Last December, OKC voters approved a penny sales tax increase to fund the new home for the Thunder and other events.
Prairie Surf Studios had been leasing the property from the city but were notified they must vacate.
Demolition should start immediately after the new year; plans also call for the removal of the pedestrian skybridge that connects to the Wyndham Grand Hotel. The area to be razed is the entire block between Sheridan, Reno, Robinson, and EK Gaylord in the very heart of downtown.
The city is currently interviewing architectural applicants for the new arena and conceptual renderings will soon follow.
The target date for completion of the arena is June 2028. The fate of Paycom Center is unknown.
