New Downtown Arena

[caaokc]

Is there any chance this opens in 2028?

[Grant]

The biggest positive of the REHCO site to me is that it would enable the southward expansion of the CBD onto the PS/Paycom sites. That's really the best place for the CBD to expand south -- the west side of the Myriad Gardens is cut off from the oldest, most urban piece of the CBD due to the Parking Garage District and Devon. Really the densest part of OKC is the Robinson/Park/Main area. Would be great to be able to push that south, closer to Scissortail. Huge superblock developments aren't conducive to pedestrian activity or city life. Dense, midrise developments on the PS/Paycom sites would connect downtown to Scissortail far better than a new arena. Especially if the street grid is restored in the area.

That said, I think I would still prefer the PS site due to its proximity to the train station and the energy it would bring to the CBD and Bricktown.

[Urbanized]

Is there any chance this opens in 2028?

None.

[Urbanized]

Just thinking out loud, but if its built on REHCO and Paycom is the land swap, and is demolished after the new arena is built, the HVAC won't ever need to be relocated, correct?

That’s a possibility, though I suspect an unlikely one, as I’m sure REHCO would not want to have to wait additional years to have a build-ready site (I know, I know, they DID wait 20 years to do anything with the old Ford site).

All of these considerations are the type of things that the City, consultants, the Thunder and others will need to pore through, negotiate and decide upon. That said there has already been a substantial amount of due diligence over the past year, so I’m sure the decision will be well-informed and that the site decision will be made relatively quickly. I’m just telling folks here that it has definitely not been made, as of yet.

[irishtate]

I work(ed) at Devon during the development of Scissortail from start to finish, and was always sorely disappointed that they didn't directly connect it with the Myriad lot. I was indifferent about where I wanted them to build the new arena......

HOWEVER, now I'm hoping they do the REHCO site and do something like the KC T-Mobile arena (glass that would reflect back those natural areas on either side) and would incorporate as many trees as possible on the sidwalk around it..... Make it as much of an artistic structure that keeps the flow of those two beautiful park areas, as it is an arena.

I'd hate to just see that site just turned into another hotel or another BOK Park Plaza, or some 'mixed use whatever'

[Urbanized]

^^^^^^
There will 100% be adjacent mixed use; doing this development without it is not even under consideration. The desire for adjacent mixed use is a major driver of the new arena effort to begin with. It’s the emerging economic model for the NBA. Think Fiserv Deer District.

[David]

^^^^^^
There will 100% be adjacent mixed use; doing this development without it is not even under consideration. The desire for adjacent mixed use is a major driver of the new arena effort to begin with. It’s the emerging economic model for the NBA.

I am glad to see that is apparently such a sure thing since that is what turned my vote into a yes vote originally.

[PhiAlpha]

Hate being 'that guy', but one could the argue we should have started this prep work immediately after the new convention center was built, but I know that takes money.

The sooner we start digging trenches on Robison for new utilities, the better.

The Pei Plan cleared a ton of land for a lot of development that never happened due to a number of factors which could’ve happened here if cleared immediately. While it certainly needed to be gone eventually regardless, I still think the cox center is better than a massive empty crater in the middle of town and don’t think it would been worth risking that as the end result of the arena hadn’t been approved.

[Urbanized]

The cox center site won’t sit unimproved for long, no matter the site chosen for the arena. You can take that to the bank.

[BoulderSooner]

The Pei Plan cleared a ton of land for a lot of development that never happened due to a number of factors which could’ve happened here if cleared immediately. While it certainly needed to be gone eventually regardless, I still think the cox center is better than a massive empty crater in the middle of town and don’t think it would been worth risking that as the end result of the arena hadn’t been approved.

i very much disagree the cox site fully clear and ready for development would be much better then having it there like it is now

[G.Walker]

Is there any chance this opens in 2028?

From my understanding, the agreement between the Thunder and the City is to have the new arena ready by the 2029-30 season. It will take a good 2 1/2-3 years to build it. So they would need to start construction in 2026. I would say late 2028 best case. And if they are talking the old Cox site they need to get the ball rolling. Demolition and more environmental studies will take a while.

[chssooner]

The Pei Plan cleared a ton of land for a lot of development that never happened due to a number of factors which could’ve happened here if cleared immediately. While it certainly needed to be gone eventually regardless, I still think the cox center is better than a massive empty crater in the middle of town and don’t think it would been worth risking that as the end result of the arena hadn’t been approved.

Empty crater? Are you thinking it won't be developed if made available?

[G.Walker]

And we have to remember there is an arena footprint already in Cox center, and they could use the same utilities. If their architectural engineers are smart, they would find away to design the new arena on the existing footprint and utilizing some of the same utilities..

[chssooner]

Not sure if i can share this or not, but Steve got Mayor Holt on his chat today. A lot of unknowns, of course, but he wants to make sure OKC gets a top-tier arena, but doesn't want to rush the site selection process, either.

[Shortsyeararound]

They said "open for the 2029" season.

[PhiAlpha]

Empty crater? Are you thinking it won't be developed if made available?

If cleared 3 years ago when the convention center opened, it would've sat empty for at least 3 years before any kind of decision was made (and it still hasn't been made yet). If for some reason the arena proposal hadn't been approved, that would've put even more doubt as to whether it was going to be developed in the near term (hence why the city was willing to lose money on a lease with prairie surf while trying to determine what to do with it and when) when there area several massive empty lots nearby. I just don't think tearing it down in January 2021 and leaving a massive dirt pile in the middle of downtown with no plan for an indefinite amount of time would've been a good idea, especially with all the uncertainty with urban areas that resulted from the pandemic. In hindsight, it looks like it would've been the right decision given that things rebounded fairly well (all things considered) after the pandemic, potentially having to buy prairie surf out of their lease, the arena was approved, etc but that site is too important to the future of downtown (and lets be honest, visually as well) just to doze it without a relatively firm plan in place. Keeping the building up, finding some use for it that might have brought some kind of longterm benefit to the film industry here (looks like a bust but you still never know) and not rushing anything also preserved it to potentially be used as the arena location (which feels like part of the reason they didn't rush a decision on it).

All of that to say, I think the benefits of leaving it in place for a few years while making a decision outweigh the negatives.

[TheTravellers]

And we have to remember there is an arena footprint already in Cox center, and they could use the same utilities. If their architectural engineers are smart, they would find away to design the new arena on the existing footprint and utilizing some of the same utilities..

A brand new arena $1B arena complex most likely isn't going to use a decades-old utility infrastructure, they'll build new. Yes, it'll hook into a decades-old utility infrastructure at some point , but I'd bet that inside the arena it'll be all new.

[HOT ROD]

Paycom should be demolished. We already have a sparsely used hulk in Cox/Prairie Surf. We don't need another one. If we're breaking the bank I want to see the 3 blocks of Paycom/Cox/Ford lots completely redone and revitalized with stadiums and mixed/use development.

Now that's something I think we ALL can agree upon!

I would LOVE it if the arena is at the Myriad site which opened up to to the canal and the site itself has highrise urban development alongside the arena and assures the proper development of the Boardwalk at Bricktown and Dream Hotel and the boutique canal side hotel, which together jump starts demo of Paycom and vertical development of it and the REICO lands and the OGE lands while we're at it. Which altogether jump starts Strawberry Fields!!!!

This $1.1B+ arena we just approved could be a HUGE catalyst for the downtown CBD expansion in a big way.

[jn1780]

The Pei Plan cleared a ton of land for a lot of development that never happened due to a number of factors which could’ve happened here if cleared immediately. While it certainly needed to be gone eventually regardless, I still think the cox center is better than a massive empty crater in the middle of town and don’t think it would been worth risking that as the end result of the arena hadn’t been approved.

I was thinking more along the lines of utility relocations. I guess having HVAC tap directly into the lines coming from the Cox convention center was a cost saving measure way back when Ford/Paycom arena was built. Even if not built on Cox site, its probably a good bet the new arena will use the central plant which would require a new line down Robinson anyway. That same line could feed Paycom arena in the interim.

[caaokc]

They said "open for the 2029" season.

I couldn’t remember. I thought the LOI when it was announced in Sep said “no later than 2029, if not sooner” or something like that.

[Laramie]

If that was actually a widespread opinion, it was pretty wishful thinking and a little delusional lol.

PhiAlpha, you would have thought they learned from the last extension vote OKC had on improvements to the DT arena. Thinking OKC voters weren't savvy enough to continue to invest in ourselves.

Our City's doubters learned a lesson on Oklahoma City's aspirations to continue that Big League city momentum. Now let's get our house in order with emphasis on 'Safety' while our 'Quality of Life' values sink in.

And to our friend Steve Lackmeyer, A $900 million arena will truly make Dallas and Kansas City jealous.

[Teo9969]

If we start vertical construction in 2027, the building has zero percent chance of opening before July 2029.

Getting to vertical construction by 2027 on the Cox site would be a challenge due to demolition and on any other site due to land acquisition and subsequent site plan development.

[kukblue1]

Detroit began April 24, 2015 and opened September 5, 2017. 2 years 5 months.

Milwaukee began June 18, 2016, and the arena received its certificate of occupancy on June 5, 2018. 2 years

Chase center SF began January 17, 2017 opened September 6, 2019 2 years 8 months.

[Tyson]

Detroit began April 24, 2015 and opened September 5, 2017. 2 years 5 months.

Milwaukee began June 18, 2016, and the arena received its certificate of occupancy on June 5, 2018. 2 years

Chase center SF began January 17, 2017 opened September 6, 2019 2 years 8 months.

I sure hope we could get something like Chase Center in San Francisco. That's a stunning and elegant arena.

[Laramie]

I sure hope we could get something like Chase Center in San Francisco. That's a stunning and elegant arena.

We will top Chase Center. There are plenty of areas in DT OKC, where land acquisition will not be as expensive as what it cost to build in DT San Francisco. Especially, if we build on City owned property.

OKC will have an opportunity of a lifetime to make a statement to the Association and NBA-NHL market cities who will droll over what I feel will be the 'Taj Mahal' among NBA-NHL arenas.