New Downtown Arena

[BoulderSooner]

Anyway, all that said, we're about to have the nicest NBA Arena/General Venue in the US. I am so incredibly hyped for this.

the clippers new arena that opens in 2024-2025 season is at 2 billion and counting ...

[BoulderSooner]

a recap for those that don't want to scroll


6 year maps extension 28-34 estimated to raise 891 million dollars

OKC will borrow the money to be able to build right aways

the team owners will donate 75 mil to the City owned and operated Arena

the Team will sign a 25 year lease to be the anchor tenant (something like 2028-2053) (who knows what the NBA and arena landscape will be in 2053

[Pete]

There is a new survey being circulated to some OKC residents by an anonymous source but almost certainly backed by the Chamber of Commerce.

Based on the questions, it seems to pretty clearly lay out the arena plan which is to be presented to the public in final form by the end of the summer.

There were more 'questions' but they were mainly laying the groundwork with the main points Holt has made in his speeches.

Adding up the numbers: $891 million in sales tax + $70 million in MAPS 4 money + $75 million from owners = $1.036 billion. I strongly suspect this does not include the cost of the property, assuming the Cox Center will be used.

All the following were framed in the: would this cause you to vote for the measure?

bump

[BoulderSooner]

a recap for those that don't want to scroll


6 year maps extension 28-34 estimated to raise 891 million dollars

OKC will borrow the money to be able to build right aways

the team owners will donate 75 mil to the City owned and operated Arena

the Team will sign a 25 year lease to be the anchor tenant (something like 2028-2053) (who knows what the NBA and arena landscape will be in 2053

[David]

So it would effectively be the next MAPS project? Not entirely sure how I feel about that given it locks us out of other MAPS style developments for that duration but it would be a good way to do it that doesn't raise local taxes past the current level.

[caaokc]

Realistically what would be the next steps if this doesn’t pass? I think it will pass, but still

[chssooner]

So it would effectively be the next MAPS project? Not entirely sure how I feel about that given it locks us out of other MAPS style developments for that duration but it would be a good way to do it that doesn't raise local taxes past the current level.

MAPS is supposed to be for money-making lifestyle venues. See the baseball stadium and barebones Ford Center. That is what this is. It is MAPS at its core. And it doesn't raise taxes, which is a plus for me.

The arena would be a major catalyst for development around it downtown. I would at least hope the city has had talks with developers about potential plans for that area. Maybe nothing concrete, but gauged interest in the surrounding area in terms of potential developments.

[Colbafone]

Factor in Inflation, additional raw material cost increases, and the probability that the total cost here includes some costs related to the development of the lots surrounding the arena on the cox block (pretty sure the cost of AT&T was 99% the stadium)… but regardless it is impressive how far we’ve come since hosting the hornets.

Oh, absolutely. Try to build an exact copy of AT&T Stadium (Dallas Cowboys) today and it's gotta be about 2.5 billion, you'd think.

And there's a lot of other factors there too, as you mentioned.

But yeah, you nailed it, my point was, look how FAR this city has come in 20 or 30 years. Or like you said, just since Hurricane Katrina/Hornets. We're likely to easily pass the upcoming bill that will see us build a friggin ONE BILLION dollar NBA venue. Just incredible and it makes me so excited for the city going forward.

And again, I'd love for them to see the success of this and maybe add a little more to the Maps 4 Stadium. Give us a better shot at acquiring an MLS or XFL team. But that's a different discussion.

[Pete]

Realistically what would be the next steps if this doesn’t pass? I think it will pass, but still

The point of the survey is to make sure the current plan is going to pass.

If the survey comes back negative (unlikely), they'll use the feedback to recalibrate and then do another survey until they are almost completely sure it will pass.

They won't put something to a formal vote until they are extremely confident it will sail through with a good cushion.

[chssooner]

The point of the survey is to make sure the current plan is going to pass.

If the survey comes back negative (unlikely), they'll use the feedback to recalibrate and then do another survey until they are almost completely sure it will pass.

They won't put something to a formal vote until they are as sure as they can be it will easily pass.

Thanks, Pete! Reminds me of what lawyers say: never ask questions you don't know the answer to. So the city isn't going to put something to us to vote on if it won't pass.

Appreciate all you do!

[Colbafone]

the clippers new arena that opens in 2024-2025 season is at 2 billion and counting ...

2 things here though.

1) it's LA. They absolutely have to keep up with the Jones' there, with anything built.

2) isn't Steve Balmer 100% paying for this himself? Mans worth billions and billions by himself. So he's basically building his own fantasy arena. We just don't have that luxury.


Even still, I bet ours will be very very similarly nice.

[BoulderSooner]

Realistically what would be the next steps if this doesn’t pass? I think it will pass, but still

the local owners sell the team for a massive profit and the thunder relocate to a different city

[BoulderSooner]

Oh, absolutely. Try to build an exact copy of AT&T Stadium (Dallas Cowboys) today and it's gotta be about 2.5 billion, you'd think.
.

in 2023 dollars it would be 4 bil+

[chssooner]

So Kaiser can build a huge, massive park in Tulsa costing nothing for the city, but when it comes to an arena in OKC (which would help him in the long run, financially), he is super frugal and fiscally conservative? Got it.

[TheTravellers]

So Kaiser can build a huge, massive park in Tulsa costing nothing for the city, but when it comes to an arena in OKC (which would help him in the long run, financially), he is super frugal and fiscally conservative? Got it.

Kaiser didn't fund Gathering Place all by himself/his organizations.

[chssooner]

Kaiser didn't fund Gathering Place all by himself/his organizations.

My mistake. You are correct. I apologize.

[GoGators]

I can’t think of an NBA that has rebranded without changing cities in the last 30-40 years

It happens all of the time. NBA teams are constantly rebranding with new logos and updated color schemes.

[GoGators]

there should never be any "sunset" jerseys they are terrible

Objectively incorrect.

[Shortsyeararound]

Having sports logo design in my past I was underwhelmed at the first designs for the Thunder (great colors but awful fonts). I was under the impression at the time that it would be a year or three of that then a solid logo rebrand with better fonts, graphics, and Rumble. Still waiting….

[Pete]

Having sports logo design in my past I was underwhelmed at the first designs for the Thunder (great colors but awful fonts). I was under the impression at the time that it would be a year or three of that then a solid logo rebrand with better fonts, graphics, and Rumble. Still waiting….

The branding was unveiled in September of 2008.

It was really bad then and 15 years later it's inexcusable.

[Urbanized]

It happens all of the time. NBA teams are constantly rebranding with new logos and updated color schemes.

I think Dob was conflating updating colors/marks with a full renaming (several others seem to be going the same direction). You're correct; NBA teams fairly regularly change logos and other marks, and often even change team colors. He is also correct, however, that teams almost never change team name without extenuating circumstances (relocation or in the case of NOLA/Charlotte a combination of relocation, expansion and ownership baggage).

The Thunder has established and maintain tremendous brand/organizational respect within the league and beyond. Why in the world would they change the name? The answer is: they won't. Not as long as the team is in OKC, anyway. Logo and color updates will almost certainly happen at some point, not specifically because of random peoples' take on their existing marks, but because every team occasionally does so.

It does indeed make sense that such an update might happen when a new arena opens. There is a known tendency for teams to get hot and for fans to become more engaged, at least temporarily, when a new building opens. See: Rams, Mariners, Seahawks and others. I can't imagine the updates happening too far in advance of a planned building opening, so I would guess we will have the same colors and marks for at least the next 4-5 seasons.

[SEMIweather]

I really think the only major updates that need to happen is with the logo and the jerseys. IMO, the Blue/Orange color scheme is good and relatively unique. It's just that from that color scheme, they managed to come up with the most generic logo and jerseys imaginable.

[Pete]

^

Yes, I think everyone likes the color scheme.

The logos and the font on the jerseys look like something from a middle schooler.

[Anonymous.]

You guys should look up user /u/tgchompy on the Thunder subreddit. He was designing rebranded jerseys for some of the better Ws near the end of last season. Really fun to look at for ideas.

It is crazy how the Thunder logo doesn't even lean into the storm theme with lightning bolts. Definitely overdue for new logo and jerseys. Plus we need Loves to have their patch remove the god awful yellow and at least pretend to care about the jersey's look.

[April in the Plaza]

You guys should look up user /u/tgchompy on the Thunder subreddit. He was designing rebranded jerseys for some of the better Ws near the end of last season. Really fun to look at for ideas.

It is crazy how the Thunder logo doesn't even lean into the storm theme with lightning bolts. Definitely overdue for new logo and jerseys. Plus we need Loves to have their patch remove the god awful yellow and at least pretend to care about the jersey's look.

Yea, not sure if Love’s will ever go along with it but it would be 10x better if their patch was monochromatic and worked to complement the various jerseys