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Prone to fail...oops - fall?
Seriously - what are they thinking?
Officials have given the thumbs up for a new tallest skyscraper in the US – 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.
First they planned to build a second tallest building there, then reviewed that project, went back to the drawing board and decided to go one better, updating their plans to make it the tallest building in the country.
It will be 130 ft (39 m) taller than the USA's current tallest skyscraper in NYC's, and the 5th tallest building in the world.
Actually, the Oklahoma City Planning Commission has unanimously approved the requested unlimited height limit
It will reach a symbolic height of 1,907 ft (581 m), to commemorate the year Oklahoma became the USA's 46th state.
This, mostly residential 134+ story tower, will cost ~$1.6B (but probably much more).
Hopefully, they will get enough adventurous and fearless tenants to make it work.
Kinda crazy, considering the weather in that area, but architects offered reassurance that the building will be stable and windows capable to withstand the high winds. In fact, they are suggesting that the skyscraper will be one of the safer places to be in the event of a tornado.
This incredible project is to begin construction by July of this year.
With commercial real estate at the present lows which we haven't seen in decades, I can't imagine this project will come to fruition in it's current state.
I'd be surprised if they actually build and fund this, unless it's going to be primarily residential living but I doubt that you could find enough demand for that much residential in such a tall tower. Especially in a place like OKC.
Tornadoes aren't the issue for super tall buildings; stability of the subsurface structure is the issue. OKC, being on an ancient coastal plain, is on very stable land.
Those who haven't lived on the Great Plains are way more paranoid about tornadoes than those of us who've grown up with them. In some 50 years of living in North Texas, I've never even seen one.
In some 50 years of living in North Texas, I've never even seen one.
Well, let's see:
North Texas
- 1953 Waco tornado: The deadliest tornado in Texas history, killing 114 people
- 1927 Rocksprings tornado: The third deadliest tornado in Texas history, destroying 235 of 247 buildings
- 1967 Hurricane Beulah: 115 tornadoes, including 67 on September 20, a Texas record for a single day
- 2019 North Dallas tornado outbreak: Caused significant structural damage to thousands of homes and businesses
December 2019 North Texas tornado outbreak: Spawned almost two dozen tornadoes
There was also:
- THE WICHITA FALLS TORNADO - APRIL 10, 1979 (F4)
- THE SARAGOSA TORNADO - MAY 22, 1987 (F4)
- THE JARRELL TORNADO - MAY 27, 1997 (F5)
- THE LUBBOCK TORNADO - MAY 11, 1970 (F5)
Oklahoma City:
Oklahoma City (OKC), by virtue of its large areal extent and location near the heart of "tornado alley," has earned a reputation over the years as one of the more tornado-prone cities in the United States.
- The F5 tornado that struck the OKC metro area on May 3,1999 was the deadliest (36 killed), second costliest ($1 billion in damage), and the first and only F5 tornado on record in the immediate OKC area.
- The EF5 tornado that devastated the OKC metro area on May 20, 2013 was the fourth deadliest (24 killed), costliest ($2 billion in damage), and the first EF5 tornado on record in the immediate OKC area.
- Thirteen violent tornadoes (eleven F4/EF4 and two F5/EF5) have struck the immediate OKC area.
The most recent was on May 20, 2013. The record for tornadoes in a single day is 5, which occurred during tornado outbreaks on June 8, 1974, May 31, 2013, and October 9, 2018.
Earthquakes:
Beginning in 2009, Oklahoma experienced a surge in seismicity. This surge was so large that its rate of magnitude 3 and larger earthquakes exceeded California's from 2014 through 2017.
It seems excessive and out of place. Isn't OKC known as a more conservative and affordable part of the country? This building is about to change that and disrupt the economy and cost of living in OKC to the detriment of lower income people. 1,528 apartments with, say, an average of two residents per, means providing parking and infrastructure for around 3,000 vehicles in the immediate vicinity. Unless they're pushing this as another 'car-free/walkable' type of community plopped into the center of a sprawling metro that's been designed for passenger vehicles.
I wouldn't want to spend any length of time in a super tall building like this, tornado or not.
Building that tall is consuming lots of space for elevators and stairs.
Yes, the rent will be very high. The views not so spectacular (flat land with little going on). There won't be a huge surge of tourism - not much to see or do there.
So, I am not sure what's the plan.
The project is a 5-million-square-foot mixed-use development featuring two Hyatt hotels and residential condominiums (about 2,000), plus a public observatory, restaurant and bar on the top floors with sweeping city views.
When severe weather conditions and a tornado are imminent, the National Weather Service advises individuals to get to the lowest level of their homes. This typically means seeking shelter in a basement or storm shelter. However, following this advice in a massive building like this can be challenging.
Tornados evolve very quickly without any warning, without time for a tornado warning or siren. Try to evacuate people fast without panic casualties.
But apparently all that isn't going to be a problem.
Another thing to consider is the light pollution. There are giant LED billboards included in the plans that would take up more than 1,000 vertical feet, potentially on all sides. So, that has to go.
Developers Thursday continued to say they believe the demand for a tower of this size exists in Oklahoma City, but they also reiterate this tower could end up being much shorter.
And what Oklahomans think about it?
Oklahomans worry proposed ad space on the building could cause sensory issues as well as appearing “a bit tacky.” Some expressed concern Oklahoma City is a “one-stop shop for disasters,” including earthquakes, tornadoes and terror attacks.
But U.S. Census Bureau says OKC is the sixth-fastest growing city in the nation.
So, perhaps that's the plan.
I can't imagine there actually being demand for space in such a tower in OKC. Oklahoma City is a spread-out city where the standard house lot is rather larger than in most of the country and absolutely everyone has a car - it might be that there is sufficient demand, but I will continue to doubt the actual financial feasibility of the project. At this point it's a developer fantasy with some fancy renderings. The proof of the pudding will be in whether the developers are able to secure financing - and the terms of said financing.
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