New Downtown Arena

[PhiAlpha]

Ignorance and irresponsible talk. Wanting violence against a woman because she thinks differently than you. What a weak and dangerous man proclamation.

How dare you assume GoPokes88's gender?!?

[Plutonic Panda]

Not enough to be profitable for the city.

There’s just no way you can know that. How do you take into account all the spending people do. The amount of money NBA players spend in the city. The taxes collected from outsiders coming into to see a game.

[BDP]

There’s just no way you can know that. How do you take into account all the spending people do. The amount of money NBA players spend in the city. The taxes collected from outsiders coming into to see a game.

He knows that, but doesn't care. Profitability for the municipality for him is inconsequential.

[PoliSciGuy]

There’s just no way you can know that. How do you take into account all the spending people do. The amount of money NBA players spend in the city. The taxes collected from outsiders coming into to see a game.

I was referring to this post that uses OKC‘s own numbers to show that the city operates the arena at a loss. If you have data that shows otherwise I would be happy to reconsider my position.

[Rover]

So glad the vote is today and we can quit reading the same arguments over and over and over and over and over …..

[soonerguru]

No kidding. I also find it laughable that we’re demanding that they essentially donate more money to something they’ll have no ownership of and, in all likelihood, will be paying rent similar to what other teams that don’t own their arenas do.

Would love for them to have thrown more down on this but I think the outrage would’ve happened whether they paid $50 or $150 million. The no people just generally are anti public funding for anything sports related or in JoBeth Hamas’s case, anything that doesn’t involve transit or buses. Just seems like a really dumb time to die on that hill.

To a degree you’re right here. But $100 million would have been an easier sell to a lot more folks. 10% sounds better than 5%.

There are people who are opposed to this that surprise me, people who support MAPS typically.

People like JoBeth would never support this ever under any circumstances. I am more concerned by reactions I am seeing from other people whom I would assume would easily understand the importance of this initiative to the city’s present and future status.

[Teo9969]

All of them?

That's amazing!

We really shouldn't have an arena at all. The costs are too big!

You said activity AT the Paycom center, which, yes, I would assume are 100% accounted for...Of course, you still have spending outside of the arena that is hard to gauge the impact.

[sethsrott]

Today we have the opportunity to invest in ourselves once again. When this photo was taken in over 20 years ago you can see the bones of a city growing, the street realignment, the future home of Scissortail Park in the background just a collection of abandoned industrial buildings and vacant properties. The Crosstown Expressway still cutting through downtown acting as a physical and visual barrier to further development. Voters bought into a vision for what Oklahoma City could be if we came together and built big things. I already voted yes on Thursday, if you have not done so, please vote yes today. Not for the Thunder, not for concerts, but for us, for the future generations of Oklahoma City citizens who will look back just as we are now at this picture and say "WOW, I am so grateful they took a chance and believed they could accomplish big things."

[jn1780]

You said activity AT the Paycom center, which, yes, I would assume are 100% accounted for...Of course, you still have spending outside of the arena that is hard to gauge the impact.

I think all the large investment groups that are in the 'entertainment sector' that can actually build arenas have much larger developments surrounding their arena.

[CitySooner]

A lot of the messaging on "the team will move" has been largely incorrect. Yes - the team would move. But under no circumstances would this ownership group be the ones moving them. It's simple, vote fails -> Ownership sells team -> Team moves.

[citywokchinesefood]

A lot of the messaging on "the team will move" has been largely incorrect. Yes - the team would move. But under no circumstances would this ownership group be the ones moving them. It's simple, vote fails -> Ownership sells team -> Team moves.

True

[LocoAko]

There is still so much misinformation floating around. I'm seeing graphics on social media saying there will be a 6-year extension of the MAPS4 tax to raise $70M, and ANOTHER "new" sales tax to raise the other $780M. Whether you characterize it as an extension of the existing tax or a "new" tax to replace the expiring one, it is NOT both. I'm also seeing that $1200/resident figure thrown around as a fact without taking into account the sales tax paid by nonresidents at all. But the argument I see the most is that the mayor needs to go back to renegotiate and is purposefully giving us a bad deal. Even if you think this proposal hoses the people of OKC, why would the mayor WANT to stick his name and political legacy behind a bad deal if a better one were available? He has every incentive to want to be able to promote the best deal since he has personally advocated for heavily for the need for a new arena. There's only say many ways he can politely say we have no leverage and this is a "take it or leave it" deal without starting to sound insulting, but many people really don't seem to be picking up on that...

[Ginkasa]

How long did it take OKC to poach the Thunder after The Starbucks guy sold it?

It will happen almost immediately because other suitor cities wouldn’t have to be vetted as strongly as OKC was.

Seattle already has a $1 billion arena with no tenant. The owners here would likely just sell to another ownership group and cash out.

I really hope people look at the big picture here and what damage a no vote would do to this city. I get why people don’t want to help out the billionaires and multimillionaires but our arena is substandard. OKC should have a better arena than Tulsa. It will be a nice amenity for concerts and events and we get to keep our red-hot NBA team.

Don’t overcomplicate this. It should be a no-brainer “Yes” vote.

I'm not overcomplicating anything. I'm unambiguously voting yes later today. I was literally just curious what the timeline looks like if we lose this one.

[jccouger]

Excited to vote yes today and God willing someday getting to watch a game/concert in the new state of the art OKC arena.

[Canoe]

JoBeth should be stuffed into a locker. Name one thing a lib white woman activist has actually improved.

JoBeth is doing what she believes is correct. I expect every citizen to do the same. The citizens of Ward 6 who voted see her value and you need to respect that fact. If you don't respect her on the council then back someone to run against her.

[Canoe]

Ignorance and irresponsible talk. Wanting violence against a woman because she thinks differently than you. What a weak and dangerous man proclamation.

No need to white knight for JoBeth. She is a councilwoman and is more that capable of taking care of herself. If you like her positions then vote for her, he you don't like her positions then vote for her opponent.

[caaokc]

What’s everyone final margin percentage prediction?

[ditm4567]

65-35 Yes

[SEMIweather]

What’s everyone final margin percentage prediction?

56-44 Yes

[CaptDave]

Not enough to be profitable for the city.

Does it have to be profitable to be an asset to the city? Is public transit a profit center? City parks?

No, but I want them because those are attributes of a modern, well developed, aspirational city. The arena is a public facility much like the downtown Metropolitan Library - it does not need to generate a profit to be considered a positive for the city. They all contribute to making OKC a desirable place to live, visit, and work.

I hope it passes - I no longer get to vote in OKC since I moved. But had this come up earlier this year, I would have been a solid yes.

[BoulderSooner]

The report provided to the City Council accounts for all the sales tax generated by the arena (actually the arena + convention center). It still operates at a loss.

not correct

[jccouger]

What’s everyone final margin percentage prediction?

53.8% yes
46.2% no

7.6 differential which is the current Thunder point differential per game average. TTFU.

[BoulderSooner]

What’s everyone final margin percentage prediction?

54-46 yes

[Bellaboo]

62% Yes

38% No

[EBAH]

54-46 yes

This would be my hope, I think it will be slimmer than it should, 55/45ish, but I think it will pass.

I hope the mayor and the chamber are learning a lesson tho that their messaging ahead of things like this needs to be A LOT BETTER. MAKE THE CASE dummies, or your opponents will make it first.

Also, Chamber should have advised owners to chip in 10 points, hell could have even paid them back, still would have looked a hell of a lot better.