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Thread: American Energy Partners

  1. #1

    Default American Energy Partners

    Aubrey McClendon's new energy company is starting to looking a lot like his last one. As American Energy Partners raises billions and hires hundreds, McClendon is once again making his presence felt in Oklahoma City commercial development.

    Occupies Former Chesapeake Buildings

    According to those in the oil & gas industry, AEP already has over 400 employees in OKC including many former Chesapeake workers. The company website currently lists 88 job openings in Oklahoma City alone.

    Since the very first days of forming this new venture McClendon set up shop in the Harvey Parkway, a property he actually purchased for Chesapeake, which was promptly sold after his departure. AEP now occupies almost all of that building complete with their own health club, a small Pop's diner and McClendon himself has a great view of his old company's campus from his top floor corner office, complete with private restroom.


    AEP's growth has been so explosive they are now occupying most of the Atrium Towers, another property McClendon bought while at Chesapeake but then spun off to Love's by the new leadership. Both the Harvey Parkway and Atrium Towers were sold at a significant loss to Chesapeake.

    In fact, Chesapeake spent $2.4 million to completely refurbish the six floors of the south building of the Atrium Towers in 2012, sold it to Love's in 2013 and thus far AEP has torn out most of these improvements and spent another $700,000 to remodel about half of that same building. AEP signs will soon be going up on both the north and south towers.

    From Wine Storage to Fitness Center

    7/2/13: Work on new fitness center started this week

    In early 2008, McClendon's OKC Wine Management LLC began construction on a $3 million "private warehouse", generally understood to be the future home of his massive personal wine collection. The property is owned by McClendon on NW 67th and Classen but soon after the structure for the half-barrel shaped building commenced, it came to a complete halt not long after McClendon's now famous margin call that caused him to sell off billions in Chesapeake stock. The steel arches have been rusting away since late 2008.

    Just this past week, worked restarted at the site, this time for a $3 million fitness center for AEP employees. It will retain the barrel shape and will include fitness equipment and exercise rooms along with a basketball and racquetball courts.



    Daycare center planned





    AHMM of London is New Architect

    We had heard from trusted sources that Rand Elliott will not be the lead architect for any new AEP construction. Rand was the sole architect for Chesapeake's 20 plus buildings. Elliott also designed Classen Curve, Whole Foods and several other buildings commissioned by McClendon while he was at the Chesapeake helm.

    Allford Hall Monaghan Morris of London is the architect for this fitness center and we hear they will take the lead on any new AEP construction. AHMM has strong ties to Oklahoma City through Wade Scaramucci, who is a native Oklahoman working for the firm in London. After a series of high-style local projects (Level, Hart Building, Duncan's Bindery, OKSea, Mosaic, The Plow and others) AHMM set up a small office in Film Row.

    While Elliott may stay involved -- he's designed all the interiors for AEP's current offices -- it seems McClendon is going a different direction when it comes to his preferred lead architect.

    New Campus Expected

    McClendon owns a large tract on the northeast corner of Wilshire and Broadway Extension and by all indications, plans to make this the new home for his growing enterprise.

    That 57 acres is bordered by substantial holdings by American Fidelity. AF bought the former OPUBCO properties to the north and also own acreage directly south across Wilshire, and has their own ambitious development plans.

    Expect to see an announcement before the end of the year for a new AEP mid-rise tower (7 to 20 stories) to be designed by AHMM on the McClendon-owned land.

  2. #2

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    I replaced the old AEP article, as there is lots of new information here.

    I had mentioned that Aubrey had a new architect and can now reveal it is AHMM.

  3. #3

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    Would this be considered adaptive reuse?

  4. #4

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    Most interesting.

    The AEP flag is flying at Two Grand Place.. along with the Midfirst flag...

  5. #5

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    I'm anxious to see what their new tower will look like up off Wilshire. That, along with hundreds of other acres up there are prime real estate. AF recently got plans drawn out for the new parking garage that's going to be built for them up at the old OPUBCO building. I'm not sure when it'll be build though.

  6. #6

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    Quote Originally Posted by pw405 View Post
    Most interesting.

    The AEP flag is flying at Two Grand Place.. along with the Midfirst flag...
    You mean Two Grand Park?

    There have been no building permits for AEP build out there.

  7. #7

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    A friend of mine who works at AEP said they're at 350 employees.

  8. #8

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    Quote Originally Posted by gopokes88 View Post
    A friend of mine who works at AEP said they're at 350 employees.
    I recently heard over 300 as well.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  9. #9

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    Quote Originally Posted by PhiAlpha View Post
    I recently heard over 300 as well.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    350+ now with plans to be at 750 by years end.

  10. #10

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    Quote Originally Posted by SoonerDustin View Post
    350+ now with plans to be at 750 by years end.
    Of the 350, how many would be in OKC?

  11. #11

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    750 by years end - AM doesn't mess around.

  12. #12

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    I suspect they will build a tower of significant size and with the intention to add more as growth dictates.

    It doesn't take much longer to build a 20-story tower than it did the 4- and 5-story structures at Chesapeake, which averaged about two years to complete. And with a fast-growing company, building in such small increments means not only can you not keep up (which is why they ended up spread all over town) but even on the same campus employees are too far apart.

  13. #13

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    I suspect these are a lot former Chesapeake employees that were laid off last year.

  14. #14

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post
    I suspect they will build a tower of significant size and with the intention to add more as growth dictates.

    It doesn't take much longer to build a 20-story tower than it did the 4- and 5-story structures at Chesapeake, which averaged about two years to complete. And with a fast-growing company, building in such small increments means not only can you not keep up (which is why they ended up spread all over town) but even on the same campus employees are too far apart.
    From everything I've heard Aubrey has a management theory about big towers. He doesn't like more then 4-6 floors because never wants his employees to feel like they are more then a few floors from the top. That could have changed but it's what I've heard.

  15. #15

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    Quote Originally Posted by gopokes88 View Post
    From everything I've heard Aubrey has a management theory about big towers. He doesn't like more then 4-6 floors because never wants his employees to feel like they are more then a few floors from the top. That could have changed but it's what I've heard.
    Yeah, I've heard that but 1) I think he's changed his mind because it just didn't work out at Chesapeake once they got to a certain size; and 2) it's completely silly. Aubrey was getting millions in bonuses and paying tons of friends and family way more than the average employee, so it's not like he wasn't actively and conspicuously participating in the most extreme forms of elitism and nepotism.

    Even now, he has a massive corner office with a huge private bath and shower... But because it's no more than six floors from the ground that somehow makes him more part of the rank-and-file? I'm sure even he has given up on that pretense.

  16. #16

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    That may have been his misaligned theory back then, but I'm guessing today, there is a "build it different, bigger, taller and better" desire, than what he did at CHK. The "mine is bigger than yours" mentality even though he created the "yours". I think that is part of the reason he changed design horses........he does not want anything that remotely looks stylistically similar to what he already created through Rand. He wants fresh ideas and interpretations of the new Aubrey.

  17. #17

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post
    You mean Two Grand Park?

    There have been no building permits for AEP build out there.
    Correct - the 2nd black building on Shartel, just north of I-44. The one with the weird red sculpture in the lobby. One Midfirst flag, an American flag, and an American Energy Partners flag.

  18. #18

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    Quote Originally Posted by pw405 View Post
    Correct - the 2nd black building on Shartel, just north of I-44. The one with the weird red sculpture in the lobby. One Midfirst flag, an American flag, and an American Energy Partners flag.
    Very interesting.

    Perhaps they already have some employees in there and they didn't renovate the space.

  19. #19

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    I haven't been by during normal working hours, but I haven't noticed any cars in the parking lot over there since the old chk employees moved out.

  20. #20

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post
    Yeah, I've heard that but 1) I think he's changed his mind because it just didn't work out at Chesapeake once they got to a certain size; and 2) it's completely silly. Aubrey was getting millions in bonuses and paying tons of friends and family way more than the average employee, so it's not like he wasn't actively and conspicuously participating in the most extreme forms of elitism and nepotism.

    Even now, he has a massive corner office with a huge private bath and shower... But because it's no more than six floors from the ground that somehow makes him more part of the rank-and-file? I'm sure even he has given up on that pretense.
    I didn't say it made sense. It didn't work out for him at Chesapeake because he actually like he still owned the company and spent like it.

    I think everyone is constantly rooting for towers they start to reach for who could build a new one.

    You could be 100% right, I'm iust saying AM's past actions give us 0 indication he wants a tower. Especially since he owns that massive parcel of land on Broadway extension.

  21. #21

    Default Re: American Energy Partners

    Quote Originally Posted by gopokes88 View Post
    I didn't say it made sense. It didn't work out for him at Chesapeake because he actually like he still owned the company and spent like it.

    I think everyone is constantly rooting for towers they start to reach for who could build a new one.

    You could be 100% right, I'm iust saying AM's past actions give us 0 indication he wants a tower. Especially since he owns that massive parcel of land on Broadway extension.
    I understand and didn't mean to be snarky in any way. Just that this issue has come up several times before and I don't doubt that was his philosophy, just pointing out how silly it is to think that will somehow make him more a man of the people when he is making hundreds times their salary and has countless other huge perks.

    BTW, I had heard that one of the reasons he is using AHMM instead of Rand is because he wants to do things "very differently". And I've been hearing about a mid-rise tower for months. Pretty darn sure it is coming soon.

    And at their growth rate -- and even given how much space they are already occupying -- they'd have to either build a whole bunch of small buildings or start with something much bigger and taller.

  22. #22

    Default Re: American Energy Partners Business Practices (Aubrey McClendon)


  23. #23

    Default Re: American Energy Partners Business Practices (Aubrey McClendon)


  24. #24

    Default Re: American Energy Partners Business Practices (Aubrey McClendon)

    You can say a lot of things about Aubrey, but he really seems to understand the value that providing a daycare gives him in attracting and retaining talent. I know a few young parents that might change jobs for that perk alone.

  25. #25

    Default Re: American Energy Partners Business Practices (Aubrey McClendon)

    No kidding. That's not a perk, that's a pay raise. And to families that debate whether it makes economic sense for one parent to stay at home with children v. pay for child care, it could be an additional income.

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