New Arena (formerly Prairie Surf)

[Anonymous.]

Hopefully EKG gets a makeover from this. The amount of people walking to/from the arena along EKG is already high with current arena location. It is one of the most unwalkable stretches of road in all of downtown.

[warreng88]

Hopefully EKG gets a makeover from this. The amount of people walking to/from the arena along EKG is already high with current arena location. It is one of the most unwalkable stretches of road in all of downtown.

There was already a makeover of EKG back in 2017 for the streetcar and to add sidewalks on the CCC side and widen the sidewalks next to the train station. It used to be six lanes and is now four with a middle turn lane. Maybe they will do more of a mid block crossing kind of thing?

[David]

If there's a transit hub on one side of the street and Sante Fe station on the other a mid-block crossing would be a sensible enhancement.

[baralheia]

If there's a transit hub on one side of the street and Sante Fe station on the other a mid-block crossing would be a sensible enhancement.

A mid-block crossing already exists here immediately north of the entrance to the parking garage under the Cox/Prairie Surf building.

[David]

A mid-block crossing already exists here immediately north of the entrance to the parking garage under the Cox/Prairie Surf building.

Geeze, no kidding, And looking on Google Maps it's been there since 2018.

Needs some signaling added, though.

[caaokc]

Two pieces of information that are definitely new here and (in my mind) could/should have been included with the original vote:

1. Land allocated to compliment the transit hub. I understand how including this would have been difficult when the site wasn't fully determined, but they could at least have included "A section of the property no less than 10% of the available area and no more than 15% of the available area will be allocated to OKC to develop for programmed public use".

2. PBC having the ability to develop unused land. I'm not sure exactly how this works - if this is right of first refusal or sole rights. That's a huge deal either way, but if it's sole rights, I'd think that throws out the window any opportunity for the city to subsidize a hotel on the site with the Omni (should the Omni want to participate). This site desperately needs a hotel, you could add in additional amenities like player housing, Thunder offices to scale up the size of the building. However you slice it, this site could really use 200+ rooms, especially if PBC/OKC ever wants to vie for an All-Star game.




Are you implying that the use of this land allocated to the transit hub is going to be the Parking Garage or were you just adding that to the list of things?

Meant to reply to this a while ago but Joe Mussatto of the Oklahoman wrote a story about all-star game requirements and how far OKC is from hosting. Even with a new hotel near the arena, there is still a long ways to go. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/spor...r/72673926007/

[Laramie]

Not that impressed with the NBA All Star Weekend; it would be nice to host such an event because of the economic impact it would have on downtown hotels and promoting OKC. The criteria for hosting an NBA All Star weekend event is enormous.

Build a new arena with nothing less than 18,500 permanent seats that can attract events like NCAA indoor regionals and attract some quality events our city.

Sure our goal is the keep the Thunder in OKC, our city needs to dictate the minimum permanent seating capacity to allow us to bid on a variety of events.

[Mississippi Blues]

Meant to reply to this a while ago but Joe Mussatto of the Oklahoman wrote a story about all-star game requirements and how far OKC is from hosting. Even with a new hotel near the arena, there is still a long ways to go. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/spor...r/72673926007/

I didn’t read Teo’s comment about the pursuit of an ASG being something imminent. Seems they’re just making a case for how PBC might develop the unused land and what might incentivize that.

[Sonicthunder]

Meant to reply to this a while ago but Joe Mussatto of the Oklahoman wrote a story about all-star game requirements and how far OKC is from hosting. Even with a new hotel near the arena, there is still a long ways to go. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/spor...r/72673926007/

But league sources claimed Thursday that, while the Oklahoman report is true, other more equitable parameters not mentioned in the report can help small-market cities earn bids for the game. According to the sources, those include:

Centralized multi-use entertainment properties to create an NBA campus that can host music, fashion shows, the NBA Crossover fan fest and NBAcon.
An undisclosed number of seats and suites in the primary and secondary arena venues.
A volume of rideshare capabilities so the league can create a modern transportation infrastructure.

[Teo9969]

Meant to reply to this a while ago but Joe Mussatto of the Oklahoman wrote a story about all-star game requirements and how far OKC is from hosting. Even with a new hotel near the arena, there is still a long ways to go. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/spor...r/72673926007/

Absolutely a long way to go, but there are only so many sites that can make an impact on the room count the NBA would consider in determining if the site meets their minimum threshold.

Actually, the more important reason for a hotel on this site is for the Conventiom Center and that it's the only potential hotel he city could subsidize for the time being. Not sure if we could transfer those rights to the current Paycom site once that's dozed (and it would make more sense for Omni).

[jn1780]

Geeze, no kidding, And looking on Google Maps it's been there since 2018.

Needs some signaling added, though.

They would be probably redo the crossing with signaling if the tunnel under the railroad is built.

[warreng88]

Geeze, no kidding, And looking on Google Maps it's been there since 2018.

Needs some signaling added, though.

Or make it one of the raised cross walks.

[jn1780]

There's ramps and payment markings, that's about it. Doesn't even have pedestrian crossing signs. A whole plaza will get built when the new arena is built. Similar to what is in front of Paycom now.

[therhett17]

Received this survey email today regarding the new arena. Haven't taken it yet, but thought it interesting enough to mention here.

[Richard at Remax]

From the questions they are asking, I have no doubt this will be a special arena that will check all the boxes

[Pete]

^

Interesting -- thanks.

Note the City has hired CAA Icon (who also consulted on the Intuit Dome and a bunch of other arenas and sports facilities) as their consultants on this project. Not sure where they stand on hiring an architect, but there would have to be an RFP and that has yet to be issued.

https://www.caaicon.com/

[king183]

I took the survey today. It very heavily leaned on examples from FiServ Forum and clearly pulled from ideas implemented in that arena. Other arenas’ amenities were sprinkled in too, but I definitely noticed the FiServ influence.

[DoctorTaco]

Received this survey email today regarding the new arena. Haven't taken it yet, but thought it interesting enough to mention here.

They ask (twice) about how much more we expect to pay for tickets at the new arena. I said "As this arena is being built with 95% public funds I would not expect ticket prices to increase at all."

[Tydude]

Per City Council Docket.
Amendment to Lease and Facility Occupancy Agreement with ASM Global North America and Prairie Surf Media to terminate the Agreement, effective December 31, 2024. Ward 7.

[BoulderSooner]

They ask (twice) about how much more we expect to pay for tickets at the new arena. I said "As this arena is being built with 95% public funds I would not expect ticket prices to increase at all."

I took the survey as well .... I think you can expect a 10% + ticket price increase across the board ..

[Pete]

Per City Council Docket.
Amendment to Lease and Facility Occupancy Agreement with ASM Global North America and Prairie Surf Media to terminate the Agreement, effective December 31, 2024. Ward 7.

Thanks for this.

I'm surprised because an architect is yet to be hired.

[BoulderSooner]

Thanks for this.

I'm surprised because an architect is yet to be hired.

exciting news ...


I will say that the demo and utility relocations don't really require a building architect ..

[BoulderSooner]

n/m

[Pete]

exciting news ...


I will say that the demo and utility relocations don't really require a building architect ..

Except you usually don't start demolition until you have the overall plan.

I suppose they will just wipe the site clean and go from there.

The City will loose 994 parking spaces but as of the last report, there were only 240 monthly parkers. The bigger issue will be spaces needed for Thunder games and other Paycom events.

[BoulderSooner]

Except you usually don't start demolition until you have the overall plan.

I suppose they will just wipe the site clean and go from there.

The City will loose 994 parking spaces but as of the last report, there were only 240 monthly parkers. The bigger issue will be spaces needed for Thunder games and other Paycom events.

I think the utility relocation is the more pressing issue ... and they may be able to do a bunch of that without disrupting the parking for next season ...