If it is just a new TIF district then it is just a council vote.
True. However a vote is not prohibited either. CM Holman has already voiced putting this to a vote prior to Council acting.
The prior deal faced public oposition to the extent the idea was shelved. The citizens here are not oppossed to recall actions on hot button issues. Council would be wise to guage public opinion.
You have a source as to your knowledge of the CC? I see 3 yes votes as of now. Ball, Heikkiela, and Peacock.
The public sentiment on TIF funding is quite diffetent in Norman compared to OKC. Check out the history on the UNP TIF and public sentiment and the demands to end it.
This will be an issue for the voters in even number wards come Feb
11,092 at the LNC tonight. About as packed as I've ever seen it for a 6:00 p.m. weeknight tip.
As one of the 11k there all I can say is "imagine that". No restaurants or bars to walk to and an aging facility. A winning program is what fills the seats not an entertainment district.
Agree wholeheartedly. Also, the student section was jam-packed and loud tonight. That being said, while I accept that I may be fighting a losing battle trying to convince people that it's shortsighted to build a new arena 5 miles northwest of campus, what I can't abide by is the possibility that they're actually going to build a new arena with only an 8k capacity. Anything less than 10k is going to be woefully insufficient. Especially given that the layout of a new arena will be such that crowds of 5k to 7k for non-conference games and/or losing seasons won't look arrestingly empty on TV like they do at the LNC.
Baylor is 10x the basketball program OU is, and they are building a 7k arena. You guys are letting the exceptions try to prove a rule that OU needs 10k+...
My wish is for it to be built on campus near Brooks and Jenkins (red square in photo). I would estimate 7,500-8,500 seats. This would require the loss of parking and extra need in order to make up for football and basketball game days. In order to make up for this, I recommend two garages (white boxes) on Brooks and one on Trout. I recommend four stories for both with base level to include retail/commercial space.
With the move to central campus, I don't think you need as many parking spaces because students won't need spaces. I believe an estimate of 3,250 spaces (1,000 and 2,250) between the two garages. Parking can be a part of season ticket packages for football and basketball to increase revenue and pay for the garages. That pre-fab cast concrete is going to be expensive!
Total project cost estimate: $335 mill
Norman Arena and Garages.jpg
Am I off with my estimate? Don't you agree this could happen here? As a Norman native, I hate seeing the proposed move to University Town Center.
all of what you proposed would be great .... and IDEAL ..(i would say 10k but that doesn't matter)
BUT that money doesn't exist ... and won't .... a new basketball arena is behind about 500 mil+ in other Athletic Dept construction ..
the choice is the UNP new arena (which OU doesn't have to pay for) or no new arena for another 20 years +
They have *checks notes* 100% more titles than OU does, has better results, especially in the last 10 years or so. If we want to talk about when these recruits and on-campus students weren't even a glimmer in their parents eyes, then sure, OU might be better. But recency bias says otherwise, which is what this arena needs to be based off. No reason for OU to have an arena near the size of Duke's. OU fills it up maybe 5 times a year (may sell out, but not all attend).
The thing is...no one cares about what happened 20 years ago. Hence why young people put Kobe or Lebron over MJ. So yeah, what have you done for me lately. And for OU, it has been exceedingly average. One good year, ending in getting beat by 140 by Villanova.
A smaller arena would be great for OU, and would be more likely to be filled.
Those that have been around here awhile know how I feel about this
The SE corner of Brooks & Jenkins could also work, especially if planned as part of an extension for the football operations center proposed directly east of the stadium. The footprint would actually be fairly small but would need to incorporate new training and practice facilities (another reason to combine or be adjacent to the FOC). Either site would be 1000% better than UNP. If it means waiting another 20 years to get it built that is what OU needs to do
Again, we all would like the arena to be on campus. The reality is Lloyd Noble in the current state or the UNP new arena. OU isn't going to invest in a new on campus basketball arena anytime soon.
exactly. i don't know why people keep trying to think there are multiple options. we have two options... new arena in UNP or no new arena for 20 more years. those are the only two options unless you happen to be sitting on a few hundred million that you are willing to donate for a different proposal.
Some of us are fine with waiting for 20 years…especially if the new arena is going to be underbuilt by 2,000 seats. If it’s going to be built so far away from campus, the least the stakeholders can do is actually build it properly rather than cheaping out. But that would be par for the course with OU basketball…it’s the same thought process that has led to the LNC having pretty much zero updates since it opened in 1975.
okay. and some of us aren't... that arena is literally falling apart and probably won't make it another 20 years. i don't want to become the laughing stock of D1 basketball because we are playing in a place that is falling apart just because some people think the arena size needs to be set for the numbers that are only met like 6 time a year.
again where would that money come from ... right now we are 20 year from when a massive renovation of the LNC was first discussed .. it was going to be 75 mil back then ... now we are up to 200 mil ...
there is no promise of money for an on campus arena being here in 20 years .. OU would rather the UNP arena be 9500+ seats .. but the current proposed seating is directly tied to how much money is available ..
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