they don't care about being truthful

Like the posts that Norman would own the arena after paying for it?

Reminder that there was a proposal at the state level to require a public vote on all new TIF districts and it was voted down after a lot of lobbying from the OKC Chamber and other economic development entities.

Not really surprising. TIF legislation was passed in 98, 6 years after 640 severly restricted how revenue was raised. No desire for citizen oversight on approving these huge expenditures

Not really surprising. TIF legislation was passed in 98, 6 years after 640 severly restricted how revenue was raised. No desire for citizen oversight on approving these huge expenditures

there is a reason we elect people to represent us ..

Nope. Gone.

Wow. Had no idea. Thanks for sharing.

there is a reason we elect people to represent us ..

And when those representavies such as The mayor arbitrairly slash public comments by 1/3 (3 min to 2) or reps like CM Peacock curse out citizens then the established recourse of initiative petitions come into play. I question how representative of the voters this course of action is.

...

the only times i go to the mall anymore are to vote... that place is on life support for staying around.

You don't get a pocket full of quarters and go to the Gold Mine and play Galaga?

I think this could easily happen. Sun and Ski is out of the mall now. Old Navy gets a ton of traffic for that mall.

That would be a huge blow to Sooner Mall if Old Navy moved out, I believe Dillard's is probably the only other busy store in that mall anymore.

That would be a huge blow to Sooner Mall if Old Navy moved out, I believe Dillard's is probably the only other busy store in that mall anymore.

Pretty much Dillards, Old Navy and Chik-fil-a keep it open. Maybe victorias secret? Seems busy but I admittedly don't shop there.

That's an oversimplification and comparing apples to oranges.

Unless this was going to be a fully private structure, the city offering a tax incentive wouldn't be a drop in the bucket. CostCo or any other box store is dirt cheap to build. The tax incentive for the simple structure, makes a pretty good dent. If you're building an arena, you're talking a 100 times over, at least, bill. If it were as simple as tax incentives to build them, we wouldn't have cities and teams fighting all over the country about who is going to pay for them. Teams wouldn't leave cities because they can't get the city to pay more if it was that simple. OKC wouldn't have needed a MAPs vote for one if it was that simple.

Moore's coffers are not as deep as Norman. Is there land, yeah. Right next to Coscto actually. But could they afford to give that tax incentive at the level it would require? And how would an incentive like that affect ad-valorum for the schools. Would they really want to shoot themselves in the foot like that? I think your comment is showing a misunderstanding of how this would work, and what the pulse of the government/people in Moore is. Not to mention, we just got a new mayor that while he applauded all the commercial efforts for the former long-running mayor, doesn't have that on his radar of things to do and really doesn't need to. The economic engine has been put on an extremely firm foundation and will develop organically at this point. It doesn't NEED this. And without the need, there is very little appetite to push for something like this in Moore.

And yet again, being that far from campus...super bad. What is it Kentucky that plays at a municipal arena? But guess what? It's next door to campus and is a massive facility. That's not the same as building in a strip mall miles away or in the next suburb up.

Moore's current mayor's campaign promise was to build a new water tower. A single water tower. He has no plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on an arena. No one is actually serious about moving it to Moore.

Pretty much Dillards, Old Navy and Chik-fil-a keep it open. Maybe victorias secret? Seems busy but I admittedly don't shop there.

So is the mall on its last leg? Obviously any store could pick up and move to any strip mall in Norman and be fine. But Dillards, unless they own their structure and would be willing to be open while the rest of the mall closed, then at least from what's being said here, it looks like its on life support.

It's been probably 12-13 years since I've been in that mall myself, so i have absolutely zero current context. university park barely existed the last time i went to the mall so oh how the world has changed. I'd like to say it would be sad if it closed, but honestly I do not know that many people would care that much would they? Norman is strong enough that someone could easily buy that land and build something new. It would be a good opportunity to fix that weird frontage road mess that does that stupid thing at the mall entrance too.

Pretty much Dillards, Old Navy and Chik-fil-a keep it open. Maybe victorias secret? Seems busy but I admittedly don't shop there.

So is the mall on its last leg? Obviously any store could pick up and move to any strip mall in Norman and be fine. But Dillards, unless they own their structure and would be willing to be open while the rest of the mall closed, then at least from what's being said here, it looks like its on life support.

It's been probably 12-13 years since I've been in that mall myself, so i have absolutely zero current context. university park barely existed the last time i went to the mall so oh how the world has changed. I'd like to say it would be sad if it closed, but honestly I do not know that many people would care that much would they? Norman is strong enough that someone could easily buy that land and build something new. It would be a good opportunity to fix that weird frontage road mess that does that stupid thing at the mall entrance too.

So is the mall on its last leg? Obviously any store could pick up and move to any strip mall in Norman and be fine. But Dillards, unless they own their structure and would be willing to be open while the rest of the mall closed, then at least from what's being said here, it looks like its on life support.

It's been probably 12-13 years since I've been in that mall myself, so i have absolutely zero current context. university park barely existed the last time i went to the mall so oh how the world has changed. I'd like to say it would be sad if it closed, but honestly I do not know that many people would care that much would they? Norman is strong enough that someone could easily buy that land and build something new. It would be a good opportunity to fix that weird frontage road mess that does that stupid thing at the mall entrance too.

Ya it is pretty barren in there. Nothing ever went back into Sears which is a large part of the mall. I'd assume it closes eventually and probably gets bulldozed. Pretty valuable land right there on the highway.

I wouldn't be surprised if Dillard's downgrades the Norman store to a Clearance Center in the future

Ya it is pretty barren in there. Nothing ever went back into Sears which is a large part of the mall. I'd assume it closes eventually and probably gets bulldozed. Pretty valuable land right there on the highway.

I know an arena that would love to be build here hahahahahahaha

OU definately needs a new aena, however, it should be built by OU, paid for by OU and built on School property.

OU definately needs a new aena, however, it should be built by OU, paid for by OU and built on School property.

Poll the people of Norman and students at OU and I guarantee they would overwhelmingly agree with you

Poll the people of Norman and students at OU and I guarantee they would overwhelmingly agree with you

Poll the people of any city, and any college in said city, and they would agree. Same with OKC and a new arena. Ideally, the Thunder billionaire owners would have paid for it.

Poll the people of any city, and any college in said city, and they would agree. Same with OKC and a new arena. Ideally, the Thunder billionaire owners would have paid for it.

The December 2023 election in OKC refutes your post. Just sayin'

The December 2023 election in OKC refutes your post. Just sayin'

I'm saying that they would have preferred to not have had to vote at all, and had billionaires pay for it.

Most people I know voted yes, but only because they understood what losing the Thunder would truly do to this city.

Poll the people of any city, and any college in said city, and they would agree. Same with OKC and a new arena. Ideally, the Thunder billionaire owners would have paid for it.
Guessing you are conveniently forgetting all the Maps votes. Not everyone is cynical and paranoid of progress.

Guessing you are conveniently forgetting all the Maps votes. Not everyone is cynical and paranoid of progress.

I said that when it comes to a wealthy person spending their money or thr lay person spending theirs to fund an arena for a private tenant, the lay person would rather the billionaire spend their money. Most lay people won't be able to go to the arena a lot.

But they like progress, so they vote for it.

I said that when it comes to a wealthy person spending their money or thr lay person spending theirs to fund an arena for a private tenant, the lay person would rather the billionaire spend their money. Most lay people won't be able to go to the arena a lot.

But they like progress, so they vote for it.

Lay person has nothing to do with financial standing. What even are you saying?

Lay person has nothing to do with financial standing. What even are you saying?

I mean one who gains nothing from it. What do I gain financially from an arena? Nothing. What does Thunder ownership gain? Billions in the long run. What does OKC as a city gain? Thunder for 25 years and the notoriety from that, and an arena that gets awesome shows and tax revenue.

So the city and Thunder owners benefit. But Sally Sue on Mockingbird Lane gains nothing, hence why I said that, in an ideal world, people would prefer the wealthy benefactors pay for something.

No need to get antagonistic.

I mean one who gains nothing from it. What do I gain financially from an arena? Nothing. What does Thunder ownership gain? Billions in the long run. What does OKC as a city gain? Thunder for 25 years and the notoriety from that, and an arena that gets awesome shows and tax revenue.

So the city and Thunder owners benefit. But Sally Sue on Mockingbird Lane gains nothing, hence why I said that, in an ideal world, people would prefer the wealthy benefactors pay for something.

No need to get antagonistic.

You also have to consider the economic boost. I am not a basketball fan but I enjoy the benefit of having their fans hire me when they get in trouble at or after the game and need legal help. All the uber/limo drivers and local hotel/restaurants sure benefit from the boost on game nights. The people that have jobs at the arena benefit from having a paying job that generates income for them to spend at other businesses in the city. Having a vibrant downtown helps all the property owners downtown as it increases property value.

I mean one who gains nothing from it. What do I gain financially from an arena? Nothing. What does Thunder ownership gain? Billions in the long run. What does OKC as a city gain? Thunder for 25 years and the notoriety from that, and an arena that gets awesome shows and tax revenue.

So the city and Thunder owners benefit. But Sally Sue on Mockingbird Lane gains nothing, hence why I said that, in an ideal world, people would prefer the wealthy benefactors pay for something.

No need to get antagonistic.
Not antagonistic, but didn’t understand the use of the term lay person. You mean rich vs not rich persons.
This whole subject has been argued to death and for those that oppose it wont change their attitude. But the citizens spoke in a vote and they seem to agree with the value to our city and its citizens. Its already decided here.

Hey, if the city could force them to pay for it themselves, they probably would. But that's not going to happen. And that also means the city would lose out on any ability to profit share from any events that would beheld there. Really, the public/private partnership for an investment of that size, is what's best. The arguments come in on who is going to pay what percentage.

Not sure where you say the city gains nothing from it. If the city owns the building, the city gets a cut of everything that happens there. That's a WHOLE LOTTA MONEY. Not to mention all the folks that travel in for events. The age old economics argument of just moving your money around comes in here for OKC residents. If we didn't spend it on Thunder games or concerts, we would have spent it on something else in OKC. But those people that come from out of OKC, that's all new money in the bucket that would not have existed before.

Both groups benefit in the way the agreement was set up. Sally Sue gets that money into the OKC Budget to help pay for the Pothole Patrol, as an example. So Sally Sue actually does benefit from the success of the building.

Hey, if the city could force them to pay for it themselves, they probably would. But that's not going to happen. And that also means the city would lose out on any ability to profit share from any events that would beheld there. Really, the public/private partnership for an investment of that size, is what's best. The arguments come in on who is going to pay what percentage.

Not sure where you say the city gains nothing from it. If the city owns the building, the city gets a cut of everything that happens there. That's a WHOLE LOTTA MONEY. Not to mention all the folks that travel in for events. The age old economics argument of just moving your money around comes in here for OKC residents. If we didn't spend it on Thunder games or concerts, we would have spent it on something else in OKC. But those people that come from out of OKC, that's all new money in the bucket that would not have existed before.

Both groups benefit in the way the agreement was set up. Sally Sue gets that money into the OKC Budget to help pay for the Pothole Patrol, as an example. So Sally Sue actually does benefit from the success of the building.

And don’t forget the wider view where edifices like this and sports amenities like the Thunder are a huge part of a holistic national and international image of OKC that contributes to overall growth and investment in the city, as well as job growth. It is myopic to look at every element only through a microscope. That eliminates context and proportion.

looking more and more like this might be approved this month

looking more and more like this might be approved this month

I’ve heard the same.

OU definately needs a new aena, however, it should be built by OU, paid for by OU and built on School property.

so you are saying it shouldn't happen for the next 15-20 years. got it.

I’ve heard the same.

Didn't city council vote to hold a public vote, without any teeth? Did that vote ever happen? I watched a brief portion of the city council meeting at issue and, my goodness, the this issue is divisive as all get out!

Didn't city council vote to hold a public vote, without any teeth? Did that vote ever happen? I watched a brief portion of the city council meeting at issue and, my goodness, the this issue is divisive as all get out!

the "old" city council voted (5-4) to set that non binding vote for august.... the "new" city council started last week ... (2 of the yes to the public vote members were replaced with what everyone seems to think are PRO arena votes) ....

the arena TIF item will come up on the council agenda (for introduction) at tomorrows meeting and if it moves forward at a normal pace could come up for a Final vote of the council on July 23rd in 2 weeks.

Didn't city council vote to hold a public vote, without any teeth? Did that vote ever happen? I watched a brief portion of the city council meeting at issue and, my goodness, the this issue is divisive as all get out!

New Council just got seated (2 new members) and they now believe they have the votes to pass. I assume if that happens, the public vote would not occur. The previous vote was by the previous council and was a bit of a last minute effort by just enough of them to stall it.

I guarantee if this were up to the voters it would fail miserably. This is a horrible plan that is getting back-doored. I’m a football and basketball season ticket holder and will not be renewing my tickets if this moves forward.

I guarantee if this were up to the voters it would fail miserably. This is a horrible plan that is getting back-doored. I’m a football and basketball season ticket holder and will not be renewing my tickets if this moves forward.

lol. Bring on that LNC love.

This is like people saying they’re going to leave the country if (insert candidate name) is elected president. You probably won’t, but if you do, there will be plenty who are willing to take your place due to the arena being closer to OKC or just not being LNC. And there are plenty who will take your football tickets with the SEC move. You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face to make a stand that they’d be happy to lose you over.

I guarantee if this were up to the voters it would fail miserably. This is a horrible plan that is getting back-doored. I’m a football and basketball season ticket holder and will not be renewing my tickets if this moves forward.
Nothing about this rings true. Most Normanites don't hate the university like you try to spin. But most hate Lloyd Noble arena.

Post your tickets as this will happen and there will be many many people wanting to buy your tickets, if they are real.

lol. Bring on that LNC love.

This is like people saying they’re going to leave the country if (insert candidate name) is elected president. You probably won’t, but if you do, there will be plenty who are willing to take your place due to the arena being closer to OKC or just not being LNC. And there are plenty who will take your football tickets with the SEC move. You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face to make a stand that they’d be happy to lose you over.

I just want them to bring it to a vote of both the Norman voters who will be paying for it and the OU students and student-athletes who this is supposed to be built for. If it majority passes both then I will shut up and grit my teeth, for the people have spoken. But if not then OU should go back to the drawing board. But they won’t and that is why I’m no longer supporting them with my hard-earned dollars.

will not be renewing my tickets if this moves forward.

I call your bluff. I don’t believe you.

I just want them to bring it to a vote of both the Norman voters who will be paying for it and the OU students and student-athletes who this is supposed to be built for. If it majority passes both then I will shut up and grit my teeth, for the people have spoken. But if not then OU should go back to the drawing board. But they won’t and that is why I’m no longer supporting them with my hard-earned dollars.
I sure hope they can live without your ”support”.

I guarantee if this were up to the voters it would fail miserably. This is a horrible plan that is getting back-doored. I’m a football and basketball season ticket holder and will not be renewing my tickets if this moves forward.

so thanks for letting everyone know you are not much of a fan ....

also good thing there doesn't need to be a vote ...

I just want them to bring it to a vote of both the Norman voters who will be paying for it and the OU students and student-athletes who this is supposed to be built for.

the Norman voters are NOT paying for it .... that is the point

I would strongly encourage people to not "take their toys and go home" if they don't get their way here. I think this whole thing is dumb too. but not renewing your tickets will absolutely not change anyone's mind. Rather, you become the very worst fair weather fan and your support for the students is lost.

If this is an arena that the city is helping fund, I do think it's fair to ask the voters. But if they're just creating a TIF, then honestly the voters don't have a place. That's why we elect people, to vote on matters like that without us being involved...ie representative democracy. If you don't like what they are doing, you exercise your opinion at the next election. If the majority agree, then you see a leadership change. If it's related to creating a tax, i believe the law requires approval (like a millage change) doesn't it? But if it's not making a change in taxes, then the people do not vote directly on the issue. That's not new or a wild idea or anything.

But if you "leave", well someone else is going to just take your spot. I'm changing gyms because the one I was going to is too busy. They're not going to miss me at all....because they have a million other customers. My single voice matters not in that large crowd. I would argue the same is true here. One person leaving in a harump because of the arena, will be lost in the noise. In fact, when arenas open, they tend to have INCREASED attendance for a while as people come to check out the new place. So your voice will be even less heard. I'm not trying to be a turd about it, just realistic here.

I would strongly encourage you to voice your opinions to the athletic department. But don't leave just beacuse you dont potentially get your way. It's likely that you won't and no one suffers here but you and the students.

i mean if it moves to UNP, i will probably buy season tickets for mens basketball, i already have them for the womens, and gymnastics

I just have a problem with OU ignoring students and instead catering to “fans from OKC” and moving the arena next to I-35 five miles from campus. Poll the students, who this arena is supposed to be for considering OU is still a university, and see if the results are in favor. And even though this isn’t a tax the people of Norman are “paying” for it by siphoning 100% of the ad valorem and sales tax from UNP for 25 years until the arena is paid off or $600M is diverted, whichever comes first. Those are taxes that could be going to Norman schools, police, fire, streets, etc. So yes Norman voters should have a say and their vote should mean something.

I just have a problem with OU ignoring students and instead catering to “fans from OKC” and moving the arena next to I-35 five miles from campus. Poll the students, who this arena is supposed to be for considering OU is still a university, and see if the results are in favor. And even though this isn’t a tax the people of Norman are “paying” for it by siphoning 100% of the ad valorem and sales tax from UNP for 25 years until the arena is paid off or $600M is diverted, whichever comes first. Those are taxes that could be going to Norman schools, police, fire, streets, etc. So yes Norman voters should have a say and their vote should mean something.

It's a nice thought, but students do not make up the majority of the ticket holders. And quite a lot of them drive to the games. If you polled students, i think you would find that many of them do not live on campus and would have to drive no matter where it is.

Football for sure is true. People come from all over the state and beyond. The student section is small and never full...not usually even 1/2 full.
Softball, it's pretty much exclusively families and NOT students.

Just a couple of examples, but asking the students is probably not going to happen and frankly, won't determine the outcome. The arena is not FOR the students in any way shape or form. But that's a whole other rabbit hole of a conversation that we could need to go down where the arena is only a small player in a much larger enterprise.

for it by siphoning 100% of the ad valorem and sales tax from UNP for 25 years

this is simply not true ... it is not 100% of the tax ..

[b]Poll the students, who this arena is supposed to be for considering OU is still a university, .



the only students this arena is for are the athletes .. and they are close to if not 100% for it ..

A huge point is this: the development has been super slow moving north in UNP, and has been sporadic, and not uniform or guided in any way. A bunch of crappy strip malls that have nothing unique or special about them, or in them. It may be a decade or longer before anything "organically" happened here. So it sits empty, not generating anything for Norman.

Oh, I forgot about the random Subaru dealership. So if that is what you want for north UNP, good for you. That whole area has way more potential than that, and no one has had any plans for it except OU.

Maybe OU has vision, and the rest of the city is wearing bifocals.

this is simply not true ... it is not 100% of the tax ..

This is directly from a recent Norman Transcript article:

The proposed arena costs $330 million. The University of Oklahoma would provide $100 million, while Norman’s contribution would be $230 million, plus associated debt financing, which could cost up to $600 million total.

The tax increment funding the arena would take 100% of undedicated sales and ad valorem taxes from the project site and several lots outside of it for 25 years, until the arena is paid off, or until $600 million in taxes are diverted, whichever comes first.

The rate of tax diversion was among committee member Rob Norman’s many concerns. He pointed out that in the previous TIF at University North Park, which had an associated project cost of $54 million before financing, half of ad valorem tax revenue and 40% of sales tax revenue still went to Cleveland County and the City of Norman, respectively.

https://www.normantranscript.com/news/previous-tif-oversight-committee-votes-3-2-against-proposed-arena-tif/article_931b45e2-2e96-11ef-8f4f-e38aa8092ae1.amp.html

This is directly from a recent Norman Transcript article:


https://www.normantranscript.com/news/previous-tif-oversight-committee-votes-3-2-against-proposed-arena-tif/article_931b45e2-2e96-11ef-8f4f-e38aa8092ae1.amp.html

reading is key

100% of undedicated sales and ad valorem taxes from the project site


WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED?
o The establishment of new Tax Increment Finance Districts (“Rock Creek Entertainment TIF
District”) in Norman, generally along NW 24th Avenue, along Rock Creek Road and east of I-35.
Studies indicate that at completion, the district will be the center of approximately 4,600 jobs
(direct, induced and indirect) and more than 1,000 residential units.
 Increment District 4 is a sales tax increment district and would become effective
5/1/25.
 Increment District 5 is an ad valorem increment district and would become effective
12/31/26.
Three percent of sales tax collected in the TIF District that would go to the City's General Fund
(2.3%) and Capital Fund (0.7%) otherwise, will go to support the Entertainment District project.
1.125% of sales tax collected in the TIF District will still go to the City's Public Safety (0.5%),
Norman Forward (0.5%) and Public Transportation (0.125%) programs.

I just have a problem with OU ignoring students and instead catering to “fans from OKC” and moving the arena next to I-35 five miles from campus. Poll the students, who this arena is supposed to be for considering OU is still a university, and see if the results are in favor. And even though this isn’t a tax the people of Norman are “paying” for it by siphoning 100% of the ad valorem and sales tax from UNP for 25 years until the arena is paid off or $600M is diverted, whichever comes first. Those are taxes that could be going to Norman schools, police, fire, streets, etc. So yes Norman voters should have a say and their vote should mean something.

Poll the athletes who will play there if they’d prefer a nice arena at UNP or LNC (the options available) and see if they support it.

Poll the athletes who will play there if they’d prefer a nice arena at UNP or LNC (the options available) and see if they support it.

Poll the recruits. Athletes on campus will be long gone. Take the kids to LNC and then show them the arena plans and entertainment district plans and see which one they like. They aren't stupid... they can see the difference and surmise the difference in excitement level of fans showing up. Their athletic development center and student support will be the same and on campus regardless of where the arena is and that is what is most important to them anyway.

also good thing there doesn't need to be a vote ...

But you can probably assume there will be a petition to overturn if after the fact, thats where the vote of the people will probably come in. If Norman is anything like Edmond, not too high of a hurdle to get it on the ballot to overturn.

But you can probably assume there will be a petition to overturn if after the fact, thats where the vote of the people will probably come in. If Norman is anything like Edmond, not too high of a hurdle to get it on the ballot to overturn.

I'm not sure it could be overturned actually ..

not without the city being on the hook for the 600 mil in a different way ... that might actually increase taxes ..

I'm not sure it could be overturned actually ..

not without the city being on the hook for the 600 mil in a different way ... that might actually increase taxes ..

this is my understanding as well. a petition could be done to overturn the creation of the tif but that wouldn't stop the project from going forward. would just put the city on the hook for finding another way to get the money that probably ends up worse for the citizens of norman. but i could be wrong

A huge point is this: the development has been super slow moving north in UNP, and has been sporadic, and not uniform or guided in any way. A bunch of crappy strip malls that have nothing unique or special about them, or in them. It may be a decade or longer before anything "organically" happened here. So it sits empty, not generating anything for Norman.

Oh, I forgot about the random Subaru dealership. So if that is what you want for north UNP, good for you. That whole area has way more potential than that, and no one has had any plans for it except OU.

Maybe OU has vision, and the rest of the city is wearing bifocals.

Development on a site as large as UNP doesnt happen overnight. There is still empty land around the current stores that will develop first before anything goes to the middle of an empty field. And imo, development that happens 10 years from now, that fully goes into Normans revenues, is better than 25 years of very little.


this is my understanding as well. a petition could be done to overturn the creation of the tif but that wouldn't stop the project from going forward. would just put the city on the hook for finding another way to get the money that probably ends up worse for the citizens of norman. but i could be wrong

I dont see why that would be the case. And if it was, OU going to sue Norman for $600 million? In many cities, a ballot petition within a certain amount of time of a council;s vote, can overturn any decision by the city council.

Development on a site as large as UNP doesnt happen overnight. There is still empty land around the current stores that will develop first before anything goes to the middle of an empty field. And imo, development that happens 10 years from now, that fully goes into Normans revenues, is better than 25 years of very little.



I dont see why that would be the case. And if it was, OU going to sue Norman for $600 million? In many cities, a ballot petition within a certain amount of time of a council;s vote, can overturn any decision by the city council.

the city would already be on the hook for the 230 million dollar loan .. that wouldn't change ..


do you believe that if the city council voted to build a sky scraper and let the contract for 1 billion dollars that after construction started a city vote could resend that money and contract??

no ..


this is not any different

You seem to be taking the position that as soon as the city council votes yes this deal is executed, which is unlikely. WIthout seeing the deal/documents, I cant say.

I just have a problem with OU ignoring students and instead catering to “fans from OKC” and moving the arena next to I-35 five miles from campus. Poll the students, who this arena is supposed to be for considering OU is still a university, and see if the results are in favor. And even though this isn’t a tax the people of Norman are “paying” for it by siphoning 100% of the ad valorem and sales tax from UNP for 25 years until the arena is paid off or $600M is diverted, whichever comes first. Those are taxes that could be going to Norman schools, police, fire, streets, etc. So yes Norman voters should have a say and their vote should mean something.

Poll: As a student, would you rather have an outdated and old arena in the middle of a commuter parking lot, or would you rather drive an extra 10-15 minutes for a brand new arena that is surrounded by bars and restaurants?