Oklahoma Home Builders Association to start new headquarters
By Richard Mize
Real estate editor rmize@oklahoman.com
State homebuilders are building a new building for themselves, a new headquarters just north of the state Capitol.
The Oklahoma Home Builders Association (OKHBA) is set to begin construction Monday at 3520 N Lincoln Blvd. on land acquired from the Oklahoma Asphalt Pavement Association next door, said Mike Means, executive vice president of the builders trade group.
The builders association approved the new office building last fall on what is generally seen as the entryway to the Capitol complex.
It is meant to be noticed by lawmakers, who are just three weeks into the four-month legislative session less than a mile away.
Visibility and proximity to the government went into the selection of the site, Means said.
“We are the state advocacy branch for this association,” he said. "Our presence at the state Capitol is critical for our members. As we often say here at OKHBA, if you don’t have a seat at the table, you may find yourself on the menu.”
The two-story, residential-style office building will have 6,432 square feet of space including a 2,000-square-foot classroom and education center. It will have an expansive entry to display the Oklahoma Housing Hall of Fame.
It will be nearly three times the size of the builders' present headquarters at 917 NE 63, which was built in 1982.
The builders group couldn't say what it will cost to build because much of the labor and materials will be donated, spokesman Jorie Helms said. The building permit issued by the city estimates the cost at $850,000.
Construction will be led by Dan Reeves with Landmark Fine Homes in Norman, with assistance from Curtis McCarty with C.A. McCarty Construction in Norman, Mike Gilles with Savannah Builders in Edmond and Todd Booze with Ideal Homes of Norman. The architect is Tim Palone with TP Architecture, Bethany.
“We are ready to get this project started,” said Reeves, who is chairman of the building committee. “We’ve had so many donations from members who know this is the next step in helping our association grow.”
The large meeting room will have an attached warming kitchen — where catered food can be finished or kept warm — for training and events, Palone said. The foyer, in addition to housing the Hall of Fame, will be big enough for events, he said.
The building design is "a traditional style with only materials typically used in Oklahoma residential construction," Palone said, with a dark-colored shingle roof, mostly brick and stone exterior, some timber columns and accents at the entry, and large windows facing Lincoln.
