New Downtown Arena

[warreng88]

Thought this article about the 76ers new arena was interesting:

Plans are coming more into focus for a new arena for the Philadelphia 76ers, with added commitment to the city and an updated design intended to alleviate concerns about impact the project would have on the community.

The $1.3 billion development includes and investment of $250 million toward housing units, the inclusion of minority-owned business in arena development and operations and raising the event floor to alleviate concerns of interference with operations or the major transit hub that would sit below the arena.

https://news.pollstar.com/2023/09/08...h-arena-plans/

[chssooner]

Thought this article about the 76ers new arena was interesting:

Plans are coming more into focus for a new arena for the Philadelphia 76ers, with added commitment to the city and an updated design intended to alleviate concerns about impact the project would have on the community.

The $1.3 billion development includes and investment of $250 million toward housing units, the inclusion of minority-owned business in arena development and operations and raising the event floor to alleviate concerns of interference with operations or the major transit hub that would sit below the arena.

https://news.pollstar.com/2023/09/08...h-arena-plans/

The benefits of having more people-friendly owners than OKC's team. OKC's owners, aside from Kaiser, have shown minimal public good concerns towards those less fortunate, aside from likely the occasional donation to an NFP.

[BoulderSooner]

The benefits of having more people-friendly owners than OKC's team. OKC's owners, aside from Kaiser, have shown minimal public good concerns towards those less fortunate, aside from likely the occasional donation to an NFP.

that is laughable

[Bellaboo]

The benefits of having more people-friendly owners than OKC's team. OKC's owners, aside from Kaiser, have shown minimal public good concerns towards those less fortunate, aside from likely the occasional donation to an NFP.

The Gaylord family and foundations have donated MILLIONS to charities and other public projects. Clay Bennet married a Gaylord daughter. How about University of Oklahoma Gaylord Family stadium ?

How about the Jimmy Everest Cancer Center. The list is a long one.

[PoliSciGuy]

The Gaylord family and foundations have donated MILLIONS to charities and other public projects. Clay Bennet married a Gaylord daughter. How about University of Oklahoma Gaylord Family stadium ?

How about the Jimmy Everest Cancer Center. The list is a long one.

So the Gaylord family has done a lot, what has Bennett done other than marrying their daughter?

[Rover]

So the Gaylord family has done a lot, what has Bennett done other than marrying their daughter?

This snarky remark only shows you have no idea or no desire to have an idea of who Clay really is.

[BDP]

So the Gaylord family has done a lot, what has Bennett done other than marrying their daughter?

Yikes!

[PoliSciGuy]

This snarky remark only shows you have no idea or no desire to have an idea of who Clay really is.

Actually I am very curious! It's a genuine question - I am unfamiliar with his philanthropy and would like to know more about it.

[Laramie]

[Pete]

Oklahoma reporting that the new arena plan will come before City Council no later than Oct.10th, because they have to approve at least 60 days before the Dec. 12th public vote date:

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news...s/70798180007/

[PoliSciGuy]

Interesting to see another council member cite Milwaukee as a model. Wonder if the community and team outlays will be similar.

[April in the Plaza]

Interesting to see another council member cite Milwaukee as a model. Wonder if the community and team outlays will be similar.

I think the reference to that deal primarily concerns the “community benefits” aspect. In addition to committing capital, the Bucks ownership group agreed to a FiServ arena minimum wage and preferential treatment of female/minority contractors in the construction and operation of the facility. Whether those terms would be viable here is, imo, an open question.

[Bellaboo]

So the Gaylord family has done a lot, what has Bennett done other than marrying their daughter?

Check him out, his family has their own money.

[Pete]

Interesting to see another council member cite Milwaukee as a model. Wonder if the community and team outlays will be similar.

I would be very surprised if the structure of the deal in OKC isn't almost exactly like the numbers shown in the recent survey.

[chssooner]

The Gaylord family and foundations have donated MILLIONS to charities and other public projects. Clay Bennet married a Gaylord daughter. How about University of Oklahoma Gaylord Family stadium ?

How about the Jimmy Everest Cancer Center. The list is a long one.

This tells us nothing. Correlation does not equal causation. A + B does not equal AB; it equals C. Bennett + Gaylord does not mean that Bennett gets credit for what the Gaylords have done. What has BENNETT done?

I will 100% vote yes on this, no matter what. Just seems weird that we have other NBA cities having $1.5 billion private arenas, and OKC's owners are putting in less that 10%. I am not saying I agree with PoliSci that we need to scrap the plans, either.

[ChrisHayes]

Okay, this question may come out of ignorance, because I haven't been following this that much. Do we have any idea what the new arena will look like, or who they'll try to emulate? I'll be voting for it, because it's pretty clear we need a bigger arena.

[Pete]

Okay, this question may come out of ignorance, because I haven't been following this that much. Do we have any idea what the new arena will look like, or who they'll try to emulate? I'll be voting for it, because it's pretty clear we need a bigger arena.

No, no clue about the design.

Once this passes, they will probably formally hire HOK or Populous and go from there. They have no doubt already figure out who it's going to be and we'll probably see some preliminary designs as part of the campaign for the public vote in December.

[Rover]

This tells us nothing. Correlation does not equal causation. A + B does not equal AB; it equals C. Bennett + Gaylord does not mean that Bennett gets credit for what the Gaylords have done. What has BENNETT done?

I will 100% vote yes on this, no matter what. Just seems weird that we have other NBA cities having $1.5 billion private arenas, and OKC's owners are putting in less that 10%. I am not saying I agree with PoliSci that we need to scrap the plans, either.

Obviously, you don’t like Clay, but that aside, what are the other cities, their populations and demographics, and what were the terms of the deals? All this makes a huge difference. Please be factually and specifically critical and just not critical because you don’t like somebody or their wealth.

[chssooner]

Obviously, you don’t like Clay, but that aside, what are the other cities, their populations and demographics, and what were the terms of the deals? All this makes a huge difference. Please be factually and specifically critical and just not critical because you don’t like somebody or their wealth.

Milwaukee isn't THAT different than OKC. Philly is different, yes. So I am not comparing them. But somewhere between 7% and 50%, closer to 25 or 30%, should be more than doable for this ownership group. $70 million out of a $1 billion arena is a fart in a hurricane, that is the only thing that bothers me. But I agree OKC needs a new arena, so I will vote yes either way.

[Rover]

Milwaukee isn't THAT different than OKC. Philly is different, yes. So I am not comparing them. But somewhere between 7% and 50%, closer to 25 or 30%, should be more than doable for this ownership group. $70 million out of a $1 billion arena is a fart in a hurricane, that is the only thing that bothers me. But I agree OKC needs a new arena, so I will vote yes either way.

What were the terms of the Milwaukee agreement? I doubt the owners didn’t get something valuable in return.

[chssooner]

What were the terms of the Milwaukee agreement? I doubt the owners didn’t get something valuable in return.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/opini...le/5384338001/
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/...rena/84994610/
https://www.athleticbusiness.com/fac...ew-bucks-arena

[HOT ROD]

Im not following why the OKC Chamber doesn't hire a firm for preliminary renderings. They've done it for past MAPS programs no? Why is this falling ALL on the city, which I can sort of understand they wouldn't spend $ until it's affirmed. Just seems strange to have to vote yes for something you have no idea what (or where) it will be - almost like cohersion in a way.

But nevertheless - vote yes for it. But still, my point - why can't the Chamber do something to please the public and help this overwhelmingly pass (like they do/did for the fairgrounds for example)?

[PoliSciGuy]

Check him out, his family has their own money.

I have checked him out and searched for any records of his philanthropy but nothing is coming up. Can you point me in the direction for records of his patronage of OKC area charities and works?

[Pete]

Im not following why the OKC Chamber doesn't hire a firm for preliminary renderings. They've done it for past MAPS programs no? Why is this falling ALL on the city, which I can sort of understand they wouldn't spend $ until it's affirmed. Just seems strange to have to vote yes for something you have no idea what (or where) it will be - almost like cohersion in a way.

But nevertheless - vote yes for it. But still, my point - why can't the Chamber do something to please the public and help this overwhelmingly pass (like they do/did for the fairgrounds for example)?

Why do you assume they haven't already commissioned some preliminary plan/renderings?

I suspect they have, we just won't see them until the people involved are ready.

[HOT ROD]

because it's these closed door, behind the scenes agreements on public funds that is starting to irk people who are otherwise excited about this particular project/need.

typically the chamber is fast forward on other projects they want, and transparent when the do have plans. IE, point to the fairgrounds. They had a grand rendering as soon as they announced they wanted to be part of MAPS. Same for the other MAPS projects.

I think it's too careless to rest on their laurels on this. Why not be transparent about the biggest project in OKC history, have at least a preliminary render or a comparable they want to aspire to; neither have yet to be announced and summer ends in 2 weeks.