Oklahoma City: The Next Big Thing?

In the world of natural gas, Oklahoma City is ground zero. Sandridge, a large independent producer of natural gas, is parlaying its new importance into a $100 million investment in the downtown, complete with parkland.

1 minute read

January 31, 2010, 5:00 AM PST

By Tim Halbur


Interestingly, Sandridge isn't bulldozing its way to success - most of the existing properties will be preserved.

Greg Lindsay writes, "The plans include a renovated 1960s tower by architect Pietro Belluschi, a restored Braniff Building--built in 1923 by the brothers who started their namesake airline--and a public park recycled from a pair of windswept plazas. The New York-based architecture firm of Rogers Marvel will incorporate features like green roofs, native plantings, and storm-water management to meet LEED standards. Sandridge, which is the youngest and smallest of the city's gas giants, is touting the project as the largest private downtown development in its history--for the time being, at least."

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