Construction of Oklahoma Tower Reaches Key Point

Staff and Wire Reports

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Devon Energy Corp. officials say construction on what will be the tallest building in Oklahoma has reached a key stage and soon will accelerate.

Construction work began on the company's new $750 million downtown headquarters building in October and Larry Nichols, Devon's executive chairman, says workers have finished pouring the concrete floor on the tower's sixth floor.

That's significant because that's the last floor in which structural accommodations are required for an adjacent auditorium and rotunda.

"It really is exciting because when you spend a couple years working on the plan and see the drawings and renderings, to suddenly see the floor take shape and to look at it and say 'Yes that is what we planned to do,'" Nichols said.

When the sixth floor is done, Nichols said workers should be able to add a floor every eight days. Plans call for the 50-story building to reach its full height of 850 feet by August 2011 and for Devon employees to begin moving in by early 2013.

It will be 18 stories taller than the Chase Building, which is currently the tallest skyscraper in Oklahoma City.