OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark

[kukblue1]

This just screams casino too me. Kind of glad there isn't one but is there going to be enough to keep people coming and going all the time? I been to the museum shortly after it open and haven't been back.

[bison34]

This just screams casino too me. Kind of glad there isn't one but is there going to be enough to keep people coming and going all the time? I been to the museum shortly after it open and haven't been back.

Let me know how many failed Chickasaw business ventures there have been. I'll wait. They've done more than plenty of research to make sure this will be a success.

Not bashing you, but their casino ventures are a small part of their assets. They have tons of outside business ventures not involving gambling.

[kukblue1]

Let me know how many failed Chickasaw business ventures there have been. I'll wait. They've done more than plenty of research to make sure this will be a success.

Not bashing you, but their casino ventures are a small part of their assets. They have tons of outside business ventures not involving gambling.

It's going to knock it our of the part with tourist and by no means do I think it's going to fail. I was just thinking more in terms of locals coming and going.

[scottk]

This just screams casino too me. Kind of glad there isn't one but is there going to be enough to keep people coming and going all the time? I been to the museum shortly after it open and haven't been back.

Parent here. If they are priced at or lower than Great Wolf Lodge (which seems likely), I am saving the three hour drive to Grapevine and be at a much newer facility. I. imagine this place will pull in from Wichita, Tulsa, and NW Arkansas. From the renderings, it looks like it will be quite the place for entertainment, especially with the inflatable ninja course on the water.

[jn1780]

It will draw people from all the surrounding states. People like options and visiting new resorts.

[Dob Hooligan]

This just screams casino too me. Kind of glad there isn't one but is there going to be enough to keep people coming and going all the time? I been to the museum shortly after it open and haven't been back.

There will never be a casino there. You would have to change Stare, County and OKC law, and get every other tribe in Oklahoma to sign off on letting the Chickasaw have a casino with zero benefit to themselves.

[Laramie]

There will never be a casino there. You would have to change Stare, County and OKC law, and get every other tribe in Oklahoma to sign off on letting the Chickasaw have a casino with zero benefit to themselves.

Let's not half step, how about a Tribes-State-City sponsored MEGA CASINO in Oklahoma City on the OKANA-FAM Museum site where all the state's tribes share in revenue (Tribes 50% and Oklahoma State & Oklahoma City 50%). On the condition that the participating tribes, state and city contribute to quadruple the size of OKANA from 404 rooms to 1,616 room resort with a 1,212 room 33-story expansion wing.

[bison34]

Let's not half step, how about a Tribes-State-City sponsored MEGA CASINO in Oklahoma City on the OKANA-FAM Museum site where all the state's tribes share in revenue (Tribes 50% and Oklahoma State & Oklahoma City 50%). On the condition that the participating tribes, state and city contribute to quadruple the size of OKANA from 404 rooms to 1,616 room resort with a 1,212 room 33-story expansion wing.

Haha. The amount if manpower it would take to draw up a contract, pass laws, amend the constitution, and whatever other steps it would take for that to happen would make it the most expensive casino resort ever, both to build, design, plan, and to stay at. Lol.

I love the enthusiasm!

[Snowman]

Let's not half step, how about a State Tribes sponsored MEGA CASINO in Oklahoma City on the OKANA-FAM Museum site where all the state's tribes share in revenue (Tribes 50% and Oklahoma State & Oklahoma City 50%. On the condition that the participating tribes, state and city contribute to quadruple the size of OKANA from 404 rooms to 1,616 with a 1,212 room 33 story expansion wing.

There are five tribes that can build casinos around the edges of the metro. Four of them this would likely hurt their most active current casino or potential for larger one in their best potential locations, though OKC metro is probably only somewhere in top five of locations Chickasaw can operate they have pretty sizable operations here too. Even if these five got unequally high percentage compared to all tribes in the state, that still seems hard to ever make it work for them.

[Kemotblue]

Do you know what kind or type of FEC is going into the OKANA resort? Will it be like Main Event with arcade games/bowling/pool or like Incredible Pizza with ride attractions?

[Laramie]

This is why we can forget about the gambling and tribes gaming angle. Oklahoma could never figure out an equable way to distribute revenue that would satisfy the Tribes and State to come to an agreement.

Kudos to Oklahoma City as we work to improve our city thru the passage of MAPS and Bonds to improve our city and schools.

OKANA Resort will be another tourist piece to accommodate the out-of-town visitors who spend money in our city as well as our locals..

The more accommodations we add to Oklahoma City's portfolio in the form of hotels, resorts and tourist attractions the
more we'll improve our city's image. We don't need gambling or high end casinos to make Oklahoma City attractive to
businesses and corporate firms wanting to expand to our city.

Get the $900 million arena built for NBA and other events along with the State Fair Coliseum. Build that Aquarium piece. We are on our way to becoming an attractive 'family friendly' community that welcome young professionals and retain local talent in our state.

Oklahoma City has unique districts within our city's boundaries--let's continue to build on what we have.

[Snowman]

This is why we can forget about the gambling and tribes gaming angle. Oklahoma could never figure out an equable way to distribute revenue that would satisfy the Tribes and State to come to an agreement.

....

It is absurd to blame this on Oklahoma. Even if the state and city took zero taxes on any gambling/gaming revenue, that still does not mean it could ever make business sense for all tribes.

[Laramie]

It is absurd to blame this on Oklahoma. Even if the state and city took zero taxes on any gambling/gaming revenue, that still does not mean it could ever make business sense for all tribes.

Just come to the realization that if you want something like a casino as one poster suggested--you're not going to get everyone on board. Personally, I'm not a gambling man; however, I wouldn't stand in the way of Oklahomans who want to exercise that option.

Let's not forget it was the Chickasaw Tribe that rescued the FAM museum; our city gave them the 100 acres to build OKANA. We (OKC) will continue to grow because of the investments in MAPS and Bonds we've made over the years.

[Urbanized]

This Casino talk gets very tiring. To reiterate, it would take a literal act of congress. Indian casinos are only allowed on lands that historically belonged in the assigned tribal lands of the nation seeking the casino, and must be placed into trust by the federal government. There’s a reason the land run that settled OKC is known as the Run for the Unassigned Lands; it was assigned to no tribal nation at the time of white settlement. During Removal (post-1830 Indian Removal Act), it was assigned to the Seminoles, but that was rescinded by the U.S. government owing to their alignment with either Confederacy during the Civil War.

It’s literally impossible under the Indian Gaming Act of 1988, as written, for there to be an Indian casino with full Class III gaming within the city limits of OKC. Were it possible, the Chickasaws would have added dice, roulette and cards at Remington Park years ago.

Can we please drop this line of conversation? Not only does it completely ignore reality, it borders on disrespectful to the Chickasaws. What I mean by that is that it diminishes the world class offering they are already building in our city, plus all of their other non-gaming investments, and reduces the Chickasaws to a one-dimensional portrayal.

[Rover]

Thank you.

[foodiefan]

This Casino talk gets very tiring. To reiterate, it would take a literal act of congress. Indian casinos are only allowed on lands that historically belonged in the assigned tribal lands of the nation seeking the casino, and must be placed into trust by the federal government. There’s a reason the land run that settled OKC is known as the Run for the Unassigned Lands; it was assigned to no tribal nation at the time of white settlement. During Removal (post-1830 Indian Removal Act), it was assigned to the Seminoles, but that was rescinded by the U.S. government owing to their alignment with either Confederacy during the Civil War.

It’s literally impossible under the Indian Gaming Act of 1988, as written, for there to be an Indian casino with full Class III gaming within the city limits of OKC. Were it possible, the Chickasaws would have added dice, roulette and cards at Remington Park years ago.

Can we please drop this line of conversation? Not only does it completely ignore reality, it borders on disrespectful to the Chickasaws. What I mean by that is that it diminishes the world class offering they are already building in our city, plus all of their other non-gaming investments, and reduces the Chickasaws to a one-dimensional portrayal.

^^^

[jn1780]

Do you know what kind or type of FEC is going into the OKANA resort? Will it be like Main Event with arcade games/bowling/pool or like Incredible Pizza with ride attractions?

It will be like Main Event. The water park is the main attraction. They could always add things in the future phases.


Also, I agree that the casino talk is getting tiring. In some alternate realty where they could build a casino, they would have built something completely different and focus 75% of their efforts on that casino. It's like going to Great Wolf lodge and saying "do you know what Great Wolf Lodge needs? Gambling!".

[BoulderSooner]

. Were it possible, the Chickasaws would have added dice, roulette and cards at Remington Park years ago.

agree with all that you said .... but i will point out the the chickasaws don't own any land at remington park ..

[Urbanized]

agree with all that you said .... but i will point out the the chickasaws don't own any land at remington park ..

For sure, that is absolutely true. Though I'm sure if the law would allow them to move to full-blown Class III they would have found a way to skin that cat via purchase or through the incorporation of adjacent real estate that ISN'T owned by the zoo. But they haven't bothered, because even if they DID own it, such a change would be literally impossible, under laws written for the entire United States more than a generation ago.

[Dob Hooligan]

For sure, that is absolutely true. Though I'm sure if the law would allow them to move to full-blown Class III they would have found a way to skin that cat via purchase or through the incorporation of adjacent real estate that ISN'T owned by the zoo. But they haven't bothered, because even if they DID own it, such a change would be literally impossible, under laws written for the entire United States more than a generation ago.

And my understanding is that Remington Park is not now, and has never been, a tribal casino. It is a horse racing track with slot machines that operates completely outside the Indian Gaming Act. The Chickasaw happen to be the gaming company that bought the track. As an example, it could have been Churchill Down or Las Vegas Sands if they had bid the most.

[Urbanized]

^^^^^^^^^^^
That’s correct. It’s a separate compact with the state that allows limited gaming a level below full-blown Indian gaming, but only when connected to horse racing facilities. This was intended to save the horse racing industry here.

The only reason I mentioned Remington was to say that if it (full-blown Indian gaming) was possible to do in OKC it already would have happened. It is instead categorically IMpossible, according to current (and 35 year old) federal law.

And with all of that said, I’d prefer to return the thread to its intended topic, OKANA. I was actually hoping to put an end to the casino discussion here rather than to prolong it.

[BDP]

It will draw people from all the surrounding states. People like options and visiting new resorts.

It also sits on the only stretch of highway where I-35 and I-40 share the same road, making it a great stop off destination for a lot of cross country and border-to-border travelers. It's basically on the route of anyone driving through the state via interstate .

[ChrisHayes]

I was there checking out the progress and there were bridge segments being delivered.

[Pete]

[Urbanized]

^^^^^^^^^
Several of those pictures illustrate very clearly that the entire hotel will have a lovely, unimpeded OKC skyline view, despite the parking garage related worrying in this thread. In fact, placing it on the back of the property (as far as the Eastern Avenue approach is concerned) seems like exactly the right move, all things considered.