Stadium District (formerly Producers Coop)

[OKC2017]

if the proposed stadium on this site is carried out then it would make all the sense in the world to build a pedestrian elevated bridge-park
right over i-40 and into the boat house district. i have seen some examples of them in europe or asia, i don't remember.
i don't know if such a connection has already been proposed but if not then it should; just imagine being able to bike or walk confortably
all the way from midtown to the boathouse district.

[shawnw]

You can already walk comfortably from Midtown to the Boathouse District via Bricktown Landing. If you're going to spend money on a highway cap I'd rather see the proposed one over 235 happen. That said, I wouldn't mind seeing a pedestrian bridge over the tracks and drainage ditch so that you could walk from the COOP site to Bricktown Landing and then into the BHD.

See my crappy illustration. Lines equal proposed bridge, circle equal existing pedestrian access to BHD.

[BoulderSooner]

You can already walk comfortably from Midtown to the Boathouse District via Bricktown Landing. If you're going to spend money on a highway cap I'd rather see the proposed one over 235 happen. That said, I wouldn't mind seeing a pedestrian bridge over the tracks and drainage ditch so that you could walk from the COOP site to Bricktown Landing and then into the BHD.

See my crappy illustration. Lines equal proposed bridge, circle equal existing pedestrian access to BHD.

When this development happens the canal will almost for certain be extended to run throughout. And those tracks will no longer exist

[d-usa]

That was my understanding, the only tracks remaining will be the elevated portions.

[shawnw]

the canal will almost for certain be extended to run throughout

Apologies, I don't remember this detail, can you please cite source so I can research further?

[ljbab728]

When this development happens the canal will almost for certain be extended to run throughout. And those tracks will no longer exist

Steve recently said in his chat that he thought the canal extension would be a good possibility.

[shawnw]

Good to know, didn't catch that.

[OKC2017]

major league soccer expansion in front-runner cities is facing substantial hurdles and there is
also rumor that MLS will continue to grow beyond 28 teams like the rest of the major professional american sports leagues.
that opens the door for okc to have a distant shot at receiving an MLS franchise in the future.

it's a bonus that the okc energy is run by true sports teams operators who know and understand how to put a team
in place and develop it. with the site for stadium and commercial development already secured it is just a matter of getting
the right people (major investors) on board to make the push toward a professional team. think how quickly the city managed to get an NBA
team when the big businesses decided to make it happen. i think even the thunder can become a stake holder
in a new professional team for okc like the spurs are doing in their bid for an MLS franchise in san antonio.

i have a feeling this may happen after all. when the maps 3 projects are nearing completion it will be more than evident that
the producer's coop site is the logical next wave of development for the city's downtown.


http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/0...tadium-funding


http://www.detroitnews.com/story/spo...site/99434064/

[Laramie]

The Funks have an opportunity to wait on the next wave of MLS expansion bids to open or look at an existing MLS team's relocation option--thru the upcoming process (2017-2020).

As poster OKC2017 mentioned above, OKC is in a good position to put in a bid. Funks have constructed a comparable MLS practice facility @2810 NE 63rd; land secured for future stadium & mix-use development with the 37 acres of the Producers' COOP Mill site.


City has promised to help with the stadium development if they know a team is coming. This means infrastructure for the site along with possible TIF (Tax Increment Financing) qualification & could be positioned to secure some bond funds & MAPS help.

An OKC MLS bid does seem to be gaining traction. The City continues to get on the MLS radar--MLS Expansion Update: San Diego, St Louis, Cincinnati, Nashville, Oklahoma City and More:

OKC Energy FC fans are still probably riding high from their USL Cup Playoff victory from over the weekend, but before that they got subtle news on potential MLS expansion. The owner of the team, Bob Funk Jr., along with other investors, have agreed to buy 37-acres of land in downtown OKC. MLS really loves downtown stadiums, so this seems like a step in the right direction. Not to mention, the source for that information was the league's official site.

SB Nation - http://www.thebluetestament.com/2016...nesota-atlanta

[gopokes88]

The Funks have an opportunity to wait on the next wave of MLS expansion bids to open or look at an existing MLS team's relocation option--thru the upcoming process (2017-2020).

As poster OKC2017 mentioned above, OKC is in a good position to put in a bid. Funks have constructed a comparable MLS practice facility @2810 NE 63rd; land secured for future stadium & mix-use development with the 37 acres of the Producers' COOP Mill site.


City has promised to help with the stadium development if they know a team is coming. This means infrastructure for the site along with possible TIF (Tax Increment Financing) qualification & could be positioned to secure some bond funds & MAPS help.

An OKC MLS bid does seem to be gaining traction. The City continues to get on the MLS radar--MLS Expansion Update: San Diego, St Louis, Cincinnati, Nashville, Oklahoma City and More:



SB Nation - http://www.thebluetestament.com/2016...nesota-atlanta

That article is from October of 2016, nothing new.

[Laramie]

That article is from October of 2016, nothing new.

Thank you, did notice the date, 6 months prior to April 2017.



True gopokes88 it's nothing new.

OKC Energy FC ownership is making progress; they have some components on which to build.

The Thunder wouldn't be in OKC without our fans & city's support (296 consecutive sellouts of 18,203 since 2010 season); many posters thought we couldn't support the NBA at time.

Our original plans with the Chesapeake Energy Arena were to pursue NHL hockey--Columbus (Bluejackets) secured that final 4th franchise edging out Oklahoma City & Houston's bids in the 1997 NHL expansion derby.

Information to support post #608 by OKC2017; poster appears curious about the possibility of an MLS franchise for OKC.

Here's another article for the OKC2017 poster:

Oklahoma City

The players involved: Bob Funk Jr., owner of the USL's OKC Energy FC

Point of convergence: Funk Jr. leads a group of investors who have purchased 37 acres of prime downtown real estate in Oklahoma City with eyes on a soccer-specific stadium, which a good starting point.

Prospects: Funk Jr. admitted that MLS is a long play for Oklahoma City. He recently said that the group is "several years away" from actively pursuing an MLS franchise, so this one is still in the distance.

FourFourTwo: Ranking the expansion markets lining up to get into Major League Soccer:

Page 3: https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/featu...cer?page=0%2C2 USL OKC Energy FC

A long shot for MLS; however so were the Thunder. OKC is in the MLS conversation.

IF we don't obtain MLS, we have a great USL (granted D2 status for 2017) minor league soccer organization in the OKC Energy FC--they need the community's support..

[gopokes88]

Thank you, did notice the date, 6 months prior to April 2017.



True gopokes88 it's nothing new.

OKC Energy FC ownership is making progress; they have some components on which to build.

The Thunder wouldn't be in OKC without our fans & city's support (296 consecutive sellouts of 18,203 since 2010 season); many posters thought we couldn't support the NBA at time.

Our original plans with the Chesapeake Energy Arena were to pursue NHL hockey--Columbus (Bluejackets) secured that final 4th franchise edging out Oklahoma City & Houston's bids in the 1997 NHL expansion derby.

Information to support post #608 by OKC2017; poster appears curious about the possibility of an MLS franchise for OKC.

Here's another article for the OKC2017 poster:



FourFourTwo: Ranking the expansion markets lining up to get into Major League Soccer:

Page 3: https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/featu...cer?page=0%2C2 USL OKC Energy FC

A long shot for MLS; however so were the Thunder. OKC is in the MLS conversation.

IF we don't obtain MLS, we have a great USL (granted D2 status for 2017) minor league soccer organization in the OKC Energy FC--they need the community's support..

This is just a retread of old information. Nothing you have posted is new.

[Jersey Boss]

Prior to any of this going forward should be a fact finding report authored by some well respected economists on the ROI. It has been done in the past in other markets and it appears that tax payer funded sporting venues are a poor investment of tax monies. Failure to do this is an acknowledgement that this would be a poor ROI.

[Laramie]

Prior to any of this going forward should be a fact finding report authored by some well respected economists on the ROI. It has been done in the past in other markets and it appears that tax payer funded sporting venues are a poor investment of tax monies. Failure to do this is an acknowledgement that this would be a poor ROI.

The 43 acre Producers' COOP Mill (PCM) site's owners suggest that this area may be developed for hotels, mixed-use office-retail-residential & a potential stadium. Have the Funks asked anything of the city that retail giants (like Walmart & Target) request of cities other than infrastructure when they put in a store, the assistance needed by the city has yet-to-be determined. Does OKC need an ROI (return on investment) study on a private development?

Many of us would agree that the PCM site is an eyesore for the core.

There have been a ton of discussions about convention centers, arenas & stadiums throughout the country. It comes down to a familiar term used called 'economic impact study.' Many of us are not quite sure as to what that means.

The City-owned Chesapeake Arena & the Bricktown Ballpark are used for events other than sports. Some of these events wouldn't make a stop in OKC if we didn't possess these facilities. Call it a 'quality of life' facility if you want; however many attractions bring 'new money' into our community's economy spent by out-of-state tourist.

[OKC2017]

soccer (football) is a huge money making industry world wide. i think everyone is clear on that.
player signings are usually within the dozens of millions of dollars as a fee to a club to release a
player from legally binding contract; what the player earns as salary is another different amount.

big money from around the world has been flocking to take ownership of historical soccer clubs
in the major european leagues, many of them are american and own some of the most profittable
teams like manchester united or arsenal.

the thing with MLS and OKC in particular is that it offers so much potential to become an economic
engine that would generate hundreds of millions of dollars to the city in the long term. however,
there is also risk that MLS does not become a top flight league flooded by investment from home and
abroad in the form of advertising, sponsorships, tv rights, etc etc. but what if it does?

personally, i think the u.s is destined to dominate the world in just about every sport, including soccer.
soccer will take time and patience because it is not deeply rooted in our culture like it is in other countries
or the way other sports are rooted here, like football, baseball or basketball. but once this current generation
hops onto the commercial world of soccer as a business MLS and the u.s national team will take the world by
storm and it is within our own time range that we may see the u.s winning a world cup and MLS becoming the
prime, elite league that everyone the world over will be talking about much the same way people from every
corner of the earth talks about real madrid, barcelona and manchester united.

so that's what it is at stake if little, rural okc lands an MLS franchise while it still has a chance to contend for one.
but money is the lubricant that oils economic engines and without the support the okc thunder has, for example,
it would not make sense for the city to even bother to push for a stadium plan.

[hoya]

Major League Soccer appears to be growing. No idea how big it will eventually become, if it will surpass MLB or the NBA. It's possible, but it's going to take 30+ years to do it. At a minimum.

If OKC can get in sometime in the near future, that's probably a good thing. Right now, the support requirements for the sport are fairly small (compared to other professional leagues). If we are going to support a second professional league, it will probably have to be MLS. As the sport grows, OKC will also be growing, so I don't think it will stretch us too far.

There should probably be some amount of public funding for it (there usually is for this sort of thing), but it should primarily be a private investment. If a group of investors think they can make money off of it, then wonderful. But there are better things for the city to pay for than building a stadium to chase after a second big league team. If we get it, great. If not, oh well.

[okcfan2]

Does anyone know the status of the planned purchase of the Producers Coop property by Bob Funk Jr.'s group that was planned to close this spring? Last article I could find was from February stating that the group was in process of due diligence and hoped to learn a lot more over the following 30 days.

[Pete]

Does anyone know the status of the planned purchase of the Producers Coop property by Bob Funk Jr.'s group that was planned to close this spring? Last article I could find was from February stating that the group was in process of due diligence and hoped to learn a lot more over the following 30 days.

Deal is now completely dead and we're back to square 1:

http://newsok.com/producers-cooperat...rticle/5551138

[jonny d]

Maybe it is just me, but I am amazed that every project requires substantial public funding, even when the private side are billionaires. In a time where OK can't even pay teachers a living wage, these developers are frequently seeking public funding. I understand it, but only to a point.

[LocoAko]

Well that's disappointing. Such an eyesore...

[Pete]

From that article:

The timeline and cost to secure the additional property we needed to proceed with confidence became a hurdle too high to clear

Sounds like they were trying to acquire the Lumberyard property along the boulevard from Mazaheri and they couldn't come to terms.

[Pete]

Maybe it is just me, but I am amazed that every project requires substantial public funding, even when the private side are billionaires. In a time where OK can't even pay teachers a living wage, these developers are frequently seeking public funding. I understand it, but only to a point.

The City created this monster and keeps feeding it, mainly through TIF which is absolutely appropriated from public schools.

They started giving handouts and even after billions of investment since, we are still writing checks to developers, as almost every single one swears they can't make things work without tax dollars.

When you are using tax dollars taken from schools and given to developers for very high-end condo projects (like 701 Hudson and Broadway Condos) you can come completely off the rails.

[Urbanized]

^^^^^^^^
That criticism is fair in many instances, however this site is quite complicated. Environmental remediation alone will be massive. It also requires new public infrastructure in a way that is very rare for a centrally located site, in the form of drainage, sewer, ingress/egress, streets and on and on. Much of the public funding request here would have been simply to pay for infrastructure that mostly already exists on other sites.

Add to all of this that the asking price was still very high in relation to what it's truly worth, and the spreadsheet quickly tips in the direction of zero or negative ROI. Expecting that developers should be eager to take little/zero profit or even a loss just because a development looks great in renderings and because they are wealthy is nonsensical. If they can't see the same type of ROI that they would see by putting their money into another investment, they will walk. You would too.

That is the point at which the community has to decide if the benefit of having an area developed and returned to the tax rolls is worth the public investment. It's the "but for" argument here, which is where TIF and public monies make the most sense from a taxpayer standpoint.

But really, I doubt in this case it was reticence on the City's part that was the deciding factor but instead a still-inflated land price and perhaps an uncooperative neighbor. For this development to have worked, there had to be a high level of coordination with the lumberyard, which entirely fronts the boulevard.

[Pete]

There are programs for environmental cleanup and the city could provide the needed infrastructure as it does for other developments around town.

The simple fact is that every single downtown developer comes with their hand out, and you can't blame them because everyone who has come before them has already been gifted.

[Urbanized]

Not disagreeing that it has become all too common for every development to sidle up to the trough; just saying that sites like this one, First National and a few others are clearly in a class of their own when it comes to justification for public participation.