Guernsey moving headquarters to downtown, will anchor Alley North development
Guernsey, an Oklahoma City engineering and architectural firm founded in 1928, is set to move its headquarters downtown as anchor of a $115 million development at the gateway to Midtown and Automobile Alley.
The company employs 165 people and is currently at 5555 N Grand in a building co-owned by Integris. Jared Stigge, CEO, said the company’s choice to move reflects changes in how employees view workplaces, the competition for talent and how the firm interacts with its clients.
“We’re on the outskirts right now,” Stigge said. “Being closer to the urban core is where a lot of our clients and partners call home. And we’re constantly mindful of what our staff wants. There are no restaurants or coffee shops or anything like that near where we are now.”
The new location, acquired Wednesday by Pivot Project and Rose Rock Development, is at the northeast corner of NW 13 and Broadway and was long owned by Dolese Bros. until that company moved to The Half at Britton and Broadway.
The property is two blocks north of a downtown streetcar stop and in walking distance of restaurants, shops and attractions in Midtown and Automobile Alley.
What to know about the Alley North development
The new Guernsey headquarters is being developed as part of Alley North, which also will include a hotel, retail and medical offices. Apartments are planned in a future phase not a part of the initial $115 million development. The Hub, a separate development at the northwest corner of NW 13 and Broadway is set to be developed into more offices and apartments.
Stigge said the firm’s choice of NW 13 and Broadway also weighed the possibility of an election this year or next for regional transit that if passed would include an Edmond to Norman commuter rail service along the BNSF Railway tracks that run along the east side of Alley North.
Station locations set by the Regional Transportation Authority of Central Oklahoma include a stop adjacent to the future Guernsey headquarters.
“If we get regional commuter rail, that’s going to allow employees to take it from the platform to Edmond and Norman,” Stigge said. “It’s going to be up to the voters ... but I think it could be a big thing for the metro, so we’ll see what happens.”
Initial plans call for a corporate headquarters spanning 60,000 square feet and four to five stories tall. The first phase will include a 400-space garage and a 120-room boutique hotel. The first phase is expected to open in 2027.
Jonathan Dodson, CEO of Pivot Project, said the agreement with Guernsey to anchor Alley North is likely to attract other tenants to Alley North.
“It’s not just the size of the company, but what they’re passionate about,” Dodson said. “Their idea of being in an urban setting in Midtown next to a potential future commuter rail, where they can provide a place for their employees to have walkability and access to food and beverage is everything we care about.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Guernsey, one of OKC's largest A&E firms, moving headquarters downtown
