OKLAHOMA CITY-A public-private partnership, with five years invested into the plan, is witnessing the first fruit of its labors with a groundbreaking on the 210-acre, 1.3-million-sf Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Technology Center. The first phase is a $30-million, three-building complex for Chicago-based Boeing Co.
The military and commercial aircraft center, with an estimated price tag of $500 million, will provide space to companies serving Tinker Air Force Base. The 156,000-sf Boeing facility will be completed by August 2008.
The tech center is being developed by Mrotc Development Partners LLC, a partnership between Dallas-based Trammell Crow Co. and Battelle Memorial Institute and its subsidiary Battlle OK LLC. Located at the eastern edge of Tinker Air Force Base on 59th Street and South Douglas Boulevard, the land is owned by Oklahoma Industries Authority, a government trust.
"We have a master lease with them to develop the land. Then we sublease it to individual tenants," explains Chip Carter, vice president with TCC's Oklahoma City office. He adds the development partnership has a 100-year lease with the government trust for the land, with Boeing tied to a long-term ground lease.
Carter tells GlobeSt.com that the Boeing deal helped to break some skepticism surrounding the project. "For several years, we had almost two dozen companies tracking this and telling us they'd believe it when they saw it," he says. "The Boeing people did believe in it and now, within the past 60 to 90 days, we've had a number of companies calling up and saying 'let's talk about phase two.'"
With the project involving build-to-suit projects, Carter acknowledges it's difficult to discuss a timeline for build-out. "It took us 4.5 years to get to phase one," he says. "I'm optimistic that phase two will happen more quickly."
Frankfurt, Short & Bruza of Oklahoma City is the architect for the entire development. Local general contractor Lippert Brothers Inc. is building the Boeing complex.
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