MAPS 4 Stadium

[Pete]

and lets be honest ... the city almost for sure would have helped them fund a temp stadium ..

I'm just waiting for some additional huge ask of public funds.

That's been the common component of every Christian Kanady project.

[barrettd]

I'm just waiting for some additional huge ask of public funds.

That's been the common component of every Christian Kanady project.

Have you any info on what he's done with public funds so far? Wondering if it's just a straight grift or if he's been productive with the public funds. I remember him buying a building downtown, but I lost track of that project, too.

[Pete]

Have you any info on what he's done with public funds so far? Wondering if it's just a straight grift or if he's been productive with the public funds. I remember him buying a building downtown, but I lost track of that project, too.

OKC basically paid him millions to put Prairie Surf in the old Cox Center; now the Thunder are paying him to leave.

Getting tons of public money for the new Wheeler Bio HQ at Innovation Plaza, which bears little resemblance to what was proposed.

OKC is paying for a stadium for his new soccer team.

[barrettd]

OKC basically paid him millions to put Prairie Surf in the old Cox Center; now the Thunder are paying him to leave.

Getting tons of public money for the new Wheeler Bio HQ at Innovation Plaza, which bears little resemblance to what was proposed.

OKC is paying for a stadium for his new soccer team.

Nice work if you can get it.

[Rover]

Nice work if you can get it.

Someone else needs to step up and fill that role or that is what happens. Who is showing they are willing to step in to do the higher risk visionary stuff? Who is making plans and proposals? Did anyone else try to work a deal with the Funks or the city? Was Kanady the best or just the only one competing? Is there more than a casual connection between Kanady and the ones doling out the money?

[Laramie]

MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium has a $71 million budget scheduled to break ground sometime in 2025. Maybe by the time the City is ready to break ground in 2025, there will be an additional $29 million ($100 million project) to add to the budget.

OKC needs to build a minimum 20,000 seat stadium making it MLS ready upon opening. The new USL ownership (Echo - Christian Kanady) could use the lower level 8,000 seats.

OKC could make the stadium available for larger events like OSSAA high school football championships in 6A, 5A, 4A classes.

Also open up the potential for UFL spring football games https://www.theufl.com/teams.

Former OU football coach Bob Stoops may want buy or bring a UFL franchise to Oklahoma City area having an option of using the lower bowl 40,000 capacity of Oklahoma Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium or the MAPS 4 - 20,000 seat Multipurpose Stadium.

[barrettd]

Someone else needs to step up and fill that role or that is what happens. Who is showing they are willing to step in to do the higher risk visionary stuff? Who is making plans and proposals? Did anyone else try to work a deal with the Funks or the city? Was Kanady the best or just the only one competing? Is there more than a casual connection between Kanady and the ones doling out the money?

I hear you.

[mugofbeer]

MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium has a $71 million budget scheduled to break ground sometime in 2025. Maybe by the time the City is ready to break ground in 2025, there will be an additional $29 million ($100 million project) to add to the budget.

OKC needs to build a minimum 20,000 seat stadium making it MLS ready upon opening. The new USL ownership (Echo - Christian Kanady) could use the lower level 8,000 seats.

OKC could make the stadium available for larger events like OSSAA high school football championships in 6A, 5A, 4A classes.

Also open up the potential for UFL spring football games https://www.theufl.com/teams.

Former OU football coach Bob Stoops may want buy or bring a UFL franchise to Oklahoma City area having an option of using the lower bowl 40,000 capacity of Oklahoma Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium or the MAPS 4 - 20,000 seat Multipurpose Stadium.

If they are going to build it, build it right with sufficient capacity.

[bombermwc]

This is very exciting!!!! And i'm super glad I'm not the only one seeing this for OSSAA. If you can host football....you can host marching band events and THAT is where i get excited. LOL

[burksooner]

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news...t/74586676007/

[borchard]

This is very exciting!!!! And i'm super glad I'm not the only one seeing this for OSSAA. If you can host football....you can host marching band events and THAT is where i get excited. LOL

This what I've always thought about this, as well. A 20k stadium in downtown OKC could be used for:
ALL of the HS football championships
ALL of the HS soccer championships
Small college football games (Think SNU vs. OBU)
USMNT / USWNT soccer games (probably friendlies)
NCAA FCS Championship game. Right now it's played in Frisco, TX in a 20k soccer stadium.
UFL football
Major League Rugby
Major League Lacrosse
etc...etc...

[Laramie]

This what I've always thought about this, as well. A 20k stadium in downtown OKC could be used for:
ALL of the HS football championships
ALL of the HS soccer championships
Small college football games (Think SNU vs. OBU)
USMNT / USWNT soccer games (probably friendlies)
NCAA FCS Championship game. Right now it's played in Frisco, TX in a 20k soccer stadium.
UFL football
Major League Rugby
Major League Lacrosse
etc...etc...

Good job, Borchard: You've expanded on the use of a 20,000 seat stadium. Agree 100%.

Now it's up to us to begin lobbying for a 20,000 seat stadium that's also capable of future expansion and additions.

BTW, I had the pleasure of meeting Borchard in McNellie's Midtown a number of years ago prior to the debate
on Rayo OKC and Energy OKC debacle over Taft Stadium. Very knowledgeable person about soccer on the International and local level. New ownership restores my quest for OKC starting a new version of Energy OKC in
the USL and hope that we'll eventually move toward a larger MLS regulation stadium which can be used for a number of events mentioned by Borchard.

[Pete]

Press release:

***********

City Council approves land donation agreement for MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium
11/19/2024

Today Oklahoma City Council approved a real estate donation agreement with Echo to donate nine acres of land, located in the vicinity of South Shields Boulevard and SE 3rd Street, identified as the site for the MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium.

“Design is now underway on the Multipurpose Stadium, which will include a regulation-sized playing surface capable of accommodating high school, collegiate, and professional soccer competitions, football, as well as concerts, festivals and other similar events,” MAPS Program Manager David Todd said. “While MAPS 4 and economic development funds will be used to construct the stadium, the operator was responsible for providing a feasible site. The central location and potential for surrounding development makes this site ideal for the stadium, which will serve as an anchor for a future entertainment district.”

In July, through its sports and entertainment affiliate Echo Soccer, Echo purchased an area of undeveloped property, east of the Oklahoma City Convention Center and south of Bricktown, from the Producers Downtown Development. Echo plans to develop, in partnership with Robinson Park, the surrounding area into a sports-centered entertainment district.

“I am honored to partner with the City of OKC in the advancement of a core MAPS 4 project,” said Christian Kanady, founding partner and CEO of Echo. “As the planned center of a new entertainment district, the future Multipurpose Stadium will become a hub for much more than professional soccer and position our community to host numerous other top-tier sports, music, and entertainment activities. The world-class environment will add to the vibrance of downtown and deliver an even better quality of life for our community.”

Stadium details

The Oklahoma City Council has allocated $71 million to the project, including $41 million from the MAPS 4 program. The Multipurpose Stadium will be designed to include a United States Soccer Federation (USSF)-approved pitch, seating for approximately 12,300 guests, locker rooms and suites. The venue is expected to drive the development of a sports-centered entertainment district downtown, a model that has proven to be successful in other major cities across the country such as Washington, D.C., Louisville, Kentucky, and Orlando, Florida.

The venue will be the City’s only stadium with a USSF-approved pitch to accommodate professional men’s and women’s soccer. When the area develops, visitors will be able to walk from restaurants, retail and residences to attend a wide variety of events and activities in the new entertainment district.

The project is currently in design with construction scheduled to begin next year.

[OKC2017]

[OKC2017]

very interesting site selection. it makes for a grand arched entrance from SE 4th street under the rail road bridge into what could be a fan zone on the stadiums west main entrance.
is there any information on who's designing the stadium? i hope it's a local firm. it will also be interesting to see how the remaining area of the producer's coop site around the stadium is developed. the 12K seating capacity is fair if the master plan for the site and the stadium design is made to allow future expansions with a future seating capacity target of 20-25K.

[bison34]

More curious about the surrounding mixed-use development. Not a huge soccer fan, but i know this will do well, assuming the surrounding area is developed accordingly.

[BoulderSooner]

that is not the stadium site ..

this is

[Pete]

The stadium will be located in the area in red and labeled Echo Soccer:

[Jake]

Capacity of 12,300 is more than I thought. Thought it was originally supposed to be like 8,000 or something, although I probably remembered/read it wrong.

Cool.

[warreng88]

Capacity of 12,300 is more than I thought. Thought it was originally supposed to be like 8,000 or something, although I probably remembered/read it wrong.

Cool.

Are you thinking of the proposed new multi-purpose (basketball) arena in Norman? I remember that capacity being around 8,000.

[Jake]

Are you thinking of the proposed new multi-purpose (basketball) arena in Norman? I remember that capacity being around 8,000.

That must be it. For some reason I thought the initial capacity for the soccer stadium was going to be smaller, probably got those numbers mixed up. Not that I'm complaining, I think it's a good thing. Hopefully there will be some sort of awning/shade structure but probably wishful thinking.

[ComeOnBenjals!]

Does this mean that OKC Energy is going to come back at some point? Was a big fan back in their "heyday". New stadium will be very cool, will be interesting to see if they rebrand. Always a challenge to build a fanbase out of nothing.

[Pete]

Does this mean that OKC Energy is going to come back at some point? Was a big fan back in their "heyday". New stadium will be very cool, will be interesting to see if they rebrand. Always a challenge to build a fanbase out of nothing.

Team is coming back but will be rebranded.