2024 will be remembered as the year Oklahoma City started to convert big dreams into reality.


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Olympic events? A $1 billion arena? A new downtown stadium? A massive indoor waterpark and swim lagoon? These things are soon to come into existence with progress happening right now.

OKC will also get its first lifestyle center later this year, as the first phases of OAK will open as early as this summer. The massive OKANA project is moving very fast along the Oklahoma River. Many, many more big things are happening all around town.

$1 Billion Arena
OKC citizens just voted to fund a new $1 billion downtown arena, which almost certainly will be located on the site of the old Cox Center, now home to Prairie Surf Studios.

Expect conceptual plans later this year with the goal of the Thunder playing home games in the new facility before the end of the decade.


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Boardwalk at Bricktown
While the ‘aspirational’ tallest tower in the U.S. is high unlikely, what should start to take place this year are the final plans for 3 30+ level towers just to the east of the Harkins Theater in Bricktown.

Dubbed the Boardwalk at Bricktown, it will feature a new Dream Hotel, restaurants, entertainment and 2 high-rise residential towers.


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Downtown Stadium
As part of MAPS 4 with additional public funding, OKC will finally get a dedicated outdoor stadium.

The site will be the former Producers Coop south of Bricktown and will be part of a larger retail and entertainment district.


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2028 Olympic Games
Yes, it’s all but official (that word will come soon) but OKC will host the official canoe slalom events as part of the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

Grandstands and other amenities will be added in advance of both the 2026 Canoe Slalom World Cup and the 2028 games. This will put Oklahoma City on a truly international stage with publicity you simply cannot buy.


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OKANA Indoor Waterpark and Resort
A 100,000 square foot indoor waterpark, a massive outdoor swim lagoon, tons of restaurants, shopping, a hotel, convention center… That’s OKANA well under construction next to the First Americans Museum on the Oklahoma River


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OAK Lifestyle Center
The 20-acre site at NW Expressway and Penn will open its first phase this fall, with RH Gallery (complete with a rooftop restaurant), Capital Grill, Arhaus, Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar, Williams Sonoma, a stand-alone Pottery Barn, Lively Hotel, luxury apartments and many more restaurants and retail stores to come.


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The Half
The Half at Broadway Extension and Britton is getting ready to add Andretti and expand all the way to Wilshire Boulevard. Already featuring Chcken n Pickle, Flix Brewhouse and more, The Half will soon open its luxury apartments, add a hotel and a bunch more restaurants.


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Convergence
Rising just east of downtown prominently along I-235, Convergence will feature offices, bio tech, an Innovation Hall and in a future phase, a hotel.


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Alley North
There are plans to covert the old Dolese headquarters on Broadway just north of NW 13th to a mixed-used development called Alley North, with a hotel, restaurants, apartments and office space.


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The Hub
Directly west of Alley North on a long-vacant parcel of land, The Hub looks to add office and apartments to a key parcel.


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Wheeler District
With hundreds of sold homes, restaurants, a brewery, apartments under construction and of course the iconic Ferris wheel, the Wheeler District on the site of the old Downtown Airpark continues to wow on S. Western. They are just getting started with much more to come in 2024 and beyond.


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The Citizen
12-story building next to the OKC Memorial will open later this year with offices, a restaurant and a private club.


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Page Woodson
Quiety, a huge and popular mega housing complex is finishing its final phases on the northeast side. In addition to a beautifully restored former Douglas high school, lots of new construction has been built all aroun.


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Phillips Murrah
That big building rising in the heart of Midtown will be the new home of Phillips Murrah law firm but future phases will include restaurants and housing. Right across the street, the same owners are restoring the old Brown’s Bakery to its mid-century splendor and should soon be adding new tenants.


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State Fairgrounds Coliseum
Well under construction, once complete the neighboring Norick Arena will be demolished and OKC will have a brand new, state-of-the-art facility primarily for hosting horse shows which have become a huge economic engine for the city.


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Zoo Exhibits
The new Exhibition Africa exhibit will finally formally open this spring just as a massive new marine mammal habitat has started on the site of the old Aquaticus. Not only will there be an elaborate new indoor/outdoor area for sea lions but we’ll be getting a big penguin display.


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Planetarium
Construction is well underway at Science Museum Oklahoma for a new $8 million state-of-the-art planetarium.

The new facility will be located in the shuttered space formerly known as the Omnidome at the east end of the complex.


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UNP Arena
In Norman, a huge entertainment complex with a brand new arena for OU basketball is in the planning stages in University North Park near Rock Creek Road and I-35.


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Awesome!

I’ve been following the flow of conversation on this website for a LONG time… and it’s amazing how easily our dreams become afterthoughts… as soon as they begin to be realized.

This list… encapsulating only one year of activity in this city… holds things greater than we used to aspire to… and frankly… includes many things that we would sometimes casually dismiss as being impossible for OKC.

Also amp’d about the RTA’s ongoing work.

Really unbelievable and exciting.

Thanks for the curation, Pete!

Hope the UNP arena stuff goes through! A new arena is needed. I think a slight downsizing is also necessary. Improve sight lines and amenities. Make it more concert-friendly.

That area would take off!

Thank you for the summary and recap post, Pete! Look forward to more updates as you get them!

Hope the UNP arena stuff goes through! A new arena is needed. I think a slight downsizing is also necessary. Improve sight lines and amenities. Make it more concert-friendly.

That area would take off!

Thank you for the summary and recap post, Pete! Look forward to more updates as you get them!

Meh I hope they decide to not build an arena at UNP. Bad idea to move basketball away from campus.

At one of my client's offices this morning and one of their larger local customers were in talking about how busy January is for them. They are an Electrical Contractor and working on several OKC developments. So business is good even in January when usually it is slow.

Thorough summary of the developments in the core with two arenas (OKC-Norman) on the horizon, massive OKANA waterpark under construction, infill construction and an array of projects as Oklahoma City reaches for the stars.

Thank you, Pete for this distaff of projects collaged into a masterpiece. Appreciate the time and energy you've focused on the OKC metro.