University Town Center

[PhiAlpha]

Im skeptical of this $1 billion number. Seems like a big number to throw out just to make it seem like this is a good idea. $1 billion of investment wont happen here for probably at least 2 decades, and it looks like it includes apartments. Not sure why its relevant to this arena discussion. And the effect that dining options nearby will have on attendance for college basketball or gymnastics is overestimated, plus you could already have that with an arena near the football stadium. Outside of the new-factor the first year or so, it wont improve non-student attendance and will certainly negatively effect student attendance.

BIggest question I have is about the "if this doesnt happen, nothing will for next 20 years" comments. Why? Wheres all that annual SEC windfall going? Wont OU earn about $15 million more in the SEC? That extra annual income is enough to finance a new arena. Or is that money already spent?

Well using that number, if they didn't want to take on additional debt to build it, wanted to pay for all of it themselves, and didn't plan to use any of that money for any other sport...it would take 20 years to raise $300,000,000 and which by that time would like be near the cost of the new arena alone.

[FighttheGoodFight]

I'm sure OU's athletic program has done research on this over many years. If the whole program wants to move and do this deal it seems like they have good reason.

[chssooner]

Im skeptical of this $1 billion number. Seems like a big number to throw out just to make it seem like this is a good idea. $1 billion of investment wont happen here for probably at least 2 decades, and it looks like it includes apartments. Not sure why its relevant to this arena discussion. And the effect that dining options nearby will have on attendance for college basketball or gymnastics is overestimated, plus you could already have that with an arena near the football stadium. Outside of the new-factor the first year or so, it wont improve non-student attendance and will certainly negatively effect student attendance.

BIggest question I have is about the "if this doesnt happen, nothing will for next 20 years" comments. Why? Wheres all that annual SEC windfall going? Wont OU earn about $15 million more in the SEC? That extra annual income is enough to finance a new arena. Or is that money already spent?

Not sure your point. $15 million is a fart in a hurricane in terms of the cost of an arena. OU isn't like a company that can put a down payment towards the purchase of an arena. They either have the money, or they issue bonds. OU doesn't want to do that. This windfall will help ease the burden OU football already has of funding all of the other money puts on campus (sports that lose money, but boost morale, like baseball, golf, tennis, etc).

So that extra money likely won't go towards one sport fully, but will help less leave the football program.

[BoulderSooner]

BIggest question I have is about the "if this doesnt happen, nothing will for next 20 years" comments. Why? Wheres all that annual SEC windfall going? Wont OU earn about $15 million more in the SEC? That extra annual income is enough to finance a new arena. Or is that money already spent?

a new basketball arena is behind

about 500 mil in football renovations /new facilities

40 mil in baseball renovations

and other things ..

so yeah it would be a long long time ..

[Pete]

Reminder that everyone involved at OU wanted this move 5 years ago and the only reason it didn't happen was a funding snag which now seems resolved.

So we are already another 5 years down the road, LNC is even less competitive and an on-campus facility isn't even the realm of possibility.

That's why OU wants to move on this and I'm pretty darn sure it's going to happen and the programs will both be far better for it.

[BoulderSooner]

Reminder that everyone involved at OU wanted this move 5 years ago and the only reason it didn't happen was a funding snag which now seems resolved.

So we are already another 5 years down the road, LNC is even less competitive and an on-campus facility isn't even the realm of possibility.

That's why OU wants to move on this and I'm pretty darn sure it's going to happen and the programs will both be far better for it.

I will also say that 5 years ago it took a little convincing to get everyone at OU fully onboard ..

over the last 5 years (mostly) behind the scenes the county, city, the norman economic dev folks,and EVERYONE at OU is fully behind this project and has done the vast majority of the politics and leg work already to make this happen

[jdross1982]

a new basketball arena is behind

about 500 mil in football renovations /new facilities

40 mil in baseball renovations

and other things ..

so yeah it would be a long long time ..

If OU got a billion in donations, a basketball arena would still not be on the list of projects funded. OU is behind this project 100%

[SEMIweather]

If OU got a billion in donations, a basketball arena would still not be on the list of projects funded. OU is behind this project 100%

Yes...some of us would say that is exactly the problem.

[jdross1982]

Yes...some of us would say that is exactly the problem.

To build a new arena on campus, it would need to be NE of stadium or what is the point. Campus Corner area is filled with homes that all would need to sell. By the LNC doesn't move the needle.

[john60]

I think the design of the arena will probably increase student attendance too. Lots of these newer college arenas have a 10-row or so area of bleachers on the lower level between the baselines for students that kind of imitates Cameron Indoor at Duke. Auburn's newer arena seats 9,000 and has that design. I think it is a great comp. At LNC the student section is set far back from the court and is chairbacks. It is out of the way and not conducive to packing it in/making it fun for students.

[GoGators]

I would make sure the mixed use portion of this proposal is built and leased well before I promised to play home games in the new arena. If this ends up just being an 8,000 seat arena surrounded by nothing or is developed like the south portion of UTC is then staying at LNC for the next 20 years would be the better option by far.

[BoulderSooner]

To build a new arena on campus, it would need to be NE of stadium or what is the point. Campus Corner area is filled with homes that all would need to sell. By the LNC doesn't move the needle.

if someone gave OU 400 mil for a on campus basketball arena .. it would 100% happen .. at the NE corner of jenkins and brooks .. (the only small block that would be needed OU already owns 5 of the 14 lots)

but that is a fantasy world so it doesn't matter

[BoulderSooner]

I would make sure the mixed use portion of this proposal is built and leased well before I promised to play home games in the new arena. If this ends up just being an 8,000 seat arena surrounded by nothing or is developed like the south portion of UTC is then staying at LNC for the next 20 years would be the better option by far.

if this was a new building in an empty field at the proposed location it would still be 100x better then staying at the LNC

[Pete]

if this was a new building in an empty field at the proposed location it would still be 100x better then staying at the LNC

Yep.

[Jersey Boss]

Reminder that everyone involved at OU wanted this move 5 years ago and the only reason it didn't happen was a funding snag which now seems resolved.

So we are already another 5 years down the road, LNC is even less competitive and an on-campus facility isn't even the realm of possibility.

That's why OU wants to move on this and I'm pretty darn sure it's going to happen and the programs will both be far better for it.

https://www.oudaily.com/news/ou-athl...aeb479c4f.html
In 2017, the City of Norman unveiled a project to create a similarly described new entertainment district to house OU basketball and other amenities between Tecumseh and Rock Creek Roads in the University North Park area, roughly six miles from OU's campus.

The OU Foundation requested tax incentives through the University North Park tax increment district in 2018, according to the Norman Transcript. The foundation later withdrew its request in July 2018 after community members expressed opposition and a lawsuit alleging violations of the Oklahoma Open Records Act.
The "snag" was resolved after extensive lobbying of the legislature to exempt the OU Foundation from the Open Record Act.
https://nondoc.com/2021/03/04/ou-fou...ct%20exemption.
Meanwhile, the OU Foundation has tried unsuccessfully for two years to convince leaders of the Oklahoma Legislature to pass a bill specifically exempting university foundations from the Oklahoma Open Records Act.

This year, OU Foundation representatives requested that at least one legislator file a bill carving out an Open Records Act exemption. In addition, NonDoc obtained a March 2020 letter addressed to legislative leaders asking for university foundations to be exempted from the transparency statute.

[Jersey Boss]

Does OU currently own all the land that the proposed entertainment district would sit on? Who will own the land if this deal goes through? If OU sells it what will they get?

[Pete]

Does OU currently own all the land that the proposed entertainment district would sit on? Who will own the land if this deal goes through? If OU sells it what will they get?

Yes, the OU Foundation owns all of it.

They will likely contribute at least some of the land as a contribution towards the project. The rest will probably be sold for profit, as they did with all the land to the south in UTC.

[Video Expert]

I'm going to let the rest of you debate the funding, location, and viability of the new OU Arena and this Entertainment District. I also didn't attend either OU or OSU, so I have nothing to add to that back and forth. But I will say as a 25 year resident/home owner in Norman, this is the first time I have ever seen the City Officials, County, OU, Mayor, City Council, the Chamber, et al, all on the same page about anything. That just never happens. So that does give me some optimism that this has been well thought out, planned, and that the project will actually get built and be successful. I don't believe this project could feasibly be done on or close to the OU campus in the near future or that's what they would be proposing in the first place.

[Jersey Boss]

,,,

[caaokc]

Joe C said earlier in the spring that 85 percent of students drive to games, so it shouldn’t be much of an issue. Also, 8k is a great number for the arena.

[Pete]

Joe C said earlier in the spring that 85 percent of students drive to games, so it shouldn’t be much of an issue. Also, 8k is a great number for the arena.

It's very hard for me to believe that even 15% don't drive. I never, ever saw that when I was a student.

[jedicurt]

Yes...some of us would say that is exactly the problem.

i mean i feel that softball, baseball, and men's and womens gymnastics deserve to be ahead of basketball.

[unfundedrick]

[QUOTE=Pete;1243024] Besides BoulderSooner I seriously doubt anyone on this thread has ever had season tickets (I did for years) or even bothers to go to the games (I still see a few every year). I never missed a home game as a student and drove to ever single one of them... /QUOTE] Actually he isn't the only one. I attended all the football and basketball games starting in the late 60's while a student , both as a member of the band and after I left the band. After that I kept football season tickets until about 20 years ago and kept basketball season tickets until the late 80's. I kept a membership in the Sooner Club and Tip In Club. Attending games currently is a little more physically challenging for me.

[Video Expert]

My #1 concern is going to be the transportation infrastructure around this area and how it's going to affect my (and other Normanites) way around town on a daily basis. I live in North Norman and so this project is going to obviously affect me and others who live here whether we like it or not. I certainly do not want to see Norman traffic become just as awful (or worse) than what we now see in Edmond.

[GoGators]

if this was a new building in an empty field at the proposed location it would still be 100x better then staying at the LNC

You will most likely find out if that is actually true because a new building in an empty field at the proposed location is the most likely outcome.