New State Fair Coliseum

[BoulderSooner]

Anyone else getting PMs from Green County about the State Fair being a charity and not a city organization and that their federal charity filing is transparency enough?

https://www.okctalk.com/member.php?u=11937

How many other charities have lobbied for a direct cut of past MAPS projects? It might have happened, but I don’t know the details.

they are a 501 that operates the fair grounds on behalf of the city ...

if people have issue with them the city council is who to talk to they oversee them

[bombermwc]

Mid-Del started going back to the Myriad and they used to have them there 20 years ago. Mine was there back in 00 and they had been have them there for like 10 years by that point. So it's not a relatively new thing....been doing it for 30 years. And the spectators definitely number in the thousands for 6A schools.

And for the Omni, that statement about large conferences makes my point. The Myriad will be the tier 2 shop for smaller conferences or even non-conference meetings. Ive been to plenty of single room events there over the years. And remember, the once Renaissance was who booked those and coordinated food/etc. So once the bigger stuff moves, it's just as likely to continue to get the cheaper small stuff.

And if someone comes to town and says, we want to start hockey next season and we the only place that's a good fit is the Myriad....the city is gonna go with it. Again, when we see it posted pubiclly that we're going to doze the place, then i'll believe it. Until then, its business as usual.

[hoya]

Yeah my graduation was over 20 years ago and it was at the Myriad.

I don't think they should bulldoze the Cox Center until they've got a serious development plan in place, with funding and everything ready to go. Right now there's just too much empty land around downtown to believe that anything awesome will spring into being here.

[mugofbeer]

I agree. Once downtown housing is in greater demand and there is a commitment for a prime time multi-use development, then it should stay. We've seen several opportunities for having both arena's in use at the same time.

[bombermwc]

Which isn't going to be any time soon. That market is pretty tapped right now. And as hoya said, the last thing we need is some mega block of grass in the heart of downtown. And dont get me started on that "restore the grid" bull. Once this large block is taken, its gone for good and the city has lost a prime spot for the Peake's replacement and vise versa for any future. And restoring that part of the grid gets us nothing because of where it is. Not to mention that there is zero demand for it compared to what's available already....and what's in C2S.

[Laramie]

May 2019 graduations at the current Norick State Fair Arena:

Thurs, May 16 - Santa Fe South High School Graduation: 7 - 10 p.m.
Fri., May 17 - U.S. Grant High School Graduation: 5 - 7 p.m.
Fri., May 17 - Capitol Hill High School Graduation: 8 - 10 p.m.

Schedule I OK State Fair Park: https://statefairparkokc.com/schedule?

Once the new convention center & Omni are open with restrictions on the CCC-Myriad; the opportunities for the new State Fair Arena will come into play. Didn't realize the utilization of SFA.

[hoya]

Which isn't going to be any time soon. That market is pretty tapped right now. And as hoya said, the last thing we need is some mega block of grass in the heart of downtown. And dont get me started on that "restore the grid" bull. Once this large block is taken, its gone for good and the city has lost a prime spot for the Peake's replacement and vise versa for any future. And restoring that part of the grid gets us nothing because of where it is. Not to mention that there is zero demand for it compared to what's available already....and what's in C2S.

Yeah right now we've got nearly the exact same amount of land, on the other side of the Myriad Gardens, and it's sitting virtually completely empty. The Cox Center will probably be there for another 20 years at least.

Personally I think the new convention center, the Omni, Scissortail Park, and the streetcar are going to be massive successes. I'm very positive about them. I think they are going to change downtown in ways that we can't even imagine right now. These will be transformative, probably more than the first MAPS was (definitely more than the first MAPS was if you only give it partial credit for the Thunder). That said, it doesn't mean that we'll get a dozen skyscrapers popping up out of the ether. We'll have a hundred small projects that grow organically over the next two decades, gradually eating up vacant land. But right now there's still a lot available.

The Cox Center probably needs its own MAPS project, and it needs to be coordinated with major private investment.

[BoulderSooner]

Yeah right now we've got nearly the exact same amount of land, on the other side of the Myriad Gardens, and it's sitting virtually completely empty. The Cox Center will probably be there for another 20 years at least.

Personally I think the new convention center, the Omni, Scissortail Park, and the streetcar are going to be massive successes. I'm very positive about them. I think they are going to change downtown in ways that we can't even imagine right now. These will be transformative, probably more than the first MAPS was (definitely more than the first MAPS was if you only give it partial credit for the Thunder). That said, it doesn't mean that we'll get a dozen skyscrapers popping up out of the ether. We'll have a hundred small projects that grow organically over the next two decades, gradually eating up vacant land. But right now there's still a lot available.

The Cox Center probably needs its own MAPS project, and it needs to be coordinated with major private investment.

there is no chance the cox is there in 20 years ..

[Laramie]

there is no chance the cox is there in 20 years ..

Agree, give it 5-7 years after the Omni & new convention center opens.

A bigger key will be if a new arena at State Fair Park is approved in MAPS IV initiative.

[bombermwc]

I'm with hoya....not like that wasn't obvious already. But i dont think that it has to look like it does today for that to be the case.

First, we did just spend a fair amount of money recently updating the place. The arena itself had the boxes put in and some other items like that. In general, it's still in pretty good condition. It's not a tier 1 building in any way, but it can still serve a purpose.

IF, that's still not absolute, the new SFA is built, I could see the new SFA replacing the Myriad arena. We don't need two 11k seat arenas.

HOWEVER, what i would like you guys to sill keep in mind is that types of events will not be able/willing to pay the rate at the new convention center. If they want it to be a top contender, then the new CC is going to command a top price. Like i've said before, that simply pushes the Mryiad down to tier 2 in the city.

And the BIGGEST thing for me is the land value. It's extremely easy to shutter the arena portion and just do the smaller meeting events. At some point, the city will need to decide if it's still able to sustain its limited operations. But it also holds a 1000 car garage underneath it that's a pretty danged bit deal for 'Peake events. Do you doze the top and make a surface lot with the downstairs parking maintained? But that land is EXTREMELY valuable later when its time to doze the Peake. And this is where i see the biggest value for the land. We have a now built-in ability to rotate between two chunks of land for any future arena endeavors.

So what i see in my head, is when its time for the Peake to go, the Myriad's super block all gets dozed. We have plans for the new arena on about 1/2 of the plot. Then we can put in some structured parking so those arena events get some of that back and we get people off parking on the side of the street everywhere. Especially as C2S fills in and all those empty lots have buildings on them that need parking for their own customers. And that last bit of land can be sold off to some commercial endeavor. Or shock....let the city develop it so it holds the lease and doesn't give up the land in case it needs it later. Heck, put in the rail stop/bus stop/etc. There are tons of uses to the city on land it already owns. Want a police command center for arena events? How about a city service center so you dont have to go through the mess that's involved in getting in to the place down the street? Just random ideas, but what i'm saying is try to think outside the box in a way other than just selling it off to a private developer that has no requirement to actually complete what they promise (cough remember the OG&E towers?).

There's zero benefit to grid restoration. You get a connector between Gaylord and the side of the Gardens. Or between the Peake and a that weird short run of Broadway before it merges with Gaylord. What exactlly are you going to get there except more traffic lights? We dont need the land. If there was a market, the Stage Center would have something on it. And the land in C2S would be full. We're still 30 years away from C2S looking like anything other than a very empty chunk of land. It's a generational project at the rate our downtown is building. So why are we peeing our pants so bad to bulldoze the thing?

[Pete]

Press release:

***************


OSSAA Signs 5-Year ‘Big House’ Contract Extension

OKLAHOMA CITY (April 15, 2019) – The Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA) has signed a five-year extension to stage state championship wrestling and basketball tournaments at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City.

OSSAA has hosted basketball tournaments at the Jim Norick Arena – known by many as “The Big House” – for 54 years.

“It was really important for us to remain at State Fair Park because we understand the history and tradition that goes with playing at The Big House,” said OSSAA Executive Director David Jackson. “We still have people who come to our tournament today who came many, many years ago. There’s a connection between people of all ages.”

Extending the agreement comes as the arena is nearing the end of its useful life. Oklahoma State Fair, Inc., which operates the facility on behalf of the City of Oklahoma City, has proposed building a $95 million replacement using money from the expected MAPS4 program in Oklahoma City.

“Unfortunately, the building is on its last legs,” said Oklahoma State Fair, Inc. President & CEO Tim O’Toole. “The average life cycle of a public sports arena is 30 to 40 years. The Jim Norick Arena is 54 years old and needs to be retired. With voter support, we can serve future generations of athletes and provide an economic boost for Oklahoma City.”

Jackson agreed.

“We think building a new coliseum is huge, not only for Oklahoma City, but to maintain the tradition of playing in “The Big House” — a newer and improved ‘Big House.’” Jackson said. “I don’t think we’d lose any of the tradition we’ve gained over the last 50 years; it comes from being on that property. Being able to play in a new, shinier arena would make it even more special.”

O’Toole said now is the time to support a new coliseum.

“We must ensure our current and future stars are provided the same opportunities as previous generations,” O’Toole said. “A new State Fair Park Coliseum would be a catalyst for shared memories and economic development.”

[Laramie]

Concern surrounds the 947 parking spaces below the CCC-Myriad if it's demolished. Once the Omni & new convention center become operational; the CCC-Myriad will be limited according to the agreement the City has with the Omni.

SMG will manage the new convention center.

The new 865 space garage & 540-space surface parking lot are designed to provide parking for the new convention center, Scissortail Park, 17-story, 605-room Omni Hotel, Fairfield Inn & Suites, the Chesapeake Arena, and an eight-story, 241-apartment Boulevard Place residential tower. New garage & surface parking will provide 1405 parking spaces.

Will these venues need more parking?

[bombermwc]

That's a lot of places to shared the spaced whereas today, the spaces are pretty much dedicated to the arena and meeting space. So i would still argue that we would still want the spaces. I mean if we're talking about 800 hotel rooms plus 250 apartments, i betcha 75-80% of those rooms are going to need parking. And if there's an event at the Peake then, well the need skyrockets for the event. So I would call that 1400 grossly inadequate and that it needs the 950 myriad spots, again to help reduce the curb congestion and control the flow.

[Laramie]

IMO you can't have too much parking.

The 947 spaces for the CCC-Myriad underground parking garage is probably what will delay the demolition of the 4-sq., block center in addition to the demolition costs itself. Since the underground parking is covered; you could get 900 spot-slotd surface parking above ground once the CCC-Myriad is demoed. Many want to see this area developed. As Bomber mentioned; it may be a nice reserve for a future arena replacement 10-12 years from now.

We've heard the concerns about any kind of parking on this forum; keep in mind that parking will be the key to any potential development. Some want parking that doesn't resemble a parking garage; others don't want parking garages unless it has store front for retail strip; some don't want parking unless it's reserved for them--just calling it as I see it.

Let's hope we can get past the parking discussion & back on topic for the New State Fair Arena.

[Laramie]

OKC coliseum may receive MAPS 3 boost

By William Crum
Staff writer wcrum@oklahoman.com

Friday, February 28, 2020

The MAPS 3 Citizens Advisory Board on Tuesday sent to the city council its final recommendations for spending leftover MAPS 3 sales tax revenue.

The first item on the list is $9 million toward building a coliseum specially designed for horse shows and intended to serve as the new “Big House” for state high school tournaments...

...A $9 million cash infusion from MAPS 3 would enable the fairgrounds to move quickly to complete the coliseum’s architectural plans and prepare to take construction bids.

Construction could begin in 2022, making the coliseum one of the first MAPS 4 projects to rise from the ground.

There are reasons for haste...

...Initial plans are for 7,320 seats in the new coliseum, 4,720 fixed and 2,600 retractable for flexibility. Refinements can be expected as architects complete their drawings...

...The MAPS 3 Citizens Advisory Board’s recommendations for spending leftover cash includes $30 million for the downtown park, to renovate Union Station — a project Holt in his speech promised would be completed — and to link the park to the Oklahoma River.

Also on the list is $20 million for a South Lakes Trail to the river and $5 million for senior health and wellness center enhancements.

The council will decide how it is to be divided. Voters approved the 1-cent MAPS 4 sales tax on Dec. 10. Collections begin April 1.

# # #

[HOT ROD]

Pork Barrel!

[bombermwc]

0 should go to the arena. We did NOT vote on Maps 3 for any dang horse crap at the arena. It should only be spent on the things we voted on and there are plenty of things we can spend this money on within Maps3.

I would have thought that since it's all supposed to be earmarked, that we shouldn't be able to spend it on things other than maps3????

This is a good time to talk to your councilperson about this.

https://www.okc.gov/residents/ward-map

[shawnw]

Agree with you but technically the way the language has been on the ballot they could use it for anything.

[Dob Hooligan]

I don't have any objection to State Fair Park getting the money. I have learned during my 38 years of being a neighbor that it stays busy year round and is pretty well run.

I complain about how secretive (or maybe quiet is a better term) the leadership is. But I have a hard time thinking it is possible that former Mayor Ron Norick, or any of the other members of State Fair Park leadership have anything other than the best interest of Oklahoma City as their sole motivation.

[Laramie]

The latest crafters of MAPS since the original MAPS rollout in 1993 have gotten smarter; they've learned to draft a request for more than what you need because you can always return the surplus.

Don't underestimate the economic impact of the 440 ace State Fair Park Complex. The Bennett Event Center & the new State Fair Coliseum will be a combination that will retain our current horse shows; keep OKC competitive.

Oklahoma's economic engine.

Let's not forget that Oklahoma only has 7 billionaires/5 Fortune 500 companies vs 38 billionaires/49 Fortune 500 companies in Texas. The Long Star State doesn't mind plucking anything they want off Oklahoma's tree, short of putting us into shock.

[David]

Letting a MAPS 4 project take money from MAPS 3 is a violation of the MAPS social contract. It's a bad idea to start meddling with the working formula.

[Laramie]

Letting a MAPS 4 project take money from MAPS 3 is a violation of the MAPS social contract. It's a bad idea to start meddling with the working formula.

Surplus money. What's your remedy...

[Miracle121]

We don't need a new horse barn only at the fairgrounds, we need a multipurpose arena were basketball, hockey and other sports can be played. Since the City don't want hockey played anywhere else. Most of the horse shows will be going to Fort Worth's new Dickie arena. Horse shows should be at the stockyard.

[HangryHippo]

Most of the horse shows will be going to Fort Worth's new Dickie arena.

This is my fear. That arena is just incredible.

[Pete]

This is my fear. That arena is just incredible.

It's a $540 million facility.