Company plans for ex-Kerr-McGee tower in dowtown OKC, may reshape the block
Company plans for ex-Kerr-McGee tower may reshape the look of whole city block

By Steve Lackmeyer
Published: August 27, 2008

Life is returning to the former Kerr-McGee tower downtown, where more than 300 construction workers are working to recreate the landmark into a modern office building.

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SandRidge Energy, which bought the tower last year, has about 250 employees working in the first 16 floors while the 17th through 29th floors are being gutted and rebuilt. By year's end, the company expects to have all of its 500 employees headquartered downtown.

To date, the company has spent about $50 million to buy and renovate the tower.

‘There are still a thousand things to consider'
Dirk Van Doren, chief financial officer at SandRidge, acknowledges the company has been fairly quiet about the project — but it's not because they're being secretive.

"There are still a thousand things to consider,” Van Doren said. "This building was really built in the '60s — it opened in 1972. But the thinking was '60s — it was different.”

Van Doren said the company is taking a major step this month with the hiring of New York City-based Rogers Marvel Associates. Instead of just looking at potential improvements to the tower, the architectural and planning firm is tasked with looking at the entire city block and how it relates to the rest of downtown, he said.

"We want to engage the public more than what has happened in the past,” Van Doren said. "We want to impact the energy of the city in a way that will draw people out.”

Van Doren said he's eager to look at how much, if at all, the tower should tap into The Underground pedestrian tunnels. While understanding of the need for underground access during inclement weather, Van Doren said he's not so sure of the message sent by empty sidewalks.

In the final years before Kerr-McGee was bought out by Houston-based Anadarko Petroleum, the tunnel access was heavily secured and not open to the public.

Van Doren said Rogers Marvel Associates also will look at the tower entrance and older buildings on the former Kerr-McGee campus that have been empty for more than 20 years.

Just before Kerr-McGee was sold, the company eliminated fountains at the entrance and replaced them with bushes. Van Doren said one of the top challenges ahead is whether to recast the tower's entrance.

"How do you enter the building and how does the building interact with the park across the street?” Van Doren asked. "Should there be a fountain there? Should there be a driveway? Should the entrance be pushed out or pulled back in?”

What will happen to older buildings?
Likewise, Van Doren said the company is awaiting architects' recommendations before deciding the fate of the older buildings, which include the original Braniff Airlines headquarters and the 1902 India Temple Building.

Despite the ongoing removal of asbestos from the old buildings, the company is still open to keeping them standing, said Marsha Wooden, vice president of administration at SandRidge.

Wooden also confirmed several downtown housing developers, including Richard Tanenbaum, who converted the Park Harvey from offices to apartments, have expressed an interest in developing the older buildings.

A similar project was announced, but never started, a year before the sale of Kerr-McGee. Van Doren and Wooden say the older buildings will not be re-used as offices.

"It's very important to know whether those buildings will bring value to what we want to be a good city block,” Wooden said.

Brett Hamm, president of Downtown Oklahoma City Inc., is among those watching the progress. He said the company is widely seen as a "savior” of the former Kerr-McGee tower, and he anticipates the company's move to downtown will only hasten its ongoing resurgence.


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I worked in that building for SandRidge and that tunnel is nasty. Matter of fact I was in it a couple weeks ago after all the heavy rains and there were people having to suck water out of the carpets. It reminds me of 1960's porn with all the colors and lights.

I personally know they were planning on tearing down those old buildings but didnt want to say that to the public when they purchased it. As far as downtown goes, it was really not for me. I cannot understand how people can "love" downtown... But to each their own.
ME, Oklahoma City - Aug 27, 2008 11:01 PM
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East of Piedmont? West Edmond? Oh, that's a recipe for a healthy downtown. By all means, we should've stayed in a "functional" library that was outdated and underutilized. Tell me, Kent. Have you ever been to the new library? Had you ever visited the old library? Do you even work, live or shop in OKC proper?
James, Oklahoma City - Aug 27, 2008 1:52 PM
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The old library was functional. The Metropolitan part of MAPS would have been better served by building more branch libraries. One north of St. Anthony, one east of Piedmont, west Edmond, Will Rogers Airport area. The new downtown library was cover to give management of the system plush offices.
Kent, Edmond - Aug 27, 2008 12:54 PM
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Hey Paris - You haven't been in the downtown tunnels in a while, obviously. they have been completely renovated, and look better then they ever have.
Brer Rabbit, Briar Patch - Aug 27, 2008 9:39 AM
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Well then you will be happy with this: the old library (Carnegie Center) is being renovated into housing, office and retail. Here is website of the improvements: http://www.equityrealty.net/carnegie.aspx
Gary, Oklahoma City - Aug 27, 2008 9:03 AM
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I hope they put in fountains and other things that look nice and is pleasant to stop and look at.
Jess, Warr Acres - Aug 27, 2008 9:00 AM
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It looks like exciting times for Oklahoma City. Hope our oil boom lasts long enough to see them through. I say we need to revive the tunnels. In the 80's I love working downtown and using the tunnels. I could run to Hallmark and buy gifts and cards, shop at Streets and Harolds or a couple of other places, eat lunch and never have to brave, snow, heat, cold or rain. I also walked on my breaks and could lap those tunnels in nothing flat and stay fit. Loved them. Not now, they are nasty. Please, please fix them. You go Sandridge and Devon. I could not agree more about the awful Old Downtown Library. Go, go be gone.
Thoughtful, Oklahoma City - Aug 27, 2008 8:54 AM
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I totally agree. The whole key to this block is going to be the horribly ugly and useless Old Downtown Library. That's about the only building I'd like to see completely removed. For retail to work, the City MUST BUILD A GARAGE on the WEST side of downtown - BEFORE they start working on Core to Shore.
c, Oklahoma City - Aug 27, 2008 8:34 AM
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Congrats to Sandridge for improving their tower and being the anchor for NE downtown (in addition to Devon with their new skyscraper anchoring the center/south). Something that WILL bring the public to the superblock and have interaction is RETAIL!!!!! Put in storefront retail on that garage and the faces of some of the buildings on the campus. Im not necessarily saying the tower, although creating a new entry lobby/atrium with retail inside would be a great move, but definitely some of the buildings lining Robert S Kerr and Broadway could easily see storefront retail in the form of shoppes, boutiques, convenience store and pharmacist, and restaurants (fast food, mom and pop, and small upscale/chains). This would liven that part of downtown and definitely would tie Sandridge into the city even more than Devon (since the new skyscraper wont necesssarily have retail on the same scale). Hopefully, with retail possibly coming to the KMG campus it would spread moreso to other streetfronts in downtown - that creates a lively environment when combined with the residential; ensures success of the overall downtown economy and quality of life! Bring on streetfront (and tunnel) retail!!!
R, Seattle - Aug 27, 2008 4:14 AM
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