The "this has nothing to do with Tulsa" mega-post

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Construction Junction updates:

Interstate 235 reopens early...

Construction crews were able to hand a bridge beam earlier than expected; however you will still see lane closures adjusted to accommodate this project.


I-235/I-44 to the Tulsa Turner Turnpike TJunction

$105 million interchange reconstruction at I-235 and I-44  with two fly overs. Construction is expected to continue into the summer of 2021.  Pics via The Oklahoman

[Laramie]

 
                                                                   

Skydance Bridge repairs update...

                                                           

New deck is made of metal & fiberglass panels with a thirty to forty year life span; anticipated opening in mid May.

[Laramie]

                                                                      

Costco targets Oklahoma City for new operations center

Seattle based Costco wants to open an operations and customer care center that would add more than 1,000 jobs over the next three years with an average annual salary of $59,740. This would involve $3 million in incentives from the Oklahoma City Economic Development Trust and the State of Oklahoma's Quality Jobs Program.  Costco reports it expects to invest more than $25 million to purchase a property along with furniture, fixtures and equipment.

Roy Williams, president of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, noted the deal is well timed as the city — faces a rising unemployment rate due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Oklahoma City Chamber estimates the total economic impact will be $772 million over the first seven years of operation based on total project impact, including capital investment, wages, state and local taxes.

They plan to begin hiring very soon and want to be in operation by the end of the calendar year according to Cathy O'Connor, president of The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City.  O'Connor indicated thousands applied for jobs at the warehouse store and that's when they realized we had an adequate workforce that is highly motivated.

Costco also felt the effects in stores after reporting a surge in sales during the first weeks of the pandemic.  The company also reported an 88% increase in eCommerce sales, which will be the focus of the Oklahoma City operation.

A second Costco is expected to start construction in Moore, OK this fall. It should be open sometime next year.  The metro's first Costco store opened in May, 2019, near the Kilpatrick Turnpike and Western Avenue.

[Laramie]

New look for Oklahoma City Sheraton Luxury Hotel


395 available 4 star luxury hotel rooms.

Pics via OKCTalk.com

[Laramie]

Supporters pushing for world-class aquarium in Oklahoma City; project put on the shelf; Covid-19.

https://kfor.com/news/supporters-pushing-for-world-class-aquarium-in-oklahoma-city/



Funds needed for $100 million Aquarium

[Laramie]

Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine Site Cam Live Feed

https://www.archokc.org/shrinewebcam

[Laramie]

Reports from OKCTalk.com on Omni Oklahoma City

The last crane is gone!



The 605 room Omni Oklahoma City will require some internal finishing touches for its premier opening in early 2021

[Laramie]

                             Oklahoma City Convention Center's Planned Expansion

                         

                           

                         
The new OKC Convention Center was built with room for future growth.  Just south of the project is an area for future growth and development both under & above ground development.  The convention center expansion potential is the area beyond the center toward the I-40 crosstown expressway.

The 'convention center complex' includes the Cox Convention Center & Arena, Chesapeake Energy Arena, Omni Hotel, Fairfield Inn & Suites and OKC Convention Center.

There will be 2,018 hotel rooms within walking distance from the convention center; it will allow OKC to bid on some tier II & III class conventions

MIKE: We have been approached by the RNC to consider bidding to host their annual convention. And we'll probably look at it for 2024 or 2028. But political conventions are not nearly as attractive for cities as they used to be.

Republican National Convention asks Oklahoma City to bid on hosting future event:  https://oklahoman.com/article/5655601/republican-national-convention-asks-oklahoma-city-to-bid-on-hosting-future-event

[Laramie]

Bricktown Marriott Renaissance update...









Construction on the 7th floor of this 10 story hotel.
When completed, it will be the tallest structure in Bricktown.

Pics via OKCTalk.com

[Laramie]

Update pics on some OKC projects via OKCTalk.com


Oklahoma City Public Schools I-89 new Administration Building (center) Auditorium (left)


Convention center's 1,100 space garage, completed 4 of 6 stories

New Downtown Garage, proposed 7 level garage rendering.


ParcFirst @Bricktown, proposed 799 space garage[/b]

[Laramie]

OKC Will Rogers World Airport Terminal Expansion updates...



The $89 million project will add 133,022 square feet to the existing 410,000 square-foot airport terminal;
addition includes four new airline gates, a consolidated security checkpoint and much-needed greeting lounge space.

[Laramie]

Transformation of Oklahoma City's BancFirst Tower...



The blue mullions to the first few floors above the lobby are being installed;
this tower will look like a new skyscraper once the outer skin is completed.
The new blue mullions will blend better with the Devon & BOK Plaza Towers.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Heartland Payments to add another 400 jobs to its current 550 workforce.

The new Heartland headquarters started construction in late 2018 with the company committing to relocate 160 employees from its Edmond headquarters along with at least 345 new hires to downtown Oklahoma City as part of a $1 million jobs incentives agreement approved by the Oklahoma City Council...

...The addition of 400 jobs at Heartland follows an announcement last week that Costco is planning to open an operations center that will employ 1,044.

"We kept that land to expand that building knowing growth was coming," Burnett said. "The growth happened so fast and they needed the additional space so quickly we couldn't get the additional land built in time for when the jobs were needed. We planned for expansion. We planned for it to happen. It just happened so fast."

That expansion, Burnett said, remains an option.--Oklahoman, 05/17/2020

Oklahoman full story link:  https://oklahoman.com/article/5662422/heartland-to-add-400-jobs-to-its-downtown-workforce

[Laramie]

 

New Oklahoma City Convention Center



Looking (front) east from Scissortail Park crossing South Robinson Avenue...

Pic via OKCTalk.com https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=26179&page=250

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Construction Junction updates...

I-235/I-44 Interchange, pics via OKCTalk.com

...I-44 leads to the infamous Turner Turnpike to Tulsa.