Boardwalk at Bricktown / Dream Hotel

[kevin lee]

What I don't understand is some of the New York outrage. Some act like they've had the tallest skyscraper since the beginning of time and the Willis Tower in Chicago never existed.

[Urbanized]

^^^^^^^^^^
The height of the new WTC was specifically intended to restore the “tallest building” status to NYC and to honor those lost during the 9/11 attacks. Rather than something of such important symbolism, the proposed OKC building seems to be at best a celebration of brashness and at worst a publicity stunt. I get the NYC irritation.

[ourulz2000]

The NYC reporters are literally grabbing people at random, sticking a mic in their face and asking what do they think about flyover country Oklahoma having a bigger building. Of course the people aren’t going to be happy. But, the reporter is trying to get the answer they want. Key thing is if she said Boston or Philly they wouldn’t be happy either.

[G.Walker]

The crazy thing is, people are acting like the supertall is going to break ground this Summer along with the other towers. IF the supertall actually gets builts, its a good 5 years out from breaking ground. After the hype dies down, the supertall will be forgotten until its brought back up again in 2030. And by then, it might not be the tallest building in the US after all.

[kevin lee]

Yea but most of the outrage isn't based on 911. I'm guessing a lot of people don't even know the reasoning behind why the height is what it is. The backlash that I'm noticing is basically people commenting on our lack of skyscrapers and population to need the tallest building in the U.S. Also I'm seeing comments saying we don't need it because of the tornadoes, even though places like Nashville has had more downtown damage due to tornadoes than us. This ain't about 911, this is about "most" of the people just want the tallest building, as would I.

[SEMIweather]

The tornado comments are so ridiculous in particular. Pick any Oklahoma City address, there is a very good chance there has been no tornado activity between April 22nd, 1889 and present day. If we actually got hit by tornadoes half as often as the average person thinks we do, no one would live here because it would be cost-prohibitive lol, not to mention the risk of death.

[bison34]

The tornado comments are so ridiculous in particular. Pick any Oklahoma City address, there is a very good chance there has been no tornado activity between April 22nd, 1889 and present day. If we actually got hit by tornadoes half as often as the average person thinks we do, no one would live here because it would be cost-prohibitive lol, not to mention the risk of death.

Yep!

And when was the last tornado downtown? Let alone the last one that would damage a building built like these super talls are built now?

[HOT ROD]

If everything in the development happens EXCEPT for the supertall, that will still be a huge win for OKC and the kind of development that's been missing in downtown.

welcome back bchris!

[dankrutka]

This snark and incredulity really represents the bulk of the response I've seen from this wave of national stories.

And using the TIF award as evidence of local optimism for the tower seems disingenuous. Wasn't that approved for the original plans that showed no such tower? I'm not saying it wouldn't have been awarded if this has been in the original plans but the logic seems reversed here.

I actually thought the article was well written and got the facts correct. Yes, it included some clever headers meant to generate interest, but they weren't derogatory. What did you find snarky about it?

[LocoAko]

I actually thought the article was well written and got the facts correct. Yes, it included some clever headers meant to generate interest, but they weren't derogatory. What did you find snarky about it?

You're right. It wasn't too bad of an article (most of the recent press has had the exact same quotes and information). I think it was early-morning me responding to "...Oklahoma City? OK." (with the obvious pun) and including a section of quotes from people who are skeptical or doubtful OKC could pull this off. But honestly, their opinions aren't that far from my own, so they're probably fair game.

[Tyson]

The tornado comments are so ridiculous in particular. Pick any Oklahoma City address, there is a very good chance there has been no tornado activity between April 22nd, 1889 and present day. If we actually got hit by tornadoes half as often as the average person thinks we do, no one would live here because it would be cost-prohibitive lol, not to mention the risk of death.

It’s quite a silly thing to say. Especially when a few people said, “Do the developers even know about our tornadoes?”
No, you better go warn Matteson Capital

[Dob Hooligan]

over 60 years in OKC and I have never seen a tornado. And not because I was hiding in the bathtub. Like all good Okies, I go outside and look, but never had one close enough to see.

[_Kyle]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eMm...nel=Magnitudes
Check out this video. Super high resolution renderings in a video format that really show what this would look like.

[Pete]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eMm...nel=Magnitudes
Check out this video. Super high resolution renderings in a video format that really show what this would look like.

Thanks for that! A few screen grabs:

[Ross MacLochness]

That video is hilarious! I love the rendering of the Downtown OKC skyline with the Willis Tower superimposed.

[HFAA Alum]

Thanks for that! A few screen grabs:

The fact that this proposal is getting this kind of attention is astounding. We've got people dreaming big these days, and the fact that the observation deck is situated to be so high above the One World Trade is astounding. At this point I'm hoping the publicity isn't for naught, even if that is the likely outcome.

On a side note, this does highlight how much of a blight the Cox Center is in creating unnecessary space in our skyline. I do think the new arena would be built there, but also this has me hoping for more in that spot aside from that.

[_Kyle]

The fact that this proposal is getting this kind of attention is astounding. We've got people dreaming big these days, and the fact that the observation deck is situated to be so high above the One World Trade is astounding. At this point I'm hoping the publicity isn't for naught, even if that is the likely outcome.

On a side note, this does highlight how much of a blight the Cox Center is in creating unnecessary space in our skyline. I do think the new arena would be built there, but also this has me hoping for more in that spot aside from that.

I'm hoping that the surface lots between Scissortail and MBG get filled with some high rise development and that the new arena is placed in the prior space of the CCC.
Having some high rise towers on those surface lots would fit right in with this new development. Devon wouldn't look as out of place and downtown would have a much more impressive skyline from the interstate perspective.

[Urbanized]

…On a side note, this does highlight how much of a blight the Cox Center is in creating unnecessary space in our skyline. I do think the new arena would be built there, but also this has me hoping for more in that spot aside from that.

There will be.

[Zorba]

Since it is so flat around OKC you could calculate it. Use the height and the arc of the earth.

Yup, 53.5 miles to see the top of the mast.

[jccouger]

There will be.

What do you think/know will be built on the site? I'm assuming probably an anchor hotel, right? Any specific brands you are hearing or is an RFP expected to be released?

[BoulderSooner]

What do you think/know will be built on the site? I'm assuming probably an anchor hotel, right? Any specific brands you are hearing or is an RFP expected to be released?

Omni has right of first refusal IIRC

[burksooner]

Assuming every proceeds, what is the plan for parking?

Part of the reason `supers` succeed in New York/Chicago/etc., is because of the walkability/public transportation options the city offers.

As much as I would one day love for OKC to become that, it just isn't.

There are no easily accessible grocery stores, retails center, or restaurants (other than Bricktown) and thus would say a car is relatively necessary at this point in time for that location.

[Pete]

Assuming every proceeds, what is the planning for parking?

There doesn't seem to be one which is another cause for great skepticism.

[Rover]

Assuming every proceeds, what is the planning for parking?

Part of the reason `supers` succeed in New York/Chicago/etc. is because of the walkability/public transportation options the city offers.

As much as I would one day love for OKC to become that, it just isn't.

There are no easily accessible grocery stores, retails center, or restaurants (other than Bricktown) and thus would say a car is relatively necessary at this point in time for that location.

IF this gets built based on strong demand, there is lots of fully developable land very close to the site which would likely be built into support businesses. Lots of open sites east of the ballpark, lots of land at the old cotton mill site, and a lot of land at Strawberry Fields just 3 or 4 blocks away. It also is near the streetcar line,

IF built, it will be at least 10 years from now and I believe OKC downtown will look even more developed by then. It's like hunting... if you want to hit it, you don't shoot where the duck is, you shoot at where it is going.

[stlokc]

I appreciate the people that made the video and of course, many thanks to Pete for grabbing the screen shots.

I'm completely discounting the supertall. With respect to the other towers, my first interest as I've made clear is on the street and neighborhood interaction, but having said that, I confess to being mildly disappointed at the impact these apparently will have on the skyline from the west. (When I first saw the screenshot, I actually thought the shorter building to the left of the supertall was the Omni) Maybe it is the angle but I wasn't realizing quite the distance that they will be from the heart of the CBD. And if the arena is built there on the Cox site, unless a tall building is somehow integrated into it, it will continue to leave this dead space.

I would selfishly love to see what the skyline would look like from the due north with these "smaller" towers added (Broadway Extension near Wilshire/63rd) as that is the direction that I am seeing it 90 percent of the time at I'm home. I suspect it will look better from that angle due to the much shorter east-west distance between it and BancFirst from afar.