[David]

The hotel operators knew the convention center and park were going in when they built this underwhelming hotel. Let's not re-write history and pretend they propelled development in the area in some way.

Oh, sure, everyone knew it was coming, but they still put their money in and broke ground before anything else started around them. With them starting when they did we'll have two hotels open in the immediate area of the convention center when it opens instead of just the Omni, and that is important for the new facility to get off the ground running.

I've been to plenty of conferences and conventions, and nearly always the closer you can get a hotel room the better off you are. The Fairfield going up when it did means more con attendees will have a better experience from the start.

[Colbafone]

Oh, sure, everyone knew it was coming, but they still put their money in and broke ground before anything else started around them. With them starting when they did we'll have two hotels open in the immediate area of the convention center when it opens instead of just the Omni, and that is important for the new facility to get off the ground running.

I've been to plenty of conferences and conventions, and nearly always the closer you can get a hotel room the better off you are. The Fairfield going up when it did means more con attendees will have a better experience from the start.

That doesn't make it a good development. Anyone with foresight could have told you this area was going to be AT LEAST moderately successful. This Fairfield Inn is a joke. Lousy design for this area. It wouldn't even be that difficult to fix. Just add 2 stories of parking underneath, done. As it is its just another cookie cutter hotel that no one with authority said no too.

[David]

That doesn't make it a good development. Anyone with foresight could have told you this area was going to be AT LEAST moderately successful. This Fairfield Inn is a joke. Lousy design for this area. It wouldn't even be that difficult to fix. Just add 2 stories of parking underneath, done. As it is its just another cookie cutter hotel that no one with authority said no too.

None of that disagrees with anything I said about the usefulness of the Fairfield to the convention center business the city will be getting when the new convention center opens.

I know you stan for the parking garage district, but that doesn't mean every building needs to have an integrated one. We've had, what, one single hotel proposal with a parking garage pedestal that I can think of in recent times? It's not exactly a common requirement we should be expecting the city to enforce. Beyond that, plenty of people traveling to conventions from far out of town do not rent a car at all and just use local means (taxi, shuttle, rideshare, etc.) to get from the airport to their hotel and pedestrian around while they are in the area. If I was flying in from out of town to a conference or convention in OKC that is exactly what I would do, and for my hotel my first choice would be the Omni and second the Fairfield because of the proximity.

[Pete]

It was a funny situation with the Fairfield because they had already acquired property needed for the convention center, so the city had to work out a trade.

And very hard for the city to lean on the design when they needed the owner to agree to the swap.

It really only looks out of place from drone shots. From ground-level, you don't see it at all unless you are heading south on Shields and even then it's built right to the corner and looks fine.

[kevin lee]

Thank you Pete. Finally someone agrees with me. It looks fine.

[Heysloth]

Having another less expensive hotel so close will be a good thing. It will allow anyone who might not be able to stay at Omni to have access to all the same things. Also once things fill in around it wont look out of place.