The Oklahoma City Council on Tuesday gave developer Scot Matteson the rezoning he sought to build the tallest tower in the country, but not without qu

Proposed tallest tower in U.S. clears another hurdle with OKC Council zoning approval

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2024-06-09 16:30:02

The Oklahoma City Council on Tuesday gave developer Scot Matteson the rezoning he sought to build the tallest tower in the country, but not without questions on whether it will really get built.

The rezoning for a 1,907-foot-tall Legends Tower in Lower Bricktown — more than twice height of the 50-story Devon Energy Center — was approved by eight of the nine city council members.

Concerns about the project were raised by Councilperson James Cooper who questioned claims by Matteson that the development of the four-tower Boardwalk at Bricktown will include low-income or workforce housing for residents dealing with chronic homelessness or unemployment.

Cooper, joined by Councilwoman JoBeth Hamon, previously voted against $200 million in tax increment financing approved by the city council in August, 2023. The assistance will be structured similar to a rebate in which money is only paid once the development of the first two apartment towers and garages are completed.

Cooper, an instructor at Oklahoma City University, said he was talking about the project with his class when he discovered the website for Aspiring Anew Generation, the proposed operator of the low-income or workforce housing, consisted of a home page with dead links.