New Thunder Practice Facility

[jbrown84]

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Thunder selects site for practice facility
BY MIKE BALDWIN
Published: October 11, 2008

The Oklahoma City Thunder has selected an eight-acre tract of land in north Oklahoma City as a tentative site for a $21 million permanent practice facility. Advertisement

On Tuesday, the Oklahoma City Council will consider a proposal for an early entry agreement for the NBA team to purchase eight acres at Britton Road and Broadway Extension that is currently owned by Kickingbird Medical Building, LLC.

The proposal will be reviewed for an early entry agreement with the property owner to conduct a due diligence evaluation, inspection and survey of the property. The process includes environmental studies, ground stabilization and a general assessment of the property and reliable cost estimates for construction.

Oklahoma City voters on March 4 approved a 1-cent sales tax to pay for $100 million in renovations at the Ford Center and about $21 million for a new practice facility if the city signed a lease with an NBA team. The tax will begin in January 2009 and run for 15 months.

It’s been estimated it will take nearly two years to build a permanent practice facility that would feature two courts, offices for basketball operations, team meeting rooms and other amenities. The new facility is expected to be ready for the 2010-11 season.

This season, the Thunder is practicing at a 30,000-square-foot facility in north Oklahoma City that was purchased from Performance Sports Center for $3.65 million in July. After undergoing renovations, the facility features one court, seven goals and a weight-lifting area.

According to legal documents, the address for land owned by Kickingbird Medical is 9500 N. Oklahoma, which is approximately a quarter-mile east of Broadway Extension on the north side of Britton.

Not particularly exciting...

[LordGerald]

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Not particularly exciting...

Agreed. Not real happy about this. The city had the opportunity to put this in Core to Shore or near the urban center, and they took a weak route. I wanted everyone to be able to see this facility, not just commuters to Edmond.

[dalelakin]

Agreed. Not real happy about this. The city had the opportunity to put this in Core to Shore or near the urban center, and they took a weak route. I wanted everyone to be able to see this facility, not just commuters to Edmond.

Agreed pretty disappointing decision IMO.

[kevinpate]

I'd say the city had the opportunity to put a facility where the team wanted it. I can't pretend to be surprised the team's preferred location is far north OKC.

[HOT ROD]

Agreed. Not real happy about this. The city had the opportunity to put this in Core to Shore or near the urban center, and they took a weak route. I wanted everyone to be able to see this facility, not just commuters to Edmond.

I think you meant, commuters FROM Edmond.

[LordGerald]

I think you meant, commuters FROM Edmond.

Whatever, dude. My team just got beat and you want to play English professor.

[OKCTalker]

Right across the street from the OPUBCO complex.

[OKC PATROL]

The wife got involved. Well, maybe the coaching staff and the players will settle down in Nichols Hills.

I cant imagine what the old guard of OCG&CC will say when they see some of the players on the golf course...

[Turanacus]

This sucks, terrible choice. PJ, probably another terrible choice.

[metro]

I agree, location sucks. Somehow I wonder if Bennett had more weight on this decision than expected. Right across from OPUBCO complex. How easy/restricted will this location be for the public to come view a practice? I wonder how Cornett feels about making it easier for these players to live in Edmond. He was so bent on not making it easier for people to live in Edmond if we go forward with public transportation (as he should be unless they cough up their fare share of the money). But no doubt many players will live in Edmond and this location will only make it more convenient for them. It will also make it easier for them to live in Nichols Hills. I wish/hope the city has a final say so on the location since we're footing the bill.

Another bad decision by Bennett and the boys:

* McClendon's slip of the tongue.
* Not knowing deleted emails can be read
* Poor name choice
* Poor logo choice
* Poor color scheme
* Logo/colors not saying anything about actual team name
* Poor PR/advertising of team
* Poor location selection of practice facility.

[Turanacus]

Metro, did you end up getting season tickets?

[john60]

How many NBA teams have practice facilities that are in "urban" locations, and how many have facilities in more "suburban" locations like ours? I agree that this is going to be kind of out of the way and could've been cool if placed downtown, but at the same time, I kind of feel like putting these out in the suburbs is kind of the norm in the NBA. Then again, I have no idea...anyone know?

[metro]

Metro, did you end up getting season tickets?

Nope, they sold out before I got my chance. Couldn't even get a single game ticket to opening night, I'm pretty bummed. All I could get was 2 crappy tickets in the nosebleeds to tomorrow's preseason game. I am excited about that though.

and john 60, even if the "norm" is in the suburbs, who says we have to be "trendy" with our new C2S, why can't we buck the trend for once and start a new trend of returning them to urban cores. I believe the Sonics had theirs in the inner part of Seattle near UW campus.

[Pete]

Not sure of the advantage of having this downtown... Just a gym and training facility, right? How would downtown benefit from this?

[Richard at Remax]

I think people are getting to bent out of shape. Its a practice facility. In the words of AI we are talking about "practice" here. when I go to a new city I don't look for the practice area, I look for the arena or stadium. Hell look at the dallas cowboys facility on google maps. Its no where near anything significant. I don't think they built it downtown in C2S because even though I think we will be ok, who knows if the team will be here in 20 years? Because if thats the case they would have an empty gym downtown. This area is safe and is easy to get to and usually the traffic runs pretty smooth and is within close proximity to good real estate and downtown.

[Luke]

Not sure of the advantage of having this downtown... Just a gym and training facility, right? How would downtown benefit from this?

That's kind of what I was thinking.

This isn't some tourist thing.

[metro]

I guess I prefer to look at the flipside, I see things for the possibility they could be. Why NOT have this become some tourist thing. Why not have it used for a recreation center when the team isn't using it? Yes we can support a team, but the long-term is still questionable. The team needs to milk every ounce of enthusiasm and interest in the team is possible so we can sustain the team long-term. Why not have it in a more local friendly location to be able to watch a few practices? Luke, you were one of the biggest proponents of all against the city paying for the practice facility. Do you now not want it to be for other public use when the team is not using it?

[LordGerald]

Not sure of the advantage of having this downtown... Just a gym and training facility, right? How would downtown benefit from this?

The advantage and benefit to the citizen is that we paid for it. The city will own the facility and lease it to the team. There has been talk that the facility will be aesthetically pleasing and that it could be used for civic events in the off-season.

Having it in a location where more people can "see" it shows some semblance of pride and progress, given that it was funded by a vote of the people. Downtown could've benefited from this, by reaffirming that downtown was the "place to be." It could've been a sign to the region that sprawl is an old concept and that living and working in the inner core was truly the wave of the future.

It's more symbolic than anything else, but a lot can be said when you see a pretty building. I know that's a silly conclusion, but people didn't fully get behind Maps I until they saw the ballpark.

[Luke]

Do you now not want it to be for other public use when the team is not using it?

If we paid for it, we should get to use it, no matter what it is. And since we paid for it, the cost should be kept as low as possible. Keep it a practice facility that the public has access to. Don't add on to make it cost any more than it needs to. My two cents.

I love the idea of being creative with the facility, metro. Making it an attraction. But, not at the taxpayers expense. If a businessman thinks its as good an idea as you make it out to be, then they would have foot the bill themselves.

[Karried]

What is it, 10-15 min max from Downtown?

I don't know how public we'd want a practice facility anyhow... do we want spies from opposing teams just walking in, videotaping, selling our secrets to other teams.. no we do not.

lol, I'm teasing of course..

but truly, this isn't in Guthrie or Ardmore! It's not that far and the surrounding community will most likely benefit, hopefully offering some much needed programs.

[jbrown84]

While I did say "not particularly exciting", I don't necessarily think it needs to be. We have enough big boxes downtown. Do we really need another when we could be putting in more pedestrian friendly, urban development? I don't buy that this would ever be much of a tourist destination. I can see it being something locals use, but there are plenty of locals within 5-10 minutes drive of this location. Besides, Broadway Extension needs a little filling in. We've already sprawled far past Britton, so this is really actually in-fill.

* Poor name choice
* Poor logo choice
* Poor color scheme
* Poor PR/advertising of team

* Your opinion
* Your opinion
* Your opinion

[betts]

The only reason I care about the chosen location is because I think it encourages the players to live in Edmond, whereas if it were downtown, they'd be a little more likely to live downtown or in places like Crown Heights or Heritage Hills. Also, were we to have open practices like the Mavericks do, it would encourage people to go downtown to watch. I don't think the practice facility in and of itself is going to be a showpiece or major tourist attraction.

[jbrown84]

Very true. I would have preferred a downtown or inner city location, but there are worse things that could have happened. As far as players living downtown, I imagine some still will, if they were used to urban living. Those with kids I'm sure prefer Edmond.

[OKC PATROL]

These kid celebrities would most likely want a big style ranch home in a gated community anyway, when compared to an elegant historic mansion with good taste. They like new 'MTV Crib' style of homes. Lots of ugly leather coaches/lazy boys from mathis brothers and super large flat screen tvs hooked up to sony playstations.

[Karried]

super large flat screen tvs hooked up to sony playstations

.

xbox 360s