Paycom Center (formerly Chesapeake Arena)

[ljbab728]

It also appears that there is a major reflection off of the Devon Tower on the Cox Center.

[UnFrSaKn]

Big changes unveiled in home of Thunder

Jesse Wells Reporting KFOR-TV

4:40 p.m. CDT, October 11, 2011

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Big league improvements are coming inside the home of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Tuesday we got our first look at the latest renovations at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

With a new name and video screen, the outside has changed a lot over the last few months; inside it's the same story.

The changes in the main concourse are hard to miss.

[kevinpate]

So happy these changes are in place for what may well turn out to be an expanded season for concerts, truck shows, wrasslitainment and religious retreats/donation drives.

[warreng88]

Uncertain picture for Chesapeake Energy Arena: Venue on hold during NBA lockout
By Brianna Bailey
Journal Record
Oklahoma City reporter - Contact 405-278-2847
Posted: 07:25 PM Tuesday, October 11, 2011

OKLAHOMA CITY – The latest round of renovations at the Chesapeake Energy Arena include a massive video cylinder at the northeast entrance powered by eight movie projectors, as well as a 74-foot-wide outdoor LED screen.

It remains uncertain when the Oklahoma City Thunder will play its first game in the remodeled space as the NBA lockout continues.

“I think it’s really going to affect our part-time workers, vendors and suppliers the most,” said Gary Desjardins, general manager for SMG, which operates the arena and the Cox Convention Center.

The lockout has resulted in fewer work hours for some of SMG’s 700 part-time workers who staff events, he said.

SMG has been utilizing its 112 full-time employees for events instead of part-time workers to avoid staff reductions, Desjardins said.

Officials announced the cancelation of the first two weeks of the regular 2011-2012 NBA season on Monday. The Chesapeake Energy Arena will miss out on two Thunder home games as a result, on top of the four preseason home games that have already been canceled.

The arena does have several big concerts lined up for the venue in the coming months, but it’s difficult to schedule events if dates for the NBA season keep getting canceled two weeks at a time, said Tim Linville, director of sales and marketing for SMG.

SMG has had a few event organizers put second-holds on dates reserved for NBA games in case more games get canceled.
However, the arena continues to hold all of the dates that have been reserved for Thunder games, as well as additional playoff dates, Desjardins said.

Crews were busy setting up for a Chris Brown concert on Wednesday night. Taylor Swift is scheduled to perform before a nearly sold-out crowd at the arena on Saturday.

The third phase of the renovations include significant improvements to the main concourse, including 20 wedge-shaped video boards containing six 46-inch television screens placed throughout the halls. The concourse also has a new ceiling and paint, terrazzo floors and way-finding signs featuring the new Chesapeake Energy Arena logo.

The upgrades will put the arena into the top tier of NBA arenas in the country, Desjardins said.

“This is going to be a great marketing and advertising tool,” he said.

The renovations are part of a third phase of an ongoing, $100 million overhaul of the arena paid for by a 1-cent sales tax voters approved in 2008.

The new grand entryway of the remodeled arena is slated for completion in June 2012 and will include a three-story atrium, and a family fun zone.

[Larry OKC]

Good to hear the family fun zone is back (maybe it never dropped but cant recall hearing anything about it in a while). Does anyone know if the rooftop party area or whatever it was being called has happened/is happening?

[Skyline]

I've been by the arena 3 or 4 times within the last two weeks and it really looks terrific, making the arena look new again. The CHK signage is a perfect fit for the building, 100% improvement over the old Ford Center design, you really need to see it for yourself. Also the video board looks amazing and I can't wait to see it during the NBA season especially at night for the playoffs with the Myriad gardens and Devon building all lit up in the background.

[Dustin]

The board is bigger in person. A LOT bigger in person. It's also extremely bright!

[SkyWestOKC]

I was downtown a few nights ago, the board was lighting up FNC, the Colcord, and other buildings in line of sight to it. Not making it daytime, but you could notice the light reflecting off the downtown buildings from the board.

[Larry OKC]

Personally I don't think there should be much regulation on them, but hopefully the City isn't in any violation of our own sign ordinance(s) for these types of displays (size/brightness/how often the message changes etc)...LOL

[Pete]

Photos from today's Oklahoman:

[dankrutka]

Wow. All the new video boards are an impressive upgrade. It really is a shame there may not be any Thunder games. Let's hope they get something done...

[Urbanized]

The dropped ceiling, terrazzo, stacked stone columns and stainless columns in the concourse make all the difference in the world. The courtside club, terrace suite and locker room renovations done 1-1/2 years ago or whenever HAD to be done to bring it up to NBA standards, but they aren't seen by 90% of the public. The club level was always nice. Improvements to the club level are great, but weren't critical.

But the old concourse level was frankly embarrassing. Everyone from Benham to Flintco to the City to SMG to the Thunder made the best of it, but it was painfully obvious that was where a lot of the value engineering was done when the building was originally built so inexpensively. The fact that the concourse is where most fans experience the non-seating portion of the arena made it doubly-embarrassing. A city's arena is often how many visitors experience a city for the first time, and leaves a lasting impression.

I've been to the TD Garden in Boston, Staples in LA, Pepsi in Denver, FedEx in Memphis, US Airways in Phoenix and American Airlines in Dallas. From what I see here, the Chesapeake Arena will be at least the equal (interior finish-wise) to all of those, with the obvious exception of Dallas, which cost nearly half a billion and is totally over-the-top. Now it will have the same high visual appeal that the rest of downtown is acquiring thanks to P180, Devon Tower and the other great things going on. I'm going to be proud to have it as one of the front doors to our city.

[UnFrSaKn]

Video...

Improved Chesapeake Energy Arena has ‘wow' factor

By Darnell Mayberry, Staff Writer, dmayberry@opubco.com
Published: October 11, 2011

Before you get both feet inside the doors of Chesapeake Energy Arena, a video cylinder spanning 92 feet around commands your eye.
Bust a right, march toward the 100-level concourse and everything, from lighting to signage to the floor and ceiling, is brighter, crisper and cleaner than before.

[Jchaser405]

It would be amazing if another screen was added to the south side of the arena facing the (for now) highway...

[dankrutka]

It would be amazing if another screen was added to the south side of the arena facing the (for now) highway...

I think they are building the southside entrance with this in mind as a possibility for the future. There ended up only being money for one screen, but they would like them on both sides eventually...

[king183]

With the postponement of the season, does anyone think this will allow the builders of the grand entrance an opportunity to move ahead of schedule?

[betts]

With the postponement of the season, does anyone think this will allow the builders of the grand entrance an opportunity to move ahead of schedule?

It looks as if they're doing the majority of the construction without breaking through to the interior, so I'm not sure the delay in the start of the season really will affect the timeline that much.

[Jchaser405]

I love driving eastbound by the Thunderdome at night everyday with the completed lighting around the top, Myriad gardens lit up to the north, Boat Alley lit up to the south... OKC is beginning to develope a new image! Skydance is going to be an amazing luminated addition.

[Skyline]

I know I have already commented on how impressed I am with the exterior signage / video improvements, but again I was driving along Reno and it looks amazing all around the CHK arena. It is amazing how much of an improvement good signage and a video board has done for this building. Also the P180 street-scape improvements, with the new Myriad Gardens all tie together beautifully with the CHKA. It's almost as if I never really noticed how close the Myriad Gardens actually are to the home of the Thunder. I can easily see myself strolling through the park on the way to events at the CHKA.

All this being said and we have only seen the half of it. We haven't fully seen the interior and we are only a couple more years away from seeing how the south side of the arena will tie into a new Okc Blvd. The Okc future is bright!!

[ljbab728]

nm

[dankrutka]

nm

Good point.

[MDot]

nm

What about New Mexico?

[OKCRT]

Well I guess OKC will have a top tier arena after all is finished. There's not going to be that many arenas around the US nicer than this one. Money well spent IMO.

[Pete]

First photo I've seen that shows the sign painted on the roof:


Chesapeake Energy Arena by nash.zach, on Flickr

[Bellaboo]

Driving by the other morning, the upper ring on the East portion of the building was all lit up a deep brilliant blue, like the Chesapeake flame......was very impressive, compared to the old FC.