OBI Plans Construction Start on New Building

(The Journal Record, Dec. 1, 2008)

Construction of a new building for the Oklahoma Blood Institute is set to commence in December. In October OBI broke ground on its $12 million donor center and administrative headquarters at the northwest corner of North Lincoln Boulevard and Northeast Eighth Street.

OBI was organized in 1977 and has been based at the Sylvan N. Goldman Center at 1001 N. Lincoln Blvd. since 1983. The new building will be just south of the Goldman Center, which is also set for a renovation.

When completed, the building will have 47,493 square feet, stand three stories high, and include 20,000 square feet available for lease. The building will also house a 2,500-square-foot conference center.

Land for the building, about 2.5 acres, was acquired from the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority in 2003.

HSE Architects designed the building and the developer is Wiggin Properties. Timberlake Construction is the construction manager.

At the November Urban Renewal meeting, Larry Herzel, principal with HSE, showed landscaping plans that include adding landscaping and fencing to mask a gas well on the site.

Joe Van Bullard, executive director of OCURA, said the landscaping design is reflective of the landscaping seen at the neighboring Presbyterian Health Foundation campus.

Urban Renewal commissioners approved the landscaping plans.

David Huffman, with Wiggin Properties, said a landscape agreement with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation is nearing completion on the site for land ODOT owns along Lincoln Boulevard.

Huffman said the building project should take about 12 months to complete.