OKLAHOMA CITY — Griffin Communications has announced plans to purchase the Century Center building located at the corner of Sheridan and Robinson Avenues in downtown Oklahoma City. The media organization will invest more than $26 million, including $10 million in renovations, to buy the building and move its headquarters and operations to the Oklahoma City location. This move will bring approximately 200 quality jobs to downtown.

“For more than 100 years, Griffin Communications has been committed to keeping Oklahomans safe, informed and entertained, and we believe that our headquarters should be in the heart of the city we serve,” said David Griffin, President and CEO of Griffin Communications. “The new location will give our team even more opportunities to connect with the public on stories affecting our communities, and to bring the excitement and energy of downtown Oklahoma City into our viewers’ homes across western Oklahoma. We put our community and people first, and we are excited to be a part of the downtown community.”

“As the largest partner in the current ownership of the Century Center, we are proud to have played a key role in the reinvention of the Century Center and look forward to passing the torch to Griffin Communications to further enhance its place as a centerpiece of the downtown Oklahoma City landscape,” said David Nazarian, CEO of Nimes Real Estate. “As owners of the Oklahoma City Sheraton, we remain believers in the future of Oklahoma City and look forward to working closely with our new neighbors in the Century Center and other business and civic leaders to ensure the continued vibrancy of downtown Oklahoma City.”

“We believe this transaction is a win for the city,” said Andy Burnett with Burnett Equities. “In light of everything that’s happened with the pandemic, it’s a wonderful endorsement on the continued vitality of the central business district.”

Griffin Communications is a 113-year-old, locally-owned multimedia company that has an extensive portfolio, including TV, digital platforms, radio and an outdoor billboard network. The company has been reviewing options for relocating its corporate headquarters and News 9 broadcast organization for several years. With the purchase of the Century Center building, Griffin Communications will invest $10 million in renovations to remodel and retrofit the building, including adding new broadcast and IT equipment, the latest fiber optic technology, as well as making improvements to tenants’ spaces and increasing security measures.

“I am thrilled at the relocation of Griffin Communications downtown, which brings a new kind of energy to our city’s central business district,” said Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt. “It also ensures that the key property they are moving into retains its status as a downtown anchor. This is really good for downtown, which is really good for OKC. I commend everyone involved in this project for making it happen, especially David Griffin, Mark Moore, Andy Burnett and Cathy O’Connor.”

In addition to the purchase of Century Center, Griffin Communications also announced it is exploring options alongside the Inasmuch Foundation, the University of Oklahoma and others to create a world-class media and innovation co-working and news conference space inside the new location. The Media Innovation Collective (The MIC) would be a central hub for nonprofit and for-profit media organizations and individuals, where they can share resources to cover critical issues facing the state. The innovative shared space would be the first of its kind in the state for media and journalists and include conference rooms, a multimedia studio, state-of-the-art fiber optics and the latest in broadcasting technology.

“Oklahoma City has a deep history of producing high-quality journalism; and by establishing a world-class media innovation collective for all journalists, we will help continue this legacy,” Griffin said. “The MIC could be a key place for leaders and community members to meet and discuss important issues with experienced and aspiring journalists. We are committed to creating a robust media environment and building for the future of news.”

“This is an exciting opportunity for media organizations of all sizes to collaborate on stories relevant to Oklahomans," said Ed Kelley, Dean of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma. "At Gaylord College, we are committed to new ideas that strengthen accuracy and fairness, ethics, critical thinking and inclusion. We look forward to being part of the discussions about how to elevate journalism, across all platforms, that best serves Oklahoma.”

“A co-working space for journalists will encourage collaboration and save valuable resources for media organizations as they experiment with new models for sustainable journalism,” said Robert J. Ross, Inasmuch Foundation Chairman and CEO. “This hub for news and storytelling in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City is an exciting opportunity to grow our local media ecosystem and foster an informed and engaged community, which is vital for our state’s growth.”

Griffin Communications has been working closely with the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City and city leaders on potential incentives to help offset the high costs of moving downtown. The incentive package has not been finalized and will be discussed by the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Board in July.

“Bringing corporate headquarters to downtown Oklahoma City is a key priority for the Alliance,” said Cathy O’Connor, President and CEO of the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City. “Keeping downtown vibrant, encouraging high occupancy and offsetting additional costs to companies such as parking, is what led to the creation of the TIF District in 2008. This is a great opportunity for us to use these funds to bring another corporate headquarters and 200 jobs to downtown. The incentive package we are proposing would be funded through this TIF and requires approval by the TIF board, Oklahoma City Economic Development Trust and Oklahoma City Council.”

“We are grateful the City of Oklahoma City and the Oklahoma City Economic Development Trust are considering our request for assistance to make our relocation downtown possible,” said Griffin. “We are truly committed to serving our community and believe the best way to do this is to be in the heart of the community - downtown.”

About Griffin Communications

Griffin Communications, L.L.C. an Oklahoma-owned multimedia company, keeps Oklahomans safe, entertained and informed through the gathering, marketing and distribution of news, weather, entertainment and sports content through multiple channels & platforms. Holdings include KWTV/News 9 and KSBI/News 9 Plus in Oklahoma City and KOTV/News On 6 and KQCW/The Tulsa CW in Tulsa. Griffin’s holdings also include News9.com, NewsOn6.com, Griffin Outdoor, and Griffin Radio Tulsa – KHTT, KVOO, KXBL, KBEZ and KFAQ. Griffin Communications also has developed several partnerships and strategic alliances throughout Oklahoma, including Oklahoma Community Television/Griffin Tower Company and News 9 Now/News On 6 Now. Griffin Communications, L.L.C. is among a few privately held media companies in the country, owned by David and Kirsten Griffin of Oklahoma City, and John Griffin of Muskogee. Griffin Communications, L.L.C. solely focuses its resources in the state of Oklahoma.

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