US Tallest Tower to be in Oklahoma City

[jaxlongtimer]

While our downtown languishes, Oklahoma City is headed toward the nation's tallest skyscraper.  Heights Unknown will be jealous .

USA's tallest building approved for Oklahoma City

Officials have given the thumbs up for a new tallest skyscraper in the United States – and it's not headed for New York City or Chicago as you might expect, but to a tornado-prone area with a population of only around 700,000 people: Oklahoma City.

We first saw this audacious project proposed as the USA's second-tallest skyscraper. Following this, the designers and developers went back to the drawing board and decided to go one better, updating their plans to make it the tallest building in the country. More details have since emerged.

We now know that the Legends Tower will be located on the site of a parking lot near a railroad track and a U-Haul storage facility. It will reach a symbolic height of 1,907 ft (581 m), to commemorate the year Oklahoma became the USA's 46th state. To put that into perspective, it will be a significant 130 ft (39 m) taller than the USA's current tallest skyscraper, NYC's One World Trade Center, and will be placed at sixth-tallest in the world rankings, just behind China's Ping An Finance Center.

Alongside the main skyscraper, there will be three smaller towers, each rising to 345 ft (105 m). Between all four buildings, they will host 1,776 residential units, as well as a luxury hotel.

There are some concerns, however. Building something so tall in a city with a population under 1 million (or around 1.4 million if we include the entire Oklahoma City metropolitan area) doesn't seem to make much financial sense, though developer Scot Matteson recently announced that he has secured funding for the US$1.6 billion project, so presumably someone thinks it does.

Additionally, as the Wall Street Journal reports, in a recent city planning meeting, another more pressing concern was also raised: the weather. Oklahoma City is known to experience a large number of tornadoes, which brings to mind all sorts of nightmarish scenarios when discussing such a tall building. Addressing this, Rob Budetti, managing partner of California studio AO, which is designing the Legends Tower, offered reassurance that engineers will install a chunky concrete core surrounding the elevator shaft for stability, and that the skyscraper's windows will be capable of withstanding the force of a tornado without damage. Indeed, the architect even suggested it will be one of the safer places to be in the event of a tornado.

In the end, the Oklahoma City Planning Commission gave its stamp of approval. According to local newspaper The Oklahoman there are still a few potential hurdles, including a city meeting on June 4 to discuss a zoning change. But all being well, Matteson expects this incredible project to begin construction by July of this year.





https://newatlas.com/architecture/legends-tower-planning-permission/

[Jax_Developer]

I'd love to see this get built, only because this building will be 1900'+ and their next tallest building is 844' thus, I think, several weird records will be broken if it is. Also as a real estate guy, if it does get done... this just might be biggest FU real estate play of the century.

[Charles Hunter]

That's all well and good. But ... will it have a Fudrucker's? Can't be a Game Changer [r] without one.   

[Todd_Parker]

Mooneyhan Entertainment Center 2.0?

[BridgeTroll]

Mooneyhan Entertainment Center 2.0?

I thought I was the only one... 

[Ken_FSU]

Mooneyhan Entertainment Center 2.0?

[jaxoNOLE]

Note, this tower is replacing a storage facility. Clearly our proposed storage facility in San Marco is a preparatory step towards building a record-breaking skyscraper there in the future!

[vicupstate]

Devon Tower in OKC already stands out there. This would dwarf that building. Of course, its never going to be built.

[Charles Hunter]

IF the building is ever built, it is possible the finished product could be "tornado resistant."  But, what about during construction? It seems it would be as much of a target for the Tornado Gods as mobile home parks.

[Jax_Developer]

^Ironically, they brought up that Skyscraper in Fort Worth that got “totaled” as a reason to not do it. The Tower is the building name I believe.

[jaxlongtimer]

I would think there is an optimal height after which ROI starts to decline, even in NYC.  In other words, it would be better to start a second tower or more at some point rather than reaching for the sky. 

I am not sure I would want to live above a certain floor. Longer elevator rides to get to one's living unit and stairs could take forever if elevators went down or are running slow due to "rush hour" in the building.  Lived in a high rise once, about 24 floors, and was glad to only be about the 6th floor, as taking the stairs was a frequently used option. And, keep in mind, fire truck ladders can only reach to the 7th floor, LOL.

[Jax_Developer]

I would think there is an optimal height after which ROI starts to decline, even in NYC.  In other words, it would be better to start a second tower or more at some point rather than reaching for the sky. 

I am not sure I would want to live above a certain floor. Longer elevator rides to get to one's living unit and stairs could take forever if elevators went down or are running slow due to "rush hour" in the building.  Lived in a high rise once, about 24 floors, and was glad to only be about the 6th floor, as taking the stairs was a frequently used option. And, keep in mind, fire truck ladders can only reach to the 7th floor, LOL.

There's very little economics at play here, that's why it's cool. Unless they see this building sparking a renaissance in OKC... This building will likely require two sky lobbies. So if you live on the 70+ floor, you gotta take 3 elevators to get to the top. Plus, all those units gotta be $1M+. Not sure people with money like that out in OKC, want to live that Skyscraper condo life.

Also, thanks for that fire truck ladder knowledge! I'll have to remember that lol

[acme54321]

So does anyone know what the developer's end game really is here?    Cause it can't actually be building this thing.

[Jax_Developer]

He claims to be 100% funded already.