Developers may soon build America's tallest skyscraper in Oklahoma

Oklahoma City is among America's 20 largest cities and on track to keep on growing. Although the city of roughly 700,000 does not presently have a problem with density and has plenty of room left for sprawl, a California real estate developer nevertheless has a hankering to extend the Big Friendly skyward.

Matteson Capital, a firm headquartered in Newport Beach, California, and architecture firm AO announced Friday they were seeking greater latitude from the City of Oklahoma concerning the height of one of the towers in its proposed development dubbed the Boardwalk at Bricktown. If it gets its way, then Oklahoma City might soon become home to America's tallest building.

Oklahoma City Free Press reported that the original zoning application requested that the Legends Tower be 1,750 feet all. However, the developer is now seeking to build its so-called Legends Tower 1,907 feet high — 131 feet taller than One World Trade Center in New York City.

Apparently, 1,907 is not an arbitrary number but rather a symbolic gesture to commemorate the year Oklahoma entered the Union.

There is a problem, however, with the developer's request and its corresponding announcement.

Kristy Yager, public information officer for the city and a staff member of zoning, told the Free Press, "To clarify, they would need to rezone, not seek a variance. Their existing SPUD was specifically negotiated, including the building height ('Maximum height of any building shall be 300 feet with the exception that height will be limited to 90 feet within 20 feet of the northern SPUD boundary.')"

Yager added, "We understand the applicant's representative is preparing a new SPUD application, which would go to Planning Commission for a recommendation and City Council for final decision."

Scot Matteson, the CEO of Matteson Capital, told KOCO-TV in late December, "We're going to build it in phases. We assess the market demand and the growth of population and employment."

The developer indicated further that the tower can be shortened if demand turns out to be lower.

The developer plans to erect three additional towers at the base of the skyscraper, each 345 feet tall.

Altogether, the development would span roughly 5 million square feet and include a 480-room Hyatt hotel with 85 residential condominiums; 1,776 residential units; and 110,000 feet of commercial and community space.

Matteson said in a statement Friday, "Oklahoma City is experiencing a significant period of growth and transformation, making it well-positioned to support large-scale projects like the one envisioned for Bricktown."

"We believe that this development will be an iconic destination for the city, further driving the expansion and diversification of the growing economy, drawing in investment, new businesses, and jobs," continued Matteson. "It's a dynamic environment and we hope to see The Boardwalk at Bricktown stand as the pride of Oklahoma City."

Rob Budetti, managing partner of AO, said, "Crafting a project of this significance is an honor, and the collaborative process with the City, Matteson Capital, Hensel Phelps, and a top-notch team of engineers, consultants, and development partners has been exceptional. Managing the intricacies of such a project, ensuring seamless integration of all components, is a significant challenge."

The location for the ambitious development is presently occupied by an L-shaped parking lot in Bricktown nearby the Paycom Center, home to the Oklahoma City Thunder; the Amtrak station; a movie theater; and a planned soccer stadium.

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