So does this mean that the Thunder Alley proposal is now dead?

So if this goes through, it looks like the land just south of the Arena and north of the Boulevard is included in this? In the renderings it looks like a little park and communal area, so I guess no construction there?

That's where Thunder Alley would go if approved.

What is shown in the renderings is just a placeholder, as nothing has been decided on that RFP as of yet.

That's where Thunder Alley would go if approved.

What is shown in the renderings is just a placeholder, as nothing has been decided on that RFP as of yet.

Ah, okay, that's good to know. So, regardless of our feelings towards that particular development, if it does go through, the entire south end of CEA would be entirely transformed.

Agreed. I am in favor of this, as I stated. Just trying to think 15-20 years down the road when it can be retrofitted no longer.

I kinda think if this passes, it’ll become the norm

I am fine with improving the arena (even though at this point the arena is nearing 20 years old), but in no way should MAPS 4 funds be dedicated to improving their practice facility. There is absolutely 0 ROI.

Lol minus the fact we can keep the annual $70 million in direct spending the team brings.

If you don’t think being a city with a major sport in it has enormous value, well you’re just wrong but certainly entitled to that opinion.

There’s three cities that would kill for the thunder and wouldn’t think twice about approving this. KC, St. Louis and Seattle.

Dang, the Morning Animals on the Sports Animal are talking about this proposal and they are all name dropping OKCTalk and giving you credit for breaking this Pete. That's cool.

I am fine with improving the arena (even though at this point the arena is nearing 20 years old), but in no way should MAPS 4 funds be dedicated to improving their practice facility. There is absolutely 0 ROI.

Delete

Arena improvements are fine by me. CEA has served us well and we should invest in keeping it current. I like the outdoor spaces for sure this could really be nice and compliment the OMNI and convention center. The North entrance does need expansion as it has been been utilized more as the main entrance than the actual main entrance due to the orientation of the building and that there was nothing south.

Arena improvements are fine by me. CEA has served us well and we should invest in keeping it current. I like the outdoor spaces for sure this could really be nice and compliment the OMNI and convention center. The North entrance does need expansion as it has been been utilized more as the main entrance than the actual main entrance due to the orientation of the building and that there was nothing south.

The north would probably see an expansion 10 to 15 years down the road which would go along nicely with whatever happens with cox site.

I'm fine with this investment. The original talk about upgrades sounded Thunder specific to me, but this appears to be an upgrade for all arena users

The north would probably see an expansion 10 to 15 years down the road. It would go along nicely with whatever happens with cox site. even the interior that is proposed with this will help a lot with the congestion. that side was just not configured well for the amount of use it gets. opening up those concourses I think will help.

The only reason a city needs to replace an arena that is in good shape is if there are new innovations to arenas that put older ones at a disadvantage. The last such major innovation were the addition of more suites. Key Arena in Seattle lacked them. As of now, there is no reason to think the Peake couldn't last another 30, 40, 50 years as long as it is kept up and there are no new major innovations that require a new building. Anyway, just pushing back on the idea that a new arenas is inevitably needed in the next 15-20 years.

^

Right, the big recent wave of new arenas and stadiums was to accommodate suites which generate tons of income.

Until some new revolution comes along -- if it ever does -- the only real changes would be cosmetic.

^

Right, the big recent wave of new arenas and stadiums was to accommodate suites which generate tons of income.

Until some new revolution comes along -- if it ever does -- the only real changes would be cosmetic.

OKC could maybe support more suites then they currently have (but really we have about the correct amount)


this upgrade would adress really the only other issues the peake has when compared to other arenas more bar /restaurant spaces for both the lower level and for loud city ..

I would bet that more suites could be added without a ton of pain if that was really deemed to be important.

But if it was, you'd think this would be the time for them to ask.

double post

I'd much rather MAPs 4 fund these improvements to the Chesapeake Arena and let the state fair board fund their coliseum with their existing revenue stream. Seems to be a best use of public funds since 1) more than just the Thunder use the Peake and 2) most of the improvements are capital and not Thunder specific (If they were, then I'd ask the Thunder to invest in those items as well).

Im a little surprised the original ideas that were cut (children's area, arena practice floors, rooftop bars (northern end)) were not resurrected here. These would definitely add to the arena experience (although the practice floor is Thunder specific, and therefore should be Thunder funded) and realise the original vision of the arena.

Nevertheless, Easy vote on this one but Maps 4 needs to exclude the Fairgrounds arena!!!

I'd much rather MAPs 4 fund these improvements to the Chesapeake Arena and let the state fair board fund their coliseum with their existing revenue stream. Seems to be a best use of public funds since 1) more than just the Thunder use the Peake and 2) most of the improvements are capital and not Thunder specific (If they were, then I'd ask the Thunder to invest in those items as well).

Im a little surprised the original ideas that were cut (children's area, arena practice floors, rooftop bars (northern end)) were not resurrected here. These would definitely add to the arena experience (although the practice floor is Thunder specific, and therefore should be Thunder funded) and realise the original vision of the arena.

Nevertheless, Easy vote on this one but Maps 4 needs to exclude the Fairgrounds arena!!!

the fair grounds arena is a no brainer yes

Id say we get them to commit to a longer guaranteed lease term if we do this.

These upgrades look good and I'd be for them. The practice facility, not so much. Not used by the public, we've already paid for what they have and why would they need $15 million more for a practice gym? I dont think we gave them that much the first time.

As for sports stadiums in MAPS imo:
CHK Arena, yes
State fair arena, sure, I guess so. The big house does need a replacement.
Soccer stadium, just dont see the need right now and could be pushed out til next MAPS go around.

I would bet that more suites could be added without a ton of pain if that was really deemed to be important.

But if it was, you'd think this would be the time for them to ask.

Suites have kinda fallen out of style in the nba. Companies like them but the real prized tickets are floor seats.

And I can tell you that there is a tipping point where too many suites suck the life out of an arena.

Staples Center is a very good example. There is a smallish lower bowl, a huge bank of suites, then the upper seating that feels like its in a separate building. It completely kills the atmosphere IMO, even at a rowdy hockey match.

The only reason a city needs to replace an arena that is in good shape is if there are new innovations to arenas that put older ones at a disadvantage. The last such major innovation were the addition of more suites. Key Arena in Seattle lacked them. As of now, there is no reason to think the Peake couldn't last another 30, 40, 50 years as long as it is kept up and there are no new major innovations that require a new building. Anyway, just pushing back on the idea that a new arenas is inevitably needed in the next 15-20 years.

EXACTLY. I know we’ve both posted some variation of this 100 times over the years but I wish more people understood it.

The enhancements for the arena are worth the investment to keep our facility current. An NBA franchise in our community offers a statement of how much improved our quality of life has elevated since 1990.

NBA is global; its positive impact bodes well for our city in ways that are immeasurable.

It's not a matter to pick and choose; hope MAPS 4 can address & finance the needs of as many projects as possible.

Nevertheless, Easy vote on this one but Maps 4 needs to exclude the Fairgrounds arena!!!

Well, the horse shows do have a similar economic impact (or greater, if you go by the studies). That doesn't really speak to the way it's funded, but from a ROI stand point, the fairgrounds arena may actually make more sense.

Also, does the Thunder pay the city taxes as mentioned above? Maybe it expired or there are other tax angles, but didn't we exempt them from sales tax... at least on ticket sales?

The only reason a city needs to replace an arena that is in good shape is if there are new innovations to arenas that put older ones at a disadvantage. The last such major innovation were the addition of more suites. Key Arena in Seattle lacked them. As of now, there is no reason to think the Peake couldn't last another 30, 40, 50 years as long as it is kept up and there are no new major innovations that require a new building. Anyway, just pushing back on the idea that a new arenas is inevitably needed in the next 15-20 years.

True. Madison Square Garden has been where it is for 60 years or so (with major renovations) and I'd consider it still relevant.

I like where the arena is, too. Hopefully, in 20 years or so, there won't be a site left downtown that's big enough to build a new arena on. (crosses fingers)

And I can tell you that there is a tipping point where too many suites suck the life out of an arena.

Staples Center is a very good example. There is a smallish lower bowl, a huge bank of suites, then the upper seating that feels like its in a separate building. It completely kills the atmosphere IMO, even at a rowdy hockey match.

this times a million

Question is....if they were to add more suites, would they be able to sell them. They're not exactly cheap.

Question is....if they were to add more suites, would they be able to sell them. They're not exactly cheap.

Not if it was this year. Ha.

I saw new seats and I am sold. I have sat in the same seat now for 10+ years for Thunder games and it could definitely use an upgrade. I was pleasantly surprised by how many of the uprades are fan facing which are used for more than NBA games.

True. Madison Square Garden has been where it is for 60 years or so (with major renovations) and I'd consider it still relevant.

I like where the arena is, too. Hopefully, in 20 years or so, there won't be a site left downtown that's big enough to build a new arena on. (crosses fingers)

the last Garden (which is a far bigger structure) renovation was in 2011-2013 and was over 1 Billion dollars ..

The only reason a city needs to replace an arena that is in good shape is if there are new innovations to arenas that put older ones at a disadvantage. The last such major innovation were the addition of more suites. Key Arena in Seattle lacked them. As of now, there is no reason to think the Peake couldn't last another 30, 40, 50 years as long as it is kept up and there are no new major innovations that require a new building. Anyway, just pushing back on the idea that a new arenas is inevitably needed in the next 15-20 years.

KeyArena did not have a large enough " footprint" according to David Stern's statements, that he made several times. It wasn't large enough to add restaurants and other fan amenities that the team could use to boost revenue. Last count I heard, the CHK arena has seven restaurants.

But the real problem in Seattle was the financing method of the 1995 remodel of KeyArena. They paid for it with bonds. And then dedicated part of ticket sales , parking, and concessions to pay off the bonds. That worked OK as long as the team was winning and attendance was high. But the team went into the doldrums, as the Thunder are headed to now, and there was not enough revenue to meet the bond payments.

The City was behind on the bond payments and the political atmosphere in Seattle was very adverse to raising taxes for sports facilities. This left the City between a rock and a hard place. The key to Bennett getting the team out of Seattle, was an offer to pay the $40 million remaining debt on the arena which was coming due in 2010.

Other NBA teams with new arenas were generating larger revenues and able to pay higher NBA salaries. Sonics could not do that and that contributed to the death spiral. The team got worse and attendance continued to suffer.

I don't recall suites having anything at all to do with the problems of KeyArena.

KeyArena did not have a large enough " footprint" according to David Stern's statements, that he made several times. It wasn't large enough to add restaurants and other fan amenities that the team could use to boost revenue. Last count I heard, the CHK arena has seven restaurants.

But the real problem in Seattle was the financing method of the 1995 remodel of KeyArena. They paid for it with bonds. And then dedicated part of ticket sales , parking, and concessions to pay off the bonds. That worked OK as long as the team was winning and attendance was high. But the team went into the doldrums, as the Thunder are headed to now, and there was not enough revenue to meet the bond payments.

The City was behind on the bond payments and the political atmosphere in Seattle was very adverse to raising taxes for sports facilities. This left the City between a rock and a hard place. The key to Bennett getting the team out of Seattle, was an offer to pay the $40 million remaining debt on the arena which was coming due in 2010.

Other NBA teams with new arenas were generating larger revenues and able to pay higher NBA salaries. Sonics could not do that and that contributed to the death spiral. The team got worse and attendance continued to suffer.

I don't recall suites having anything at all to do with the problems of KeyArena.

key areana has no club level and limited suites for that size of a market . .. .and has limited seating in general

united center chicago has 3 levels of suites ..

Id say we get them to commit to a longer guaranteed lease term if we do this.

These upgrades look good and I'd be for them. The practice facility, not so much. Not used by the public, we've already paid for what they have and why would they need $15 million more for a practice gym? I dont think we gave them that much the first time.

As for sports stadiums in MAPS imo:
CHK Arena, yes
State fair arena, sure, I guess so. The big house does need a replacement.
Soccer stadium, just dont see the need right now and could be pushed out til next MAPS go around.

I agree with this. I think that the CHK arena upgrades should be a part of MAPS 4 instead of the soccer stadium. The arena does NOT need to be replaced however.

The soccer stadium seems like a waste in my opinion. OKC is a one major-league team town and will be for the foreseeable future. I'd say the same thing if the discussion was about trying to lure MLB.

I agree with this. I think that the CHK arena upgrades should be a part of MAPS 4 instead of the soccer stadium. The arena does NOT need to be replaced however.

The soccer stadium seems like a waste in my opinion. OKC is a one major-league team town and will be for the foreseeable future. I'd say the same thing if the discussion was about trying to lure MLB.

the thing is a soccer stadium in fine ... but there is no need to spend more than about 20 mil on it ... what is proposed is like buying a lambo or ferri for a 16 year old instead of a new f150 or accord

I saw new seats and I am sold. I have sat in the same seat now for 10+ years for Thunder games and it could definitely use an upgrade. I was pleasantly surprised by how many of the uprades are fan facing which are used for more than NBA games.

Sums it all up pretty well. Almost everything benefits us average Joe’s that attend events at the arena.

the last Garden (which is a far bigger structure) renovation was in 2011-2013 and was over 1 Billion dollars ..

Thanks, Boulder. That's one of the major renovations to which I referred.

key areana has no club level and limited suites for that size of a market . .. .and has limited seating in general

united center chicago has 3 levels of suites ..

Nawww, suites were not an issue. If suites were an issue, it was a very small issue.

The problem was the ' footprint ' was too small and it could not be expanded. The real estate was just not available.

People in Seattle pushed this hard, they wondered why they could not just rennovate the KeyArena and satisfy Stern. Because they could find a way to finance a rennovation. And Stern's answer was always the size of the footprint. Every time.

Nawww, suites were not an issue. If suites were an issue, it was a very small issue.

The problem was the ' footprint ' was too small and it could not be expanded. The real estate was just not available.

People in Seattle pushed this hard, they wondered why they could not just rennovate the KeyArena and satisfy Stern. Because they could find a way to finance a rennovation. And Stern's answer was always the size of the footprint. Every time.

They had the real estate to expand the footprint, but not the funding due to the passage of I-91 which prevented any public funding from being used to built or renovate public stadiums after it was used to build the Seahawks and Mariners stadiums and renovate key arena in 1995. Part of the reason the footprint was inadequate was due to the fact that there wasn’t enough room to accommodate new, modern revenue generating amenities like loge boxes and additional suites. Part of the frustration from the city was that it was just renovated 10 years prior to when the demands for a new arena began.

Also a major issue was the Sonic terrible lease that didn’t allow them to receive any revenue from the few suites they had and other revenue generators that most nba teams receive money from.

Go with the $135 million upgrades & enhancements to The Peake & NBA Practice facility. Replacement of original seats, expanded area for fan enhancements, expanded south entrances much like a new arena:


MAPS I investment: $90
MAPS for Hoops: $90 - $10 NBA practice facility
MAPS IV: $120 - $15 million NBA practice facility

Chesapeake Energy Arena total investment: $300 million
NBA Practice Facility total investment: $25 million (dual courts).

MAPS 4 should be able to fund many projects: Animal shelter, Chesapeake Arena & NBA Practice Facility, State Fair Coliseum, mental health & social services (Palomar, Diversion Hub), MAPS 4 Stadium and transit.

A win, win for all...

Key arena(former name) is in the process of an 830 million rebuild. They are going to keep the original roof, but everything else is being demolished and rebuilt. NHL is coming in 2022.
https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/arena/new-seattle-center-arena-to-cost-an-estimated-850-million/281-621138581

Go with the $135 million upgrades & enhancements to The Peake & NBA Practice facility. Replacement of original seats, expanded area for fan enhancements, expanded south entrances much like a new arena:


MAPS I investment: $90
MAPS for Hoops: $90 - $10 NBA practice facility
MAPS IV: $120 - $15 million NBA practice facility

Chesapeake Energy Arena total investment: $300 million
NBA Practice Facility total investment: $25 million (dual courts).

MAPS 4 should be able to fund many projects: Animal shelter, Chesapeake Arena & NBA Practice Facility, State Fair Coliseum, mental health & social services (Palomar, Diversion Hub), MAPS 4 Stadium and transit.

A win, win for all...

agreed... and this is why i keep getting confused why they don't seem to want to include transit... there is money for it. and i'm going on the theory that if it's there, i'll vote for it, and if it isn't, i won't... there is no project on the list that will make me say no... but not having a project i want, will prevent me from saying yes

Key arena(former name) is in the process of an 830 million rebuild. They are going to keep the original roof, but everything else is being demolished and rebuilt. NHL is coming in 2022.
https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/arena/new-seattle-center-arena-to-cost-an-estimated-850-million/281-621138581

Yep, huge amount of money compared to what they were talking about circa 2007 and earlier. Back then, it was in the 100 million range.

Last I saw, this current renovation is up to 900 million.

And the existing KeyArena had more suites than CHK arena.

They had the real estate to expand the footprint, but not the funding due to the passage of I-91 which prevented any public funding from being used to built or renovate public stadiums after it was used to build the Seahawks and Mariners stadiums and renovate key arena in 1995. Part of the reason the footprint was inadequate was due to the fact that there wasn’t enough room to accommodate new, modern revenue generating amenities like loge boxes and additional suites. Part of the frustration from the city was that it was just renovated 10 years prior to when the demands for a new arena began.

Also a major issue was the Sonic terrible lease that didn’t allow them to receive any revenue from the few suites they had and other revenue generators that most nba teams receive money from.

Yeah, I covered that in a concise manner ... but KeyArena had more suites than the ChK , it was not a matter of suites

And they were not talking enough money to expand their current " footprint "

Yeah, I covered that in a concise manner ... but KeyArena had more suites than the ChK , it was not a matter of suites

And they were not talking enough money to expand their current " footprint "


Key Arena had 58 suites at the time the team moved. CHK has 92 plus two loge boxes with 912 seats between them and twice as many club level seats. http://basketball.ballparks.com/NBA/SeattleSonics/index.htm, http://basketball.ballparks.com/NBA/OklahomaCityThunder/index.htm

They WERE talking money to expand the current footprint. Howard Schultz proposed more than doubling the footprint in 2004 and it was going to cost $220 million. They were also talking about building a new arena in SoDo or Renton as alternatives to renovating Key prior to the team moving. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/plan-would-nearly-double-size-of-keyarena/. That plan actually called to reduce the amount of suites to add loge boxes...which shows that even when doubling the footprint, it still wouldn't be a large enough building to accommodate both modern amenities like loge boxes and an NBA average amount of luxury suites. At any rate the proposal failed then I-91 passed in 2006 and Schultz sold the team.

Key Arena had 58 suites at the time the team moved. CHK has 92 plus two loge boxes with 912 seats between them and twice as many club level seats. http://basketball.ballparks.com/NBA/SeattleSonics/index.htm, http://basketball.ballparks.com/NBA/OklahomaCityThunder/index.htm

They WERE talking money to expand the current footprint. Howard Schultz proposed more than doubling the footprint in 2004 and it was going to cost $220 million. They were also talking about building a new arena in SoDo or Renton as alternatives to renovating Key prior to the team moving. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/plan-would-nearly-double-size-of-keyarena/. That plan actually called to reduce the amount of suites to add loge boxes...which shows that even when doubling the footprint, it still wouldn't be a large enough building to accommodate both modern amenities like loge boxes and an NBA average amount of luxury suites. At any rate the proposal failed then I-91 passed in 2006 and Schultz sold the team.

Exactly, you've just written a paragraph to say what David Stern said multiple times ............ the footprint was not large enough. He would not accept a renovation of KeyArena.

I was much more concise than you, ya know , TL : DR

As to the number of suites, congratulations , you win .............. I got bad info.

Too bad, its a trivial F'n victory for you, cuz number of suites did not matter.

Hard to believe you actually Googled this chit.

here ya go, Mr Google fraternity boy, I'll play your Google game

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/nba/nba-commissioner-david-stern-says-keyarena-renovation-not-an-option-for-sonics/
(https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/nba/nba-commissioner-david-stern-says-keyarena-renovation-not-an-option-for-sonics/)


NBA commissioner David Stern says KeyArena renovation not an option for Sonics
Originally published March 26, 2008 at 12:00 am Updated March 26, 2008 at 11:20 am
David Stern
Sonics owner Clay Bennett, left, listens as NBA commissioner David Stern speaks after an Oklahoma City presentation Tuesday.
1 of 2 | David Stern

NBA commissioner David Stern on Tuesday shot down a proposal by a group of Seattle businessmen seeking to renovate KeyArena in order to...
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By Seattle Times staff

OKLAHOMA CITY — NBA commissioner David Stern on Tuesday shot down a proposal by a group of Seattle businessmen seeking to renovate KeyArena in order to keep the Sonics in the city.

Stern said the NBA does not view a renovation as a solution because the site could not undergo a proper expansion.

On Tuesday, Stern visited Oklahoma City with three NBA owners who were impressed enough with a presentation to think it should be the future home for the Sonics.

While taking questions about an NBA relocation subcommittee’s recommendation to move the Sonics to Oklahoma City, Stern said, “The reason that this journey began was because KeyArena was not an adequate arena going forward and there were a lot of recommendations made for another arena … but the tax revenues and the various contributions weren’t forthcoming.
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“I would say that as far as we know, the footprint of Key is at present time not viewed as adequate to support what’s necessary going forward.”

And , now that I've refreshed my memory, the problem was the lease in Seattle ...............far bigger problem than suites.

It was the first and maybe the only lease that required fans of a sports team to pay for arena/stadium renovaton/construction.

Did not matter how many suites they had, was still not gonna generate enough revenue for the team to be competitive, without ownership pumping a bunch of money into the operation.

Don't know if you guys covered this, Key Arena at the time prior to relocation had suites; however the Supersonics' franchise did not receive any of the revenue from those suites.

Somehow, I get the feeling there's some uneasiness about the $120 million upgrade of The Peake; anyone feel we may fall short and the Thunder may want a brand new arena 5 years following the renovation...

Exactly, you've just written a paragraph to say what David Stern said multiple times ............ the footprint was not large enough. He would not accept a renovation of KeyArena.

I was much more concise than you, ya know , TL : DR

As to the number of suites, congratulations , you win .............. I got bad info.

Too bad, its a trivial F'n victory for you, cuz number of suites did not matter.

Hard to believe you actually Googled this chit.

I followed this all pretty intently while it was happening so most of that was from memory but i figured that i could afford time for a three second google search to site my numbers since you were so insistent on key having more suites than CHK. It didn’t and couldn’t because of the original footprint and that was part of the issue.

The footprint would've been fine had the expansion proposed by Schultz been approved. David Stern and the NBA BOG were all pissed because the city refused to assist in funding an expansion or a new arena. If the city agrees to assist in the $220 million expansion of Key, the team is never sold and doesn’t move.

And , now that I've refreshed my memory, the problem was the lease in Seattle ...............far bigger problem than suites.

It was the first and maybe the only lease that required fans of a sports team to pay for arena/stadium renovaton/construction.

Did not matter how many suites they had, was still not gonna generate enough revenue for the team to be competitive, without ownership pumping a bunch of money into the operation.

Yes, I mentioned that in post 1477 as well:


Also a major issue was the Sonic terrible lease that didn’t allow them to receive any revenue from the few suites they had and other revenue generators that most nba teams receive money from.
[/QUOTE]

here ya go, Mr Google fraternity boy, I'll play your Google game

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/nba/nba-commissioner-david-stern-says-keyarena-renovation-not-an-option-for-sonics/
(https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/nba/nba-commissioner-david-stern-says-keyarena-renovation-not-an-option-for-sonics/)

Geez, didn’t know someone would get so butt hurt over googling info about a 15 year old arena funding dispute.

Yeah that was in 2008 after Schultz already sold the team to Bennett and Seattle had already passed I-91 preventing public funding from being used for arenas unless they could prove that it would generate a return. Stern was using the size of the footprint to head off a group of investors making a last ditch effort to renovate key arena after the team was basically already moving and Bennetts mostly fake attempt to put a new arena in Renton failed. Read between the lines, the bigger issue was that the city refused to fund any arena improvements or a new building. He said as much in the paragraph before the one you put in bold. Had public funding been approved to expand Key, Stern wouldn’t have cared where they were playing and the team would still be there.

At any rate, again if Stern really wanted a new building over a Key Arena expansion part of the reason was that a Key expansion couldn’t accommodate as many suites as most modern NBA arenas.

Geez, didn’t know someone would get so butt hurt over googling info about a 15 year old arena funding dispute.

He's a feisty one.

Don't know if you guys covered this, Key Arena at the time prior to relocation had suites; however the Supersonics' franchise did not receive any of the revenue from those suites.

Somehow, I get the feeling there's some uneasiness about the $120 million upgrade of The Peake; anyone feel we may fall short and the Thunder may want a brand new arena 5 years following the renovation...

No, there’s no reason for them to want a new arena. If this plan doesn’t make the cut, they’ll just submit another renovation plan.

Don't know if you guys covered this, Key Arena at the time prior to relocation had suites; however the Supersonics' franchise did not receive any of the revenue from those suites.

Somehow, I get the feeling there's some uneasiness about the $120 million upgrade of The Peake; anyone feel we may fall short and the Thunder may want a brand new arena 5 years following the renovation...

I don't see it. Ultimately, the thing in Seattle boiled down to Seattle / Washington not being willing to leverage public resources for team ownership. I think Stern called it the worst lease in the league and public sentiment wasn't there to acquiesce to league and ownership demands. We all know Bennett wanted the team here, but if they were able to use OKC as leverage against political sentiment in Washington, they may have been able to work it out with Stern letting Bennett know "I owe you a favor...".

That's definitely not the case here and they have a favorable deal. They're the horse in a one horse town and they're going to get the deal they want. If anything, I'd say Kansas City is the one market that could maybe offer a "ready-to-go" solution for them, but even then I'm not sure they would really net that much more. They would probably get more from their media deals, but I'm not sure it'd be worth the move at this point. This rebuilding period will be a test of it, but I think they have a good enough deal now and enough public support, both in terms of fan support and the civic mindset to tax themselves to aid ownership, that they have to know they have it good here, even if they don't get this round of improvements to the facility with which they have a good lease. Emphasis on good lease.

Sacremento Kings wanted to relocate to Seattle and league said nope. Doubt league would allow Thunder to move cause they were crying for a new arena. Especially when current one is a solid one with all the amenities of other gyms. OKC needs to sever that practice facility as the public does not get any benefit.

I don't see it.

That's definitely not the case here and they have a favorable deal. They're the horse in a one horse town and they're going to get the deal they want. If anything, I'd say Kansas City is the one market that could maybe offer a "ready-to-go" solution

Also KC has the Chiefs, Royals and Jayhawk BB to compete with.

Kansas City offered PBC LLC (Thunder owners) free rent at the Sprint Center if they were to move there prior to relocation back in 2008.

Today's KC metro market is 2.2 million, it's highly recommended that a market needs 1 million per major league sport. Would be risky for NBA or NHL to return to K.C. at this time.

So, if Chesapeake as a company goes under, what happens with the naming rights?

Well, everyone will start saying "we're on our way to Riverwind Arena to watch the Thunder tonight".

...Or Winstar World Arena.

Naming rights would go thru the bidding process.

Since Thunder are a well established franchise in an NBA arena, OKC could attract out-of-state interests in addition to the local corporations.

Example: Sonic Drive Ins are now owned by a wealthy Atlanta firm, sold for $2.3 billion; they will continue to support the Big 12; it wouldn't be far-fetched for them to bid on arena naming-rights.

Spokesperson: Sonic Headquarters To Stay In OKC After Sold In $2.3 Billion Deal
https://www.news9.com/story/39171777/spokesperson-sonic-headquarters-to-stay-in-okc-after-sold-in-23-billion-deal

I feel like there's a very good chance that Paycom buys the naming rights.