Ford Center improvements up for March 4 vote

[BDP]

I think it should also be considered that these improvements are in no way exclusive to NBA games and benefit everyone using the facility. These improvements will raise the profile of any and every event that takes place in the Ford Center in the future. This includes hockey games, exhibition games, concerts, college tournaments, and convention related events. These facilities could be used for receptions, meetings, parties, etc. Think how cool it would be to have a party on a roof garden 40 feet about street level downtown.

No, these are not just NBA improvements. We can argue the economic impact of an NBA team, but the simple economic impact of having a top tier arena should be considered on its own merit as well. These improvements, as they have been touted so far, will make it so that no large event, save for stadium scale events, would have reason to ignore Oklahoma City because of facilities.

[Watson410]

Here is a list of everything the $100-$125 million that we'll be voting on March 4th will go towards and Also, what do you guys think about the new entrance? Do you think they could have done better?


A look at what the Ford Center might look like after renovations.

Upgrading the Ford Center
Expected changes to the Ford Center if proposal is approved by voters on March 4
A new practice and training facility in an undetermined off-site location.

An expanded southwest grand entry.

New and expanded locker rooms.

New VIP clubs.

New player parking with secure access to the event level.

Larger team stores and added kiosks and merchandizing throughout the building.

Upgraded finishes on floors, walls and ceilings throughout the 100 and 300 concourse levels.

Updated interior design to the suites.

Loge-style seats in the club level.

A new restaurant on the southwest side of the building.

A fan zone and play area in the 300 level.

Two roof gardens areas where fans can mingle and see the skyline.

*List is not comprehensive.
By Darnell Mayberry

[CuatrodeMayo]

Rendering = boring. Here's a tip: take a peek up the turnpike.

Typical Benham.

[BDP]

Do you think they could have done better?

I like it, but if all the money were going to the concourse, then maybe I'd say they could have done better. But as 1 superficial part of a 100 million dollar renovation that includes many real comfort and amenity improvements, I like it just fine. What's kind of cool about it is that, when it is all said and done, we'll have a mostly brick arena, but also have an entrance on par with many of the more modern styled arenas.

I think it would take a huge amount of money to give it an award winning outer face lift and, really, I don't think that money would be well spent. This way we get a grand entrance, a top tier arena, and a very good, imo, management of public money towards the the facility.

[metro]

Anyone have a larger picture or rendering?

[CuatrodeMayo]

Here's a larger pic:

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Lol...The Blazers are going to have a PIMP arena for their league.

[BDP]

Here's some perspective:

USATODAY.com - NBA arenas: Fantastic or not?

NBA Arena List from Wiki:

Template:NBA Arenas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I hope they make the power point presentation available to the public.

[Pete]

Here's some more images and proposed floorplans.

The rooftop gardens would offer great skyline vistas:

[dcsooner]

Nice additions. Come on Oklahoma City let's not get to the goal line and fumble the ball. We are ready to take the next step in our Cities development. In my opinion, this will spur additonal development downtown and continue the progress made over the past 10-15 years

[HOT ROD]

ditto and echo, dcsooner.

Come on OKC, us expats are counting on you!!! Pass the extension, it's only 15 months, starting this time next year - yet what you're getting is phenominal!!!

[bombermwc]

Not sure if I buy into the design of the thing, but I say do it anyay. Sort of looks like they are combining styles here, but whatever. DO IT!

[OU Adonis]

I am somewhat disappointed that three hundred seats will be lost.

[Turanacus]

shouldn't we build a new arena, instead of investing $100m in a $80m arena?

[Doug Loudenback]

BDP, I, too, hope that the powerpoint presentation (or even something snazzier like a classy flash file made by the guys who've done some of the Triangle area stuff) will be on-line. It would be a great selling method, I'd think.

Pete, where did you get your images? I'd like to put a blog article together on this project myself and those are the best quality images I've seen so far ... would like larger pics (1024 x whatever) if they are available somewhere.

OUAdonis, I agree ... wish this could be done without a loss, if not an expansion, of seating capacity.

Turanacus, that would be nice, too, but it would be ever so much more expensive and, probably, wasteful since the "core" of the Ford isn't at all bad and can be made impressive with the $100M. Plus, the location of the arena is excellent ... downtown, next to Bricktown, by the Convention Center and hotel district that has developed (and is developing). All things considered, I think that the Mayor (et al.) made the right choice in this regard.

[Doug Loudenback]

Pete, never mind. I think I found your source ... this 40 page pdf file containing the power point file ... I think I'll extract the images and make a flash file from it (hoping that Okc won't mind if I do).

The link: https://www.okc.gov/news/2008_01/fordcenter_1.pdf

[Doug Loudenback]

I've quickly looked through the PDF file mentioned above ... aside from the 2 exterior Ford Center images seen here already, and the revised floor plans, there's really not much very "glitzy" shown (at least, on quick look). I'll look more closely after the OU game ... but here are the images already seen above, but with links to 1024 x 768 px versions ...

Entrance 1
Larger Image at: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...dcenter_01.jpg



Entrance 2
Larger Image at: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...dcenter_02.jpg

[BDP]

shouldn't we build a new arena, instead of investing $100m in a $80m arena?

No way. That'd be a waste and you'd loose the great location of the Ford Center. The is a great deal, imo, compared to what most other cities have done. Why spend $350 million total, just to have a $250 million arena somewhere else?

[CCOKC]

I happened to be home yesterday and watched the city council meeting in particular the presentation to the city council on the changes and the following discussion before the vote to hold the election. Let me first say that I will vote for the extension of sales tax. I am an NBA junkie always have been and the thought of having a professional team to call my own without a discussion (the Steelers? why them?) is a dream come true.
Let me play devil's advocate for a while. The big discussion among the council is the NBA specific additions to the Ford Center as well as the Practice Facility. You may notice the extra court in the plans to the Ford Center. This is a warmup court only and not the 20 million dollar practice facility. You may also notice the large new entrance on the southwest side of the building. This addition will also incorporate 30,000sf of offices for the proposed NBA team so that the team can office on site. The naysayers will contend that "wait a minute. Why are we paying for a practice facility and offfices for a group of millionaires who can pay for their own d**m buildings." True, very true. But it was mentioned in the meeting yesterday that of the 30 teams in the NBA currently this is sop. You want an NBA team you play by their rules. It may be we get some of the money back in the lease, but we may not.

Also, what happens if we pass this and the NBA doesn't come?

The cost breakdown was essentially 12mos for non-NBA specific and 3 months NBA specific. The 12 months would essentially pay for finishing the building the way it probably should have been in the first place.

I don't know if the council meetings are rebroadcast bust I am sure that the trancsripts are available at the city website.

[Decious]

I don't know if the council meetings are rebroadcast bust I am sure that the trancsripts are available at the city website.

You can watch the meeting by following the link below. Click on the "video" link on the January 2, 2008 row.


City of Oklahoma City | City Council Archive

The Ford Center presentation starts at about the 47 minute mark.

[bombermwc]

That's a huge excellent point there CCOKC. I don't think many people realize that we can get the cost of this back very quickly. If people really listened and understood that, I don't think anyone would really argue here. The Ford Center has made a crapload of money and can make money back from this again easily. Weve gotten such an awesome ride out of the place so far and for a bargain price. Now we get to give a little something back to the girl and give her a facelift that matters. She'll even thank us and pay it back quickly.....how can you NOT want it?

[brianinok]

That's a huge excellent point there CCOKC. I don't think many people realize that we can get the cost of this back very quickly. If people really listened and understood that, I don't think anyone would really argue here. The Ford Center has made a crapload of money and can make money back from this again easily. Weve gotten such an awesome ride out of the place so far and for a bargain price. Now we get to give a little something back to the girl and give her a facelift that matters. She'll even thank us and pay it back quickly.....how can you NOT want it?

I happened to be home yesterday and watched the city council meeting in particular the presentation to the city council on the changes and the following discussion before the vote to hold the election. Let me first say that I will vote for the extension of sales tax. I am an NBA junkie always have been and the thought of having a professional team to call my own without a discussion (the Steelers? why them?) is a dream come true.
Let me play devil's advocate for a while. The big discussion among the council is the NBA specific additions to the Ford Center as well as the Practice Facility. You may notice the extra court in the plans to the Ford Center. This is a warmup court only and not the 20 million dollar practice facility. You may also notice the large new entrance on the southwest side of the building. This addition will also incorporate 30,000sf of offices for the proposed NBA team so that the team can office on site. The naysayers will contend that "wait a minute. Why are we paying for a practice facility and offfices for a group of millionaires who can pay for their own d**m buildings." True, very true. But it was mentioned in the meeting yesterday that of the 30 teams in the NBA currently this is sop. You want an NBA team you play by their rules. It may be we get some of the money back in the lease, but we may not.

Also, what happens if we pass this and the NBA doesn't come?

The cost breakdown was essentially 12mos for non-NBA specific and 3 months NBA specific. The 12 months would essentially pay for finishing the building the way it probably should have been in the first place.

I don't know if the council meetings are rebroadcast bust I am sure that the trancsripts are available at the city website.

Nice additions. Come on Oklahoma City let's not get to the goal line and fumble the ball. We are ready to take the next step in our Cities development. In my opinion, this will spur additonal development downtown and continue the progress made over the past 10-15 years

I like it, but if all the money were going to the concourse, then maybe I'd say they could have done better. But as 1 superficial part of a 100 million dollar renovation that includes many real comfort and amenity improvements, I like it just fine. What's kind of cool about it is that, when it is all said and done, we'll have a mostly brick arena, but also have an entrance on par with many of the more modern styled arenas.

I think it would take a huge amount of money to give it an award winning outer face lift and, really, I don't think that money would be well spent. This way we get a grand entrance, a top tier arena, and a very good, imo, management of public money towards the the facility.

YES! I agree with pretty much everything here, so I'll just quote you guys rather than say it all over again!

[Kerry]

I like the new design. Imagine a snowny night when it is 20 degrees outside and you are walking up to that glass entrance glowing white. It will look awesome.

Does the Ford Center currently have storage lockers so fans can store purses and jackets and such? If not, then this would be another great addition and provide a new stream of revenue. Amusement parks and airports have them and I use them all the time. Pay $10 for the key and get $5 back when you return the key. The locks could easily be changed out after every game for keys that were not returned so no one could just keep a key indefinately and expect it to work.

[CuatrodeMayo]

One thing I noticed in the plans: The exit off of I-40 will have to be removed to complete the new SW entrance.

[Kerry]

I imagine all of I-40 will have to move before most of the Southside improvements can be made. Good thing they already started the process of doing that. This should allow for a lot of interest to accrue on the $100 million before it has to be spent. Maybe there will be some money left over for other upgrades. Didn't the city make about $100 million in interest off of the orginal MAPS funds?