New Downtown Arena

[Urbanized]

What young professionals look for when considering relocation is "buzz" and big city amenities. Most young people starting a career are not seeking out backwaters, if looking to change locations. The presence of major league sports is shorthand for "this is an actual city," even if someone doesn't specifically intend to go to games.

[Jake]

Huh, I always thought people were looking for jobs and places to live. TIL

[Tyson]

What young professionals look for when considering relocation is "buzz" and big city amenities. Most young people starting a career are not seeking out backwaters, if looking to change locations. The presence of major league sports is shorthand for "this is an actual city," even if someone doesn't specifically intend to go to games.

This is so true and it's odd that people argue that "sports ball" isn't worth a city investing more in just to prove we should vote no... sports is simply a major part of human culture so the cities that are known for it are going to be more successful.

[GoOKC1991]

If we don’t approve a new arena, we will lose our NBA franchise and we will lose the ability to land the best concerts that perform in arena’s. I just don’t understand why so many are willing to accept that happening by voting against the arena. The benefits for the city of Oklahoma City far outweigh any negatives you can think of.

Downtown OKC/Bricktown will be a ghost town the majority of the time if we lose the Thunder and even more concerts, especially October-June.

The restaurants and Harkins are nice but most people aren’t going to just go to Bricktown to eat and watch a movie. Especially with so many other options in those regards around the city now.

[PhiAlpha]

Huh, I always thought people were looking for jobs and places to live. TIL

If you had job offers from two companies that you really liked identical compensation packages (adjusted for cost of living), would you choose to live in Wichita or OKC?

[jedicurt]

Huh, I always thought people were looking for jobs and places to live. TIL

you are just trolling at this point right? to think that people don't look at where a city is, and what it offers when choosing to relocate? you are just being disingenuous at this point.

[BDP]

So what you're saying is that young professionals look at whether a city has a professional sports team before they consider transit options while pondering a potential relocation? Or are they "nerds" if they don't care?

I think the point is that major league sports are an attraction. And it's a part of a mix of attractions. Any attempts to reduce a city's economy to one variable is inherently flawed and unscientific.

No one is going to move anywhere for a singular reason, with the exceptions of money or family.

And yes, they will consider attractions before public transit, simply because a city with public transit but nothing to do is not more appealing to anyone than a city with stuff to do and no public transit. Good cities do both, but, especially in US, there are many large cities that continue to grow despite inadequate public transit. (If we're being honest, there aren't that many great examples of good public transit in the US.)

And if we do not pass this measure, there is not $1 Billion dollars to invest in other areas. OKC has spent multiple billions of dollars in civics projects through MAPS and we have continue to pass and spend billions of dollars in public infrastructure and services. Opportunity cost is a real concept, but the zero sum assumption often made in an opportunity cost analysis isn't always real.

[PhiAlpha]

What young professionals look for when considering relocation is "buzz" and big city amenities. Most young people starting a career are not seeking out backwaters, if looking to change locations. The presence of major league sports is shorthand for "this is an actual city," even if someone doesn't specifically intend to go to games.

Yes. This is what my response was going to be.

Without that, you have to resort to things like paying people $10,000 to work remotely from your city or yelling at Elon on twitter until he visits to generate national buzz. I've loved living in Tulsa, it is a great city with a ton to offer but you just can't buy the leg up in publicity and national prominence (at least perceived) that the Thunder have given OKC.

[BDP]

Huh, I always thought people were looking for jobs and places to live. TIL

Lost of places have jobs and you'll find that a lot of people are qualified for jobs in more than just one place.

[Jake]

If you had job offers from two companies that you really liked identical compensation packages (adjusted for cost of living), would you choose to live in Wichita or OKC?

I mean, depends on what the jobs are. Think these two cities are a little too close. Maybe Austin and Baton Rouge would be a little more fair of a comparison.

[April in the Plaza]

I mean, depends on what the jobs are. Think these two cities are a little too close. Maybe Austin and Baton Rouge would be a little more fair of a comparison.

I don’t think either has a pro sports team.

What about Austin vs. New Orleans? Which would you choose?

[jedicurt]

I mean, depends on what the jobs are. Think these two cities are a little too close. Maybe Austin and Baton Rouge would be a little more fair of a comparison.

right. so if people just want jobs/place to live based upon cost of living and availability everyone is choosing Baton Rouge according to you. got it.

[PhiAlpha]

I mean, depends on what the jobs are. Think these two cities are a little too close. Maybe Austin and Baton Rouge would be a little more fair of a comparison.

Close in proximity, population or in amenities?

[PhiAlpha]

I don’t think either has a pro sports team.

What about Austin vs. New Orleans? Which would you choose?

Austin has the MLS entities and a million other things going for it between lakes, hill country, mass corporate relocations, music culture, is a major tourism destination, capital of the largest state in the US, etc. New Orleans has the NFL, NBA, cajun culture/food, bourbon street, and is a massive tourism destination. Not a great comparison in general.

[Jake]

I don’t think either has a pro sports team.

What about Austin vs. New Orleans? Which would you choose?

I wasn't around during the founding of either of those cities so I don't think I really "get it." Don't know if I deserve to have opinions on them.

[BDP]

What young professionals look for when considering relocation is "buzz" and big city amenities. Most young people starting a career are not seeking out backwaters, if looking to change locations. The presence of major league sports is shorthand for "this is an actual city," even if someone doesn't specifically intend to go to games.

One of the biggest changes in demographics after the implementation of MAPS was the growth in OKC's younger demographics. This was in large part due to more younger OKC residents choosing to stay, not nessecccarily because of some big influx of people from other areas. It singled to many of them that the city had a future when there was little to indicate that before. If anything, the presence of an international brand like the NBA, first with the success of the Hornets temporary residency and then with the relocation the Thunder, validated that. Obviously, that's sentimental and psychological, but to deny that those things affect people's personal economic, lifestyle, and career decisions is denying simple human nature.

[PhiAlpha]

I wasn't around during the founding of either of those cities so I don't think I really "get it." Don't know if I deserve to have opinions on them.

LOL dude quit being a troll. You know my comment was targeting people who didn't live here before and after the Thunder's arrival in 2008 (not 1800) and don't have a frame of reference for the comparison.

Also don't you live in San Antonio? (edit: NM that's "josh")

[jedicurt]

I wasn't around during the founding of either of those cities so I don't think I really "get it." Don't know if I deserve to have opinions on them.

yep. so just trolling at this point..

[GoOKC1991]

Trolls and people who truly don’t want what’s best for Oklahoma City on a forum called OKCTalk. Sad, very sad.

[BDP]

Austin has the MLS entities and a million other things going for it between lakes, hill country, mass corporate relocations, music culture, is a major tourism destination, capital of the largest state in the US, etc. New Orleans has the NFL, NBA, cajun culture/food, bourbon street, and is a massive tourism destination. Not a great comparison in general.

Austin's public transit sucks, so I choose New Orleans.


(j/k)

[PhiAlpha]

Trolls and people who truly don’t want what’s best for Oklahoma City on a forum called OKCTalk. Sad, very sad.

That may be a little unfair. I think PoliSci, April and some others disagree with the proposal because they genuinely don't think its best for OKC. I disagree with them because I think their reasoning is stupid, logic questionable, that they've put an overemphasis on flawed studies and that they massively under estimate the value of having a professional sports team in this market but I don't think anyone's objections are due to not wanting the best for OKC (at least not on OKCTalk).

Now the airport director on the other hand....

[HangryHippo]

😂😂

[chssooner]

That may be a little unfair. I think PoliSci, April and some others disagree with the proposal because they genuinely don't think its best for OKC. I disagree with them because I think their reasoning is stupid, logic questionable, that they've put an overemphasis on flawed studies and that they massively under estimate the value of having a professional sports team in this market but I don't think anyone's objections are due to not wanting the best for OKC (at least not on OKCTalk).

Now the airport director on the other hand....

Living rent free.

At least move to OKC before bashing people on an OKC board.

[PhiAlpha]

Living rent free.

At least move to OKC before bashing people on an OKC board.

I’d fly there if it wasn’t for the ineptitude of the airport director!

(but in seriousness I mostly have moved back there/here but also grew up in OKC and lived there all but 3 years of my life, posting here for the last 12…only a temporary hiatus)

[Jake]

Also don't you live in San Antonio?

Pulling the “do you even live here?” card while not living here. I wouldn’t expect any less from a filthy Tulsan.