Paycom Center (formerly Chesapeake Arena)

[Larry OKC]

thanks Rover for the pic, that's the one I remember

[Kerry]

If that is facing south then the sun started setting in the south!!! Look at the bottom right corner, about an inch up, the sun is setting!!! Someone needs to get real with their renderings!!!

That is the sunrise. People are lining up early to get playoff tickets.

[bombermwc]

And I guess he doesn't remember the threads in the past where I showed the similarities in the facilties. I'll repost that graphic here...gasp, they're the same.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43309757@N05/5433680116/ And before you get your panties in a twist, what my whole point of the overhead shot is, they're arenas. They have different styles on the outside as far as the facade goes, but they are basically the same beast. Heck, look at how the doors even point folks. Once the Ford Center (not gonna call is OKC Arena) gets it's last round of updates, it's a whole new design on the outside, as well as a whole new floorplan on the inside. The concrete finishes dissapear...something that's still going to be there with the BOK.

We just saw in previous posts how the scoreboards differ. OKC = lots of screen space for whatever you'd like to put up there, much like Own Field. BOK = lots of Williams advertisement space, not much space for actual content.

I'm not trying to down BOK, she's a sexy looking b*tch on the outside folks. I wish Ford Center had that kind of interestingly shaped exterior. HOWEVER, once you walk inside, it's the same plain jane arena you'll find anywhere in America. At least with the renovations, you're seeing a MUCH different Ford Center than when it opened. Hey, Tulsa might do the same as BOK evolves. But until the last phase is done on FC, they're arenas.....bowls with seats.

[SOONER8693]

and i guess he doesn't remember the threads in the past where i showed the similarities in the facilties. I'll repost that graphic here...gasp, they're the same.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43309757@n05/5433680116/ and before you get your panties in a twist, what my whole point of the overhead shot is, they're arenas. They have different styles on the outside as far as the facade goes, but they are basically the same beast. Heck, look at how the doors even point folks. Once the ford center (not gonna call is okc arena) gets it's last round of updates, it's a whole new design on the outside, as well as a whole new floorplan on the inside. The concrete finishes dissapear...something that's still going to be there with the bok.


We just saw in previous posts how the scoreboards differ. Okc = lots of screen space for whatever you'd like to put up there, much like own field. Bok = lots of williams advertisement space, not much space for actual content.

I'm not trying to down bok, she's a sexy looking b*tch on the outside folks. I wish ford center had that kind of interestingly shaped exterior. However, once you walk inside, it's the same plain jane arena you'll find anywhere in america. At least with the renovations, you're seeing a much different ford center than when it opened. Hey, tulsa might do the same as bok evolves. But until the last phase is done on fc, they're arenas.....bowls with seats.

amen!

[Chautauqua]

[QUOTE=bombermwc;401152]And I guess he doesn't remember the threads in the past where I showed the similarities in the facilties. I'll repost that graphic here...gasp, they're the same.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43309757@N05/5433680116/ And before you get your panties in a twist, what my whole point of the overhead shot is, they're arenas. They have different styles on the outside as far as the facade goes, but they are basically the same beast. Heck, look at how the doors even point folks. Once the Ford Center (not gonna call is OKC Arena) gets it's last round of updates, it's a whole new design on the outside, as well as a whole new floorplan on the inside. The concrete finishes dissapear...something that's still going to be there with the BOK.

We just saw in previous posts how the scoreboards differ. OKC = lots of screen space for whatever you'd like to put up there, much like Own Field. BOK = lots of Williams advertisement space, not much space for actual content.



I'm not trying to down BOK, she's a sexy looking b*tch on the outside folks. I wish Ford Center had that kind of interestingly shaped exterior. HOWEVER, once you walk inside, it's the same plain jane arena you'll find anywhere in America. At least with the renovations, you're seeing a MUCH different Ford Center than when it opened. Hey, Tulsa might do the same as BOK evolves. But until the last phase is done on FC, they're arenas.....bowls with seats.

Really, man? REALLY?

I am just going to put this here: http://blog.newsok.com/thunderrumbli...s-ford-center/

[Larry OKC]

Don't have the exact quote handy but even Bennett gave the BOK very high marks. As far as "not much space for actual content (bolded quote in the previous post), someone else mentioned that whatever content is there is obliterated by the numerous Williams logo/signs that are in fixed positions. Imagine that many network logos cluttering up the screen on your TV. One of them is bad enough.

I think the Ford/OKC Arena's exterior design would have worked better if it had been built within Bricktown (instead of nearby)

[bombermwc]

Hey Chataqua - that blog misses the point alltogether.

1 - Yes Ford Center was built with 90 million...in the late 90's. It would have cost more to build today, and we've spent more than that already on improvements. It hasn't been a 90 million building since it opened. That blog was out of date as soon as it was written.

2 - I already said the outside of the BOK is great. But even that blog mention the exact thing I did....inside, it's an arena...whoopie.

3 - The scoreboard??? Really? Since when is slapping a bunch of square screens together in a jumble cool? Here's a vid of the new Ford Center scoreboard. Take a look and tell me where you see any huge permanent advertisement space that takes up hundreds of square feet of eye territory. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuTWMftxeh0 Becuase that's totally the same as the BOK center that is mostly STATIC. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzzIB2N1bk8

[Kerry]

Don't have the exact quote handy but even Bennett gave the BOK very high marks. As far as "not much space for actual content (bolded quote in the previous post), someone else mentioned that whatever content is there is obliterated by the numerous Williams logo/signs that are in fixed positions. Imagine that many network logos cluttering up the screen on your TV. One of them is bad enough.

I think the Ford/OKC Arena's exterior design would have worked better if it had been built within Bricktown (instead of nearby)

What did you expect Bennett to say; this place sucks?

[metro]

No kidding, ever heard of politics and political correctness/ posturing? He owns the WNBA team that plays in the arena as well as the DLeague mens team.

[Swake2]

No kidding, ever heard of politics and political correctness/ posturing? He owns the WNBA team that plays in the arena as well as the DLeague mens team.

He doesn't own the WNBA team and his D-league team doesn't play there. But nice try.

[metro]

Even so, you get my point, and at one time he did own it, possibly at the time of those comments quoted when e team first moved here.

[betts]

I'm not sure I understand this discussion. I don't really see this as an arena competition. Tulsa has a beautiful arena. I too was underwhelmed by the interior, but I haven't really ever been overwhelmed by an arena interior, although I haven't visited them all and haven't been to the grand dame...Madison Square Garden...since its renovation. American Airlines in Dallas is impressive in that you can see a LOT of money was spent, but I don't like the design and think they tried too hard to make it classy without success. Again, for Oklahoma City, the important thing is that we've got a great product inside the arena, and we haven't got any arena debt, but do have a decent arena that will be nice when finished. It will not be the penultimate, but we didn't spend penultimate money. I'm quite satisfied, myself.

[Kerry]

Wait a second. Tulsa has this nice downtown arena and the NBA D-League team doesn't play in it? Why not?

[BoulderSooner]

Even so, you get my point, and at one time he did own it, possibly at the time of those comments quoted when e team first moved here.

actually he never owned the wnba team in tulsa .. it was bought and moved from Detroit the seattle team is still in seattle

[Swake2]

Wait a second. Tulsa has this nice downtown arena and the NBA D-League team doesn't play in it? Why not?

Metro, to my knowledge Bennett has never owned any part of the Shock.

The 66rs don't play in the BOk center because it's way too big, they never have played there. 18,000 seats for maybe 1-2,000 people in the stands? That makes no sense. They currently play a block down the street at the Convention Center Arena which seats I think 9,000 people. They used to play at the Expo Square Pavilion and in Bixby at the Spirit Bank Center which both seat 4-5,000 I think.

The BOK center is plenty busy with concerts, shows and the much more popular Oilers and Talons.

[MustangGT]

Swake2 I appreciate you having the correct facts and posting them as opposed to...

[betts]

It's true. Bill Cameron is the majority owner of the Shock. Clay Bennett owned the Storm but sold them to local ownership in Seattle rather than moving them, although Tulsa had been suggested as an option before he sold them. So, I could see how the confusion could exist.

[metro]

Metro, to my knowledge Bennett has never owned any part of the Shock.

The 66rs don't play in the BOk center because it's way too big, they never have played there. 18,000 seats for maybe 1-2,000 people in the stands? That makes no sense. They currently play a block down the street at the Convention Center Arena which seats I think 9,000 people. They used to play at the Expo Square Pavilion and in Bixby at the Spirit Bank
Center which both seat 4-5,000 I think.
The BOK center is plenty busy with concerts, shows and the much more popular Oilers and Talons.

Ok thanks for correcting me, I forgot Bennett made the deal to keep Storm in Seattle, but I'm pretty sure he owned it for awhile before he sold it to the female ownership group in Seattle.

Again, either way, that's not my point, go back and reread my point. Typical Tulsan to look over the fact and argue semantics of how their arena is better. Again, the point is what would you expect him to say about Tulsa when he relies on some ticket buyers for the Thunder and D League support in Tulsa, as well as TV market. It was a business move. And Bill Cameron, his buddy and co-owner of Thunder, and owner of Shock, is also from OKC.

[Larry OKC]

What did you expect Bennett to say; this place sucks?

Not exactly, but wondered about the Ford improvements (if they would be on par with a non-NBA arena just up the road)...possible partial justification for "needing" a new arena here.

No kidding, ever heard of politics and political correctness/ posturing? He owns the WNBA team that plays in the arena as well as the DLeague mens team.

Believe he made the statement before they had purchased the development league team. Hadn't heard that Bennet was in the WNBA ownership group? Why would he do that when he owned a WNBA team (the Seattle Storm) and then sold it off?

on edit, I see others have pointed this out, so disregard that part

He did indeed own the Storm but sold them back to the Seattle ownership group before the relocation happened. (after insisting that the Storm was not for sale).

[Swake2]

Typical Tulsan to look over the fact and argue semantics of how their arena is better.

Typical flamethrowing Metro. All I did was point out the gross inaccuracy of your post.

I actually have never commented on which arena is better. Right now, I don't have to, it's obvious. Once the pretty drawings become reality for the changes at the former Ford Center we can reassess. I don't think I have ever even seen any final plans, if someone has them, I would like to see them in this thread. But, until the work is done we are only guessing at what the arena in Oklahoma City is going to be like.

[OKCisOK4me]

There are plenty of pictures of the "final plans". Just follow this link and you'll see them for yourself:

Final Plans

[Rover]

What a bunch of ego positioning this thread has turned into. This thread shouldn't have anything to do with Tulsa. Who in OKC really cares about the BOK center and how it compares to the OKC Arena? Both serve their purpose. I am glad Tulsa finally upgraded their situation. Yea for them.

I have been to any number of arenas where the NBA plays and some where they don't. OKC inside matches up just fine in critical areas of seat size and leg room, number of seats, comfort of seats and sight lines. Where it failed on opening is finish material in common areas, size and quality of gathering areas, quality of concessions, number of suites and loges, etc. OKC got a basic and basically functional big city arena at start up. Believe it or not, it was actually very comparable to the average then, but not elegant. The new additions and the ones to get underway will address most of the flash issue and a great deal of the functional issues. The previous poster is correct in that the interiors are much the same, especially BOK and OKC, and practically every other areana built in the US in the last decade that is of that size. It is the lobby, entry and exterior fru-fru where most of the difference occurred. After the new addition is built, THEN we can have our childish pi$$ing contest over Tulsa and OKC...do you like the spaceship in downtown Tulsa or the warehouse in OKC?

[warreng88]

Planned arena sign conflicts with ordinances
By Brianna Bailey
Journal Record
Oklahoma City reporter - Contact 405-278-2847
Posted: 09:29 PM Friday, February 11, 2011

OKLAHOMA CITY – A 1,575-square-foot LED video screen that is part of planned renovations on the Oklahoma City Arena runs afoul of downtown zoning ordinances that restrict large, illuminated signs. The sign also could feature advertising from corporate event sponsors.

Many big-ticket concert tours the arena might attract come with corporate sponsorships attached, meaning the LED sign might occasionally flash a corporate logo or two to promote events, said Tom Anderson, special projects manager for Oklahoma City.

The sign would primarily be used to broadcast the Oklahoma City Thunder schedule, as well as broadcast an occasional game.

“Certainly any naming rights sponsor I would anticipate would want some rights associated with the use of it,” Anderson said. “We would also like the flexibility of being able to put some element of advertising on it, which would be advantageous to help enhance any revenue.”

Plans for the sign show a 20.4-foot-by-74.4-foot LED screen that would be mounted on the north side of the arena and face W. Reno Avenue.

The sign is part of a $5 million contract the Oklahoma City Council awarded to Ford Audio-Video Systems Inc. last week to make internal and external audiovisual improvements at the arena. Plans for the screen are part of improvements worth $36 million that 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 LED screen will be similar to existing video screens inside the arena, only larger, said Wayne Courville, a construction manager for Oklahoma City. The renovations are slated to ramp up as soon as the NBA season is over and wrap up by May 2012.

Because the sign might include incidental advertising from corporate event sponsors, it would be considered a non-accessory sign, which would make it subject to stricter zoning guidelines, according to a city staff report.

“No non-accessory sign shall be constructed, erected, or placed in any way on the roof or walls of a building,” city code states.

The large LED video screen would produce 7,000 nits of illumination, which is about the same amount of light generated by 28 LCD computer screens. City code bars signs in nonresidential areas from generating more than 500 nits at night and more than 6,500 nits during the day, according to a city report on the LED screen. However, the sign can be adjusted to comply with city illumination limits during the day, the report said.

The LED screen also would clash with a city code that limits the height distance from the lot line.

The Downtown Design Review Committee is slated to consider plans for the LED screen at its next meeting Thursday. In a report to the committee, city staff recommended approving design plans for the arena LED screen, on the condition the city grants zoning variances for the size, height, mounting location and illumination level of the sign.

In 2008, the Downtown Design Review Committee raised questions over plans the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber had to build a 30-foot-by-55-foot external LED media sign as part of a new headquarters building at NW Fourth Street and E.K. Gaylord Boulevard, even though chamber officials promised they wouldn’t sell advertising space on the sign.

The Design Review Committee never approved plans for the chamber LED sign and now plans to build the new headquarters are on hold, said Marcus Elwell, a chamber spokesman.

[kevinpate]

...
Plans for the sign show a 20.4-foot-by-74.4-foot LED screen that would be mounted on the north side of the arena and face W. Reno Avenue. ...

north side of the arena?

As to the conflict, grant a variance or rewrite the danged thing. Either way, end of problem.

[Larry OKC]

Wasn't it just this past summer that the Council went round-n-round on the whole sign ordinance thing? Hard to believe no one thought about this before now. LOL