This is very exciting!!!! And i'm super glad I'm not the only one seeing this for OSSAA. If you can host football....you can host marching band events :) and THAT is where i get excited. LOL

This what I've always thought about this, as well. A 20k stadium in downtown OKC could be used for:
ALL of the HS football championships
ALL of the HS soccer championships
Small college football games (Think SNU vs. OBU)
USMNT / USWNT soccer games (probably friendlies)
NCAA FCS Championship game. Right now it's played in Frisco, TX in a 20k soccer stadium.
UFL football
Major League Rugby
Major League Lacrosse
etc...etc...

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/stadium030221l.jpg


This what I've always thought about this, as well. A 20k stadium in downtown OKC could be used for:
ALL of the HS football championships
ALL of the HS soccer championships
Small college football games (Think SNU vs. OBU)
USMNT / USWNT soccer games (probably friendlies)
NCAA FCS Championship game. Right now it's played in Frisco, TX in a 20k soccer stadium.
UFL football
Major League Rugby
Major League Lacrosse
etc...etc...

Good job, Borchard: You've expanded on the use of a 20,000 seat stadium. Agree 100%.

Now it's up to us to begin lobbying for a 20,000 seat stadium that's also capable of future expansion and additions.

BTW, I had the pleasure of meeting Borchard in McNellie's Midtown a number of years ago prior to the debate
on Rayo OKC and Energy OKC debacle over Taft Stadium. Very knowledgeable person about soccer on the International and local level. New ownership restores my quest for OKC starting a new version of Energy OKC in
the USL and hope that we'll eventually move toward a larger MLS regulation stadium which can be used for a number of events mentioned by Borchard.

Press release:

***********

City Council approves land donation agreement for MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium
11/19/2024

Today Oklahoma City Council approved a real estate donation agreement with Echo to donate nine acres of land, located in the vicinity of South Shields Boulevard and SE 3rd Street, identified as the site for the MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium.

“Design is now underway on the Multipurpose Stadium, which will include a regulation-sized playing surface capable of accommodating high school, collegiate, and professional soccer competitions, football, as well as concerts, festivals and other similar events,” MAPS Program Manager David Todd said. “While MAPS 4 and economic development funds will be used to construct the stadium, the operator was responsible for providing a feasible site. The central location and potential for surrounding development makes this site ideal for the stadium, which will serve as an anchor for a future entertainment district.”

In July, through its sports and entertainment affiliate Echo Soccer, Echo purchased an area of undeveloped property, east of the Oklahoma City Convention Center and south of Bricktown, from the Producers Downtown Development. Echo plans to develop, in partnership with Robinson Park, the surrounding area into a sports-centered entertainment district.

“I am honored to partner with the City of OKC in the advancement of a core MAPS 4 project,” said Christian Kanady, founding partner and CEO of Echo. “As the planned center of a new entertainment district, the future Multipurpose Stadium will become a hub for much more than professional soccer and position our community to host numerous other top-tier sports, music, and entertainment activities. The world-class environment will add to the vibrance of downtown and deliver an even better quality of life for our community.”

Stadium details

The Oklahoma City Council has allocated $71 million to the project, including $41 million from the MAPS 4 program. The Multipurpose Stadium will be designed to include a United States Soccer Federation (USSF)-approved pitch, seating for approximately 12,300 guests, locker rooms and suites. The venue is expected to drive the development of a sports-centered entertainment district downtown, a model that has proven to be successful in other major cities across the country such as Washington, D.C., Louisville, Kentucky, and Orlando, Florida.

The venue will be the City’s only stadium with a USSF-approved pitch to accommodate professional men’s and women’s soccer. When the area develops, visitors will be able to walk from restaurants, retail and residences to attend a wide variety of events and activities in the new entertainment district.

The project is currently in design with construction scheduled to begin next year.

19310

19310

very interesting site selection. it makes for a grand arched entrance from SE 4th street under the rail road bridge into what could be a fan zone on the stadiums west main entrance.
is there any information on who's designing the stadium? i hope it's a local firm. it will also be interesting to see how the remaining area of the producer's coop site around the stadium is developed. the 12K seating capacity is fair if the master plan for the site and the stadium design is made to allow future expansions with a future seating capacity target of 20-25K.

More curious about the surrounding mixed-use development. Not a huge soccer fan, but i know this will do well, assuming the surrounding area is developed accordingly.

19310

that is not the stadium site ..

this is

19311

19310

The stadium will be located in the area in red and labeled Echo Soccer:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/stadium111924cA.jpg

Capacity of 12,300 is more than I thought. Thought it was originally supposed to be like 8,000 or something, although I probably remembered/read it wrong.

Cool.

Capacity of 12,300 is more than I thought. Thought it was originally supposed to be like 8,000 or something, although I probably remembered/read it wrong.

Cool.

Are you thinking of the proposed new multi-purpose (basketball) arena in Norman? I remember that capacity being around 8,000.

Are you thinking of the proposed new multi-purpose (basketball) arena in Norman? I remember that capacity being around 8,000.

That must be it. For some reason I thought the initial capacity for the soccer stadium was going to be smaller, probably got those numbers mixed up. Not that I'm complaining, I think it's a good thing. Hopefully there will be some sort of awning/shade structure but probably wishful thinking.

Does this mean that OKC Energy is going to come back at some point? Was a big fan back in their "heyday". New stadium will be very cool, will be interesting to see if they rebrand. Always a challenge to build a fanbase out of nothing.

Does this mean that OKC Energy is going to come back at some point? Was a big fan back in their "heyday". New stadium will be very cool, will be interesting to see if they rebrand. Always a challenge to build a fanbase out of nothing.

Team is coming back but will be rebranded.

And with a women's team as well

Team is coming back but will be rebranded.

yes, which will also almost certainly affect the branding, uniforms, colors, etc. of the academy/club teams currently affiliated with the energy.

Excellent news.
A bit of a weird spot in the Coop. I think the stadium would be a perfect sound buffer between the railroad and future residential development so I was hoping along the track.
It will make the truck yard a great pregame spot of it is finished one day.

The stadium will be located in the area in red and labeled Echo Soccer:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/stadium111924cA.jpg

then that will make one grand view towards...the freeway...

Excellent news.
A bit of a weird spot in the Coop. I think the stadium would be a perfect sound buffer between the railroad and future residential development so I was hoping along the track.
It will make the truck yard a great pregame spot of it is finished one day.

agree. even the southwest corner would have been less awkward.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/stadium030221l.jpg

Great news on the MAPS 4 multipurpose stadium seating 12,300, that's 300 more seats than UCO's Chad Richison Stadium. UCO's stadium doesn't have regulation pitch for soccer.

The MAPS 4 multipurpose stadium will have chairback seating. Let's hope there's room for risers to boost the seating capacity to 12,500 for American Football.

Hoping the city will quickly expand the stadium to 20k-25K (as OKC2017 mentioned), it will put OKC in a position to attract UFL football franchise and/or a starter home for MLS.

then that will make one grand view towards...the freeway...

Or the CBD, like Seattle's NFL stadium. Could be a really cool backdrop!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GcxHEJfWcAABXG6?format=jpg&name=small


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo7I0QAD3oM

then that will make one grand view towards...the freeway...

Surely the horseshoe would be angled to have the skyline in the background. Think OneOK Field in Tulsa.

Surely the horseshoe would be angled to have the skyline in the background. Think OneOK Field in Tulsa.

that would make a bunch of sense…of course it would’ve made sense to orient the ballpark that way as well

In my mind, the back of the stadium that faces the highway would have the most signage as that will be the most traffic going past it. And angling it to downtown would be great as those endzones seats would have a direct view of downtown.

I would assume something would have to be built larger than a chain link fence between the rail line that runs next to I-40 and the development.

that would make a bunch of sense…of course it would’ve made sense to orient the ballpark that way as well
The main reason the ballpark was oriented away from the skyline was to keep the setting sun from blinding batters. I’m sure there was also a desire to orient infield entrances closer to Mickey Mantle and more accessible from existing activity in Bricktown. But taking the setting sun out of the batter’s line of site was mentioned prominently in the discussions during planning for the ballpark.

The main reason the ballpark was oriented away from the skyline was to keep the setting sun from blinding batters.

Which is the traditional way of doing it. I always heard that's where the term "southpaw" comes from, since left handed pitchers' throwing arms are on their south side when on the mound.

The main reason the ballpark was oriented away from the skyline was to keep the setting sun from blinding batters. I’m sure there was also a desire to orient infield entrances closer to Mickey Mantle and more accessible from existing activity in Bricktown. But taking the setting sun out of the batter’s line of site was mentioned prominently in the discussions during planning for the ballpark.

^^^With very few exceptions baseball fields are oriented such that the 3rd base line goes north.

Let plan logistics to accommodate marching band!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i'm sure the most pressing issues will be resolved through outstanding professional design, which by the way makes me even more curious about who the
architect in charge of the stadium design is. but nevertheless, the angle of orientation and the place on the property layout is very unusual and random, in my opinion;
i have a feeling they could have been more pragmatic to avoid those sharp angles and awkward distributions and start applying some order and logic in plan view.
that also makes me curious to see the design concepts and final renderings of the stadium and the whole development once it is all complete.

Am I missing something? The rendering shows a rectangle of a plot with a very typical footprint. What sharp angles and awkward distribution?

And did we miss that the orientation is going to be decided by the way the plot itself it oriented? It's at an angle because of I-40. There's only so much you can do there so I'm not sure what magic people are expecting here.

i'm sure the most pressing issues will be resolved through outstanding professional design, which by the way makes me even more curious about who the
architect in charge of the stadium design is. but nevertheless, the angle of orientation and the place on the property layout is very unusual and random, in my opinion;
i have a feeling they could have been more pragmatic to avoid those sharp angles and awkward distributions and start applying some order and logic in plan view.
that also makes me curious to see the design concepts and final renderings of the stadium and the whole development once it is all complete.

Not random, strategically placed to have the open end face the city skyline and its 'back' pointing toward the interstate. It also reduces a significant amount of site remediation that is required. Because of site remediation, I wouldn't be surprised if "Phase 1" has a lot of surface parking so that they increase the value of the land first before going back dropping large amounts of money on a formal site cleanup.

Whatever the design is I really hope they include shade structures like a lot of soccer stadiums

Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville seems like a decent comp. Somewhat similar cost, capacity, and design (at least based on the renderings we've seen of the stadium so far, they may change.) It's also next to an interstate.

If we get something similar I'll be pleased, I think it's a nice looking stadium.

Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville seems like a decent comp. Somewhat similar cost, capacity, and design (at least based on the renderings we've seen of the stadium so far, they may change.) It's also next to an interstate.

If we get something similar I'll be pleased, I think it's a nice looking stadium.

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/stadium112124a.jpg

"Former OKC Thunder star Russell Westbrook is teaming up with Oklahoma City investor Christian Kanady to develop the stadium district south of Bricktown and will also be an owner in Kanady’s sports and entertainment company.

The investment by Westbrook, described as being an “eight-figure” deal (at least $10 million), follows months of negotiations that coincided with Kanady buying a majority interest in the Energy FC and announcing plans to start a women’s soccer team."

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/business/2024/11/26/russell-westbrook-okc-thunder-arena-investing-in-stadium-district/76441341007/

Awesome!

I'm sure the new Prairie Surf will move here.

I suspect the next thing will be monstrous TIF/incentives (no doubt already mostly agreed upon), as they are laying the groundwork with comments about access and connectivity. There is also a soil cleanup issue.

"Former OKC Thunder star Russell Westbrook is teaming up with Oklahoma City investor Christian Kanady to develop the stadium district south of Bricktown and will also be an owner in Kanady’s sports and entertainment company.

The investment by Westbrook, described as being an “eight-figure” deal (at least $10 million), follows months of negotiations that coincided with Kanady buying a majority interest in the Energy FC and announcing plans to start a women’s soccer team."

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/business/2024/11/26/russell-westbrook-okc-thunder-arena-investing-in-stadium-district/76441341007/

Normalize something as simple as ctrl+c from the article, then ctrl+v to the forums. Not everyone wants to pay for the Oklahoman.

Normalize something as simple as ctrl+c from the article, then ctrl+v to the forums. Not everyone wants to pay for the Oklahoman.

You can't just steal content and post it to a forum even if the Oklahoman has been known to do to Pete.

Normalize something as simple as ctrl+c from the article, then ctrl+v to the forums. Not everyone wants to pay for the Oklahoman.

For what its worth I subscribed to the Oklahoman for .99/month on a promotional they were doing 2 years ago, they billed for 6 months, and stopped. But I am still able to login and read content, so....lol.

For what its worth I subscribed to the Oklahoman for .99/month on a promotional they were doing 2 years ago, they billed for 6 months, and stopped. But I am still able to login and read content, so....lol.

They rope you in with those discounts then automatically renew at $11/month.

And I believe you have to call them to cancel.

They rope you in with those discounts then automatically renew at $11/month.

And I believe you have to call them to cancel.

I haven't noticed an additional $11/mo coming out of my account. But now you have me going back looking at my statements, lol

From KOCO…. https://koco.com/article/russell-westbrook-okc-for-soccer-echo-sports-entertainment-investment/63022640

Press release:

**********

Echo and Russell Westbrook Enterprises (RWE) Announce Significant Eight-Figure Investment to Launch Unique Sports & Entertainment Platform in Oklahoma City
Platform Creates New Opportunities for Growth and Innovation in the Region
November 26, 2024

OKLAHOMA CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Russell Westbrook, NBA MVP, Entrepreneur, fashion icon, and global ambassador has joined forces with Christian Kanady, Founding Partner of Echo, a multi-strategy investment firm, on an eight-figure investment platform to energize Oklahoma City’s sports and entertainment industries. Through Russell Westbrook Enterprises (RWE)’s anchor investment in Echo’s Sports & Entertainment platform, Westbrook and Kanady will focus on opportunities that are authentic and purpose-driven.

Westbrook’s “Profit with a Purpose” and Echo’s “Connective Capital” investment philosophies underscore a shared commitment to financial returns alongside lasting, sustainable community impact. RWE’s partnership with Echo’s Sports & Entertainment platform includes:

OKC’s Professional Soccer Club – Echo’s majority ownership of OKC Energy FC highlights its commitment to community-driven sports initiatives. Echo has brought on industry veteran Court Jeske to spearhead the club and the new multipurpose stadium that will be built as a home for both women’s and men’s soccer as well as high-profile concerts and other entertainment activities and events. Through the OKC for Soccer | OKC es Fútbol initiative, Echo is building a club that authentically represents Oklahoma’s communities, promoting inclusivity and fostering an enthusiastic, engaged fan base.

Real Estate and Stadium Development – Central to this sports & entertainment investment is the future multipurpose stadium project to open in spring 2027 as part of MAPS 4 – Oklahoma City’s publicly funded initiative to enhance quality of life. This world-class facility will be operated by OKC’s pro soccer club. Surrounding the stadium is a 40 plus- acre real estate development project aimed at establishing a vibrant entertainment district led by Echo and Robinson Park. This development will seamlessly integrate retail, dining, and community spaces, creating an engaging environment for both residents and visitors. The site’s strategic location and design will create new job opportunities, stimulate tourism, and enhance Oklahoma City’s reputation as a dynamic cultural and recreational destination.

Film Production, Sound Stages, and Workforce Development – Oklahoma City is emerging as a hub for film, television, and production, supported by investments in state-of-the-art sound stages and production facilities designed to attract major productions. These investments are fostering a growing entertainment ecosystem, creating regional job opportunities, and developing a skilled local workforce. By positioning Oklahoma City as a sought-after destination for content creation in the central United States, the city is cementing its role in the evolving entertainment industry.

Russell Westbrook Enterprises (RWE) is a dynamic organization committed to aligning profitability with purpose by creating impactful platforms and making strategic investments with a focus on digital advertising and beyond. RWE’s mission centers on driving on-balance sheet investments in supply chain diversity to address the often-overlooked issue of concentration risk. As a trusted partner to some of the world’s leading multinational corporations, RWE is uniquely positioned to help companies achieve their supply chain objectives, enhancing operational efficiency and fostering greater inclusivity.

Echo is a multi-strategy investment firm committed to revitalizing American industries. Echo strategically blends investments across energy, life sciences, national security, and sports & entertainment. Recently, the firm liquidated approximately half of its oil and gas royalty portfolio for more than half a billion dollars. Additional holdings include landmark commercial real estate properties, film production soundstages, and majority ownership of OKC’s professional men’s soccer club set to begin play in the United Soccer League (USL) in 2027. Echo is dedicated to fostering innovation and driving exceptional financial and social returns.

Russell Westbrook, CEO of RWE said: "My time with the OKC Thunder shaped so much of who I am, so becoming Christian’s partner and investing in the city’s continued growth is not only exciting personally, but Echo’s Sports and Entertainment vertical is unlike anything else I’ve seen in the space. The opportunity to collaborate on a shared vision—combining the long-term, purpose-driven work I’m developing at RWE with what Christian is building at Echo and Connective Capital—is something I’m incredibly proud to bring to my entire platform."

Christian Kanady, Founding Partner of Echo said: "Having Russ and his brand involved with Echo in OKC is truly a game-changer. Russell Westbrook is not only a future Hall of Famer, but also a global icon—dominating the court, walking the runways in Paris, and making a meaningful impact through his Why Not? Foundation. We have a strong conviction in a differentiated investment opportunity in sports, and I’m excited to continue building something extraordinary with Russ, Donnell, and the entire Westbrook team."

Donnell Beverly Jr, President of RWE said: "Echo's experience of deploying institutional capital across multiple industry sectors for more than a decade, while promoting thoughtful community development, jobs and education, is the most unique platform we’ve seen that also encompasses RWE’s ‘Profit with a Purpose’ remit. When we discovered that Christian was leading a fresh, innovative approach to investing in sports with soccer and entertainment with soundstages, our response was an immediate and enthusiastic 'yes.'"

About Russell Westbrook Enterprises

Russell Westbrook Enterprises (RWE) is an impact focus organization that bridges Russell Westbrook's influence in sports, culture, and business with strategic economic development. RWE leverages its multifaceted platforms to align profitability with purpose, focusing on delivering innovative solutions in digital media, consumer goods, and technology. By investing in scalable initiatives that drive growth in underrepresented communities, RWE offers products, services, and resources that create employment opportunities and amplify brand impact. Through a combination of capital infusion, strategic partnerships, and community-centric initiatives, RWE serves as a catalyst for both social change and business success, helping some of the world’s leading brands achieve their goals while fostering deeper connections with multicultural audiences.

About Echo

Founded by Christian Kanady in 2010 and headquartered in the iconic Ziggurat building overlooking Kerr Park in downtown Oklahoma City, Echo is a multi-strategy investment firm committed to revitalizing American industries. Echo strategically blends investments across energy, life sciences, national security, and media & entertainment, with notable investments in local enterprises such as Wheeler Bio. The firm’s holdings include landmark commercial properties, a significant oil and gas royalty portfolio, and majority ownership in OKC’s professional soccer club. Echo is dedicated to fostering innovation and driving exceptional financial and social returns.

BTW, yet another completely unethical thing about Steve Lackmeyer...

He takes a press release, rewrites it, and then includes quotes to make it look like he talked directly to the people involved.

Then you see a press release and realize he has just plagiarized the quotes without even referencing "in a statement" or "in a press release" like every other halfway ethical journalist, including those at his own publication.

So, when you read one of his articles, you never know if he actually spoke to someone or if he is just stealing content from somewhere else.

I simply can't believe even the Oklahoman allows this. All the quotes in this behind-a-paywall article (except, seemingly, the ones from Beffort) are just cut and pasted from the release I posted above.

Some think I pick on Lackmeyer but he brings every bit of it on himself as he's a relic of the old, crappy, low-standard OKC. I literally don't know of any other journalist who does this and our community deserves better.

I haven't noticed an additional $11/mo coming out of my account. But now you have me going back looking at my statements, lol

It's not just you, same thing happened to me. My account says "cancelled" on their website and I have never been charged since cancelling. Can still read every article for some reason.

BTW, yet another completely unethical thing about Steve Lackmeyer...

He takes a press release, rewrites it, and then includes quotes to make it look like he talked directly to the people involved.

Then you see a press release and realize he has just plagiarized the quotes without even referencing "in a statement" or "in a press release" like every other halfway ethical journalist, including those at his own publication.

So, when you read one of his articles, you never know if he actually spoke to someone or if he is just stealing content from somewhere else.

I simply can't believe even the Oklahoman allows this. All the quotes in this behind-a-paywall article (except, seemingly, the ones from Beffort) are just cut and pasted from the release I posted above.

Some think I pick on Lackmeyer but he brings every bit of it on himself as he's a relic of the old, crappy, low-standard OKC. I literally don't know of any other journalist who does this and our community deserves better.

Well I was about to feel a tiny bit of remorse for having asked for a direct copy/paste, now I'm like to he11 with it. They rip their news off of here and everywhere else and put it behind a paywall, why bother playing fair when you steal someone's shoes and try to sell it as your exclusive line.

But to not get too far off the rails, I do find it heartwarming that Russ still sees the city in a favorable light. I guess it must be the region because he's been veering back to his OKC self in Denver. I can't help but to wonder if he sometimes comes by certain forums like ours in the middle of a flight and see what all the city plans on building up. If that's the case, then I feel that we shouldn't be too surprised that he would get involved in future projects. Even when he's elsewhere, he's still our king of the prairie.

Man deserves a 20ft statue outside the new arena in about 4 years, or they may just put it outside of the soccer stadium.

Man deserves a 20ft statue outside the new arena in about 4 years, or they may just put it outside of the soccer stadium.

On top of Legends Tower - if the FAA approves.

Man deserves a 20ft statue outside the new arena in about 4 years, or they may just put it outside of the soccer stadium.

Just like Deion Sanders in the old Pizza Hut commercials... BOTH!

BTW, yet another completely unethical thing about Steve Lackmeyer...

He takes a press release, rewrites it, and then includes quotes to make it look like he talked directly to the people involved.

Then you see a press release and realize he has just plagiarized the quotes without even referencing "in a statement" or "in a press release" like every other halfway ethical journalist, including those at his own publication.

So, when you read one of his articles, you never know if he actually spoke to someone or if he is just stealing content from somewhere else.

I simply can't believe even the Oklahoman allows this. All the quotes in this behind-a-paywall article (except, seemingly, the ones from Beffort) are just cut and pasted from the release I posted above.

Some think I pick on Lackmeyer but he brings every bit of it on himself as he's a relic of the old, crappy, low-standard OKC. I literally don't know of any other journalist who does this and our community deserves better.

I was reading his article and thinking, "This sounds more like a press release than someone talking about the project".

On top of Legends Tower - if the FAA approves.

I'm sure they will understand that we (and Russ) deserve this

They rope you in with those discounts then automatically renew at $11/month.

And I believe you have to call them to cancel.

It depends on how your account is set up. I never pay on line so it is is never automatically renewed. I always pay by phone. If you pay on line it does automatically renew and you are charged.

BTW, yet another completely unethical thing about Steve Lackmeyer...

He takes a press release, rewrites it, and then includes quotes to make it look like he talked directly to the people involved.

Then you see a press release and realize he has just plagiarized the quotes without even referencing "in a statement" or "in a press release" like every other halfway ethical journalist, including those at his own publication.

So, when you read one of his articles, you never know if he actually spoke to someone or if he is just stealing content from somewhere else.

I simply can't believe even the Oklahoman allows this. All the quotes in this behind-a-paywall article (except, seemingly, the ones from Beffort) are just cut and pasted from the release I posted above.

Some think I pick on Lackmeyer but he brings every bit of it on himself as he's a relic of the old, crappy, low-standard OKC. I literally don't know of any other journalist who does this and our community deserves better.

He deserves every bit of criticism. He's built up his issues over the years pretending to be something he's not. He makes grandiose claims about "something is going to happen" like HAL on 2010 the year we made contact. When i see his name on an article, i just skip it because I know it's not going to provide any meaningful information that isn't already out somewhere else.

What he's doing right now, is a consequence of the thinned out print media though. Lazy journalism is required when you dont have the funding to pay journalists to be actual journalists. Most become internet trolls and come just short of plagiarizing through paraphrasing. I will never give the Joklahoman a penny of my money for their online version so I'm probably contributing to their woes. But unless or until they can create a better product, I'm out. And the more years that go by, the smaller their customer base will be (it's an aging base).

We're a very niche group here, but a pretty developed one. We have eyes all over this city in a way that he can't. It wouldn't be so bad if he would give proper credit instead of claiming he did some investigation beyond seeing what we wrote here and then calling someone and claiming it as his.

BTW, today Oklahoman writer Joe Mussatto wrote a real article about Russell Westbrook and note how he handled one of the quotes also used by Lackmeyer:


“My time with the OKC Thunder shaped so much of who I am, so becoming Christian’s partner and investing in the city’s continued growth is not only exciting personally, but Echo’s Sports and Entertainment vertical is unlike anything else I’ve seen in this space,” Westbrook said in a release.

I will restate: Steve Lackmeyer seems to be the only journalist around (including his co-workers at the Oklahoman) who uses quotes from press releases and intentionally excludes the proper source, done deliberately to make it look like he actually did some work and talked to people directly.

I will stop riding him when he starts demonstrating some basic integrity.

Press release:

**********
Real Estate and Stadium Development – Central to this sports & entertainment investment is the future multipurpose stadium project to open in spring 2027 as part of MAPS 4 – Oklahoma City’s publicly funded initiative to enhance quality of life. This world-class facility will be operated by OKC’s pro soccer club. Surrounding the stadium is a 40 plus- acre real estate development project aimed at establishing a vibrant entertainment district led by Echo and Robinson Park. This development will seamlessly integrate retail, dining, and community spaces, creating an engaging environment for both residents and visitors. The site’s strategic location and design will create new job opportunities, stimulate tourism, and enhance Oklahoma City’s reputation as a dynamic cultural and recreational destination.

Future site of the Brodie District.

Future site of the Brodie District.

Yes! I love it. This should be the focus of a lobbying effort to the city council or whomever comes up with these district names.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXOmG14XCRY

new york city is also building a soccer stadium to anchor redevelopment of a depressed urban core area.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXOmG14XCRY

new york city is also building a soccer stadium to anchor redevelopment of a depressed urban core area.

That is ugly

There is a survey about the stadium on the Energy website: https://www.energyfc.com/

It would seem to be a tall ask to actually get this finished by early 2027. Betting it ends up getting pushed back to 2028.