That’s exciting. Are you referring to a potential convention center hotel, or do you see signs pointing toward some other mid- to high-rise in our future?

I would think convention hotel.

Alright, here’s the rundown:
In Bricktown, we already know we have an 11-story hotel being built by Marsh Pitman.
I will place odds at better than 50 percent we will see at least one more such property built within the next few years.
City leaders are convinced the new convention center won’t be successful without an adjoining conference hotel. Based on the chosen footprint, it won’t be like Fort Worth’s new Omni – it will have to go up. My best guess is we’re looking at anything from 20 to 30 stories high on a convention hotel. Assuming politics don’t get much nastier on this than they already are, I put the odds of this happening within the next seven to eight years at about 80 percent.
Now, let’s move on to office development. This one is a bit more tricky. But I’m beginning to believe the odds are going up that SandRidge will build a fairly significant structure on Broadway and Robert S. Kerr that could be as high as 20 stories. I put the odds of this happening in the next few years at 70 percent.
Could there be more office development? My first inclination would be to say “no.” But … I’m not ruling it out. Wish I could say more…
Call me crazy, but I believe there is a chance that once Rick Dowell is done with the old Midland Mortgage building (at Robinson and Robert S. Kerr), he might just start next on a mid-rise apartment building he has long planned at NW 5 and Walker (on the hill just west of Walker). I put the odds of this happening at 40 percent.
Could there be more mid-rise to high-rise residential built? Tell me how the economy looks in a few years.
But all this having been said, I would be shocked if there isn’t at least two more substantial additions to the skyline and I suspect, but am not certain, we’ll see as many as four or more.

Good info, Steve. Thanks. Sounds exciting.

I am cautiously optomistic. But If I was estimating percentages I would drop yours by at least 25%. Unless and until th eeconomy improves dramatically any “brand new” development, that has not already been announced, is just a far away dream.

I’d say that Mike N. is being unduly pessimistic. Major projects are getting untracked all over the country without improvement to the economy, much less a ‘dramatic improvement.’

Yes, it only amounts to a trickle, when compared to headier times, but it is still a far cray from ‘far away dream.’

I hope you are right Steve. That is very exciting. All of the construction will pad the MAPS 3 income and bring all of the projects closer to reality. What will we bitch about then?

Matt – Good question, I’m sure everyone will find something.

I’m sure we’ll find something.

Possible nightime ligthing enhancements? Steve, I hope you have the clout to convince AT&T to dismantle that obsolete, non-functioning equipment atop the vintage Pioneer(?) Bldg. It’s cleansed upper profile would look great with creative lighting. Convince the owner of the Ramsey Tower to utilize the upper Deco setbacks to compliment what’s across the street. Surely Chase can do something better than that dim up-top outline. I’m sure Devon and Sandridge will look fabulous when finished! Go get e’m….

If you had shown that photo to anyone in Oklahoma City in the year 2000 and said that this would be a skyline shot in 2011, you would have been branded an overly optimistic fool.

There was an interview with Harold Hamm today by a Fortune blogger where he said he expects Continental Resources (the energy company set to move into the old Devon building) to triple in size in the next five years. So, they could outgrow that space pretty darn fast.

With all the momentum in OKC and particularly downtown, you can be sure there will be some big projects pop up in the next few years that aren’t even on the radar screen at this point.