New Downtown Arena

[chssooner]

From earlier this summer:

NBA And NHL Host Cities Will Rake In Millions This Weekend—Here’s How Much

Doesn't show amounts going directly into the city's general fund, so it won't please some on this site. Love this article!

[April in the Plaza]

I’m itching for the renderings to leak!

i'm just wondering who is winning the negotiation. my money is on the ownership group. they will end up with a great deal, imo.

i'm a yes vote either way, but would def. prefer the owners chip in roughly the same amount, on a percentage of total cost basis, that Milwaukee's ownership group chipped in for FiServ.

[Laramie]

i'm just wondering who is winning the negotiation. my money is on the ownership group. they will end up with a great deal, imo.

^ ^ ^ Agree 100% ^ ^ ^

We're in the Big Leagues now and there's no turning back without doing irritable harm to our city's reputation.

[BDP]

The Concerts and Live Entertainment Industry: A Significant Economic Engine

Arenas aren't just for basketball.

[Laramie]

[BDP]

I’m itching for the renderings to leak!

How much design can they do without funding approved by voters?

[SEMIweather]

When is the deadline to put this on the ballot in December? I would expect we'll finally get more details at that point.

[BG918]

How much design can they do without funding approved by voters?

I think they realize they need some pretty pictures to sell this to voters. Even if they are just "conceptual".

A big question will be whether they hire a Starchitect like Tulsa did with Cesar Pelli or go with a sports architecture firm like Populous or HOK

[caaokc]

I’d imagine they go with Populous

[HOT ROD]

knowing OKC, it will be HOK. I;d love for it to be a star but since it's largely public funded they have to be safe.

As for the renderings, I believe they have to get that done before October, since don't you need 3 months before an election. Not completely sure but I 'think' I remember hearing that in prior elections, it has to be announced 3 months ahead.

[Bowser214]

Thunder ranks 7th in international fan base
https://kfor.com/news/local/which-nb...national-fans/

[Laramie]

^ ^ ^

Good news among small markets under 2 million MSA where OKC (42th) is 4th smallest MSA market ahead of Memphis (44th), Salt Lake City (46th) and New Orleans (47th).

Oklahoma City and Memphis are similar sized MSA markets both with NBA franchises: OKC - Supersonics were in Seattle and Grizzlies were in Vancouver B.C. - Pacific Northwest Region from very reputable markets.

Memphis, Shelby County could pay Memphis Grizzlies $44.8 million as part of a reworked lease: https://www.commercialappeal.com/sto...ty/7209105001/

Memphis Fedex Forum: Construction cost: U.S. $250 million ($387 million in 2022 dollars.

[caaokc]

Interesting stuff in Kansas City revealing two different location options for a potential stadium development https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-08-22...here-to-put-it

[David]

Interesting stuff in Kansas City revealing two different location options for a potential stadium development https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-08-22...here-to-put-it

Those are both interesting but I think the East Village option is much better (not that my opinion matters at all). At least by the visuals there seems to be much less opportunity for them to shove a bunch of surface parking into the surrounding area.

[PoliSciGuy]

Interesting stuff in Kansas City revealing two different location options for a potential stadium development https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-08-22...here-to-put-it

Wow, ownership ponying up at least $1b

[chssooner]

Guess the Thunder aren't magnanimous enough, and we need to tell them to pound sand to Louisville or back to Seattle, or Austin, or KC (most likely). You got them.

[Dob Hooligan]

Wow, ownership ponying up at least $1b

A billion dollars from the public and that is what you take away from the article? A dedicated 3/8 cent sales tax that they already get, yet they want it extended forever, and that is what you take away from the article?

[Laramie]

You know PoliSciGuy is preoccupied to jump, as he takes every single available opportunity he can to push his agenda that Thunder should pay for the new Oklahoma City arena.

Louisville is similar in size and population would love to be in Memphis and Oklahoma City's position.

Louisville GDP - 48 MSA (45th) 1,284,553, City 624,444 - Lost MSA and City population in the last census.
Memphis GDP 47 - MSA (44th) 1,332,305, City 621,056 - Lost MSA and City population in the last census.
Oklahoma City GDP 46 - MSA (42nd) 1,459,380, City 694,800 - Gained MSA and City population in the last census.
Kansas City GDP 33 - MSA (31st) 2,209,494, City 509,297 - Gained MSA and City population in the last census.

List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...n_areas_by_GDP
Metropolitan statistical area: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrop...atistical_area
List of United States cities by population: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._by_population

How many of the 30 NBA ownership/groups, own the NBA arenas they play in...

Finding out who owns every NBA arena: https://www.reddit.com/r/nbadiscussi...ery_nba_arena/

.

.

[PoliSciGuy]

Incredible how a simple observation from an article *someone else posted* somehow caused you all to make bad faith assumptions and arguments about me. Y'all really need to stop being so defensive.

[Laramie]

Incredible how a simple observation from an article *someone else posted* somehow caused you all to make bad faith assumptions and arguments about me. Y'all really need to stop being so defensive.

Which article, and who posted, please be specific . . .

As far as anyone being defensive, many postings about a new arena have been positive. Voters will have an opportunity to give a thumbs up or down to this development project.

[PoliSciGuy]

I literally quoted the post, which contained the link, when I commented. Read up man.

[Laramie]

Let's continue with the discussion, to my observation we'll just have to agree to disagree. Most posters IMO know our current arena is inadequate for the long-term viability of hosting an NBA franchise.

This is Oklahoma City & Oklahoma's NBA team supported by the corporations, ownership and the fans.

Our current arena needs to be replaced with something more State-of-the art comparable to Milwaukee's $524 million Fiserv Forum and San Francisco's $1.4 billion Chase Center. Time to invest is now, let's go big and build an arena that will last for the next five decades or longer with minimum upgrades.

Want to see an arena with eye appeal of T-Mobile (formerly Sprint Center) in Kansas City and more impressive than Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

[PoliSciGuy]

I agree that Fiserv and Chase are good comparisons and stadia we should be shooting for. The Bucks covered half the cost of Fiserv and the Warrior ownership covered 100% of the Chase Center.

[PhiAlpha]

I agree that FIserv and Chase are good comparisons and stadia we should be shooting for. The Bucks covered half the cost of Fiserv and the Warrior ownership covered 100% of the Chase Center.

Chase may be a good comparison for what we want in an arena but the Bay Area and the Golden State Warriors are not good comparisons to OKC and the Thunder. Fiserv and the Bucks are a better one but it's still a city with another professional franchise competing for tax dollars.

[PoliSciGuy]

Chase may be a good comparison for what we want in an arena but the Bay Area and the Golden State Warriors are not good comparisons to OKC and the Thunder. Fiserv and the Bucks are a better one but it's still a city with another professional franchise competing for tax dollars.

Fair points, though the Brewers have a tough road ahead of them in trying to get a massive taxpayer handout to update Miller Park