OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark

[Pete]

In addition to the motels, truck stops and bus station, on the north side of Reno there is a large, ugly scrap yard / recycling plant and a big Dolese concrete mixing facility.

There is only so much that can be done in that area and everyone involved with this project has been well aware from the outset.

[whatitis]

I don't think many people fly anywhere for a resort, apart from Disney.

I'm sure the expectation is you'll get lots of people driving from the surrounding region. And if someone happens to be passing through, this would entice many into a stay-over.

And of course, if someone is in OKC visiting for business or pleasure, this entire facility would be high on the list.

The water park would no doubt draw people from all over OKC on a regular basis.

I will tell you that I have 2 little girls that love those great wolf lodge parks. so much so that we have flown somewhere and stayed at the great wolf lodge nearby. Our thinking is if we're wanting to visit, or visiting for family, why not stay at great wolf lodge. So I could totally see that happening.

[Pete]

FWIW, this water park will be bigger than the Great Wolf in Dallas.

Plus, it will have that huge lagoon, the marketplace, the museum and more.


This is going to be at least a regional draw and given the uniqueness of the Native American culture, people may come from farther still.

I can't imagine anything that would draw more people to OKC.

[unfundedrick]

FWIW, this water park will be bigger than the Great Wolf in Dallas.

Plus, it will have that huge lagoon, the marketplace, the museum and more.


This is going to be at least a regional draw and given the uniqueness of the Native American culture, people may come from farther still.

I can't imagine anything that would draw more people to OKC.

It should be draw for people touring the US from places like Europe, the Far East, and South America. The Western and Indian culture is fascinating for them.

[G.Walker]

In addition to the motels, truck stops and bus station, on the north side of Reno there is a large, ugly scrap yard / recycling plant and a big Dolese concrete mixing facility.

There is only so much that can be done in that area and everyone involved with this project has been well aware from the outset.

I would hope we could see that area transform. Possibly we can have developers buy out the dirty industry and replace it with hotels and restaurants to complement the resort.

[Bali_Sooner]

Look at it as an opportunity to fix these nasty places. Give them land outside the downtown area maybe?

[HOT ROD]

So this is likely the biggest private development since the Devon Tower?

I'd argue BOK Tower (a 27 storey/450 foot skyscraper) is the biggest dev since Devon but yeah - OKANA is probably the biggest since BOK or maybe the CC/Scissortail.

[SagerMichael]

I'd argue BOK Tower (a 27 storey/450 foot skyscraper) is the biggest dev since Devon but yeah - OKANA is probably the biggest since BOK or maybe the CC/Scissortail.

Bigger in size and skyline appeal maybe but for impact, importance, and as a destination OKANA by a mile

[LakeEffect]

Bigger in size and skyline appeal maybe but for impact, importance, and as a destination OKANA by a mile

And BOK Tower is still not fully leased...

[dankrutka]

Also don't forget the BOK Tower involved tearing down historic buildings so there was a loss with that development unlike with OKANA.

[BoulderSooner]

And BOK Tower is still not fully leased...

it is owned by an oil and gas company ..

[HOT ROD]

And BOK Tower is still not fully leased...

it will be

[Pete]

Details revealed for $300 million resort

Last month, the Chickasaw Nation unveiled plans for the OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark, a $300+ million project next to the newly-opened First Americans Museum along the Oklahoma River.

The project will include an 11-story, 404 room hotel, a 33,000 square foot family entertainment center, 39,000 square feet of conference space, a large indoor water park, multiple dining options, a man-built lagoon covering more than an acre, and a marketplace for Native American goods.

Also planned is a pedestrian bridge that would connect the north and south banks of the river, an amphitheater and outdoor lawn that would accommodate 1,500 people, and a dock for the Oklahoma River Cruises Fery that would connect the development with the Boathouse District and Lower Bricktown.

OKANA and the related amenities would be the first part of what would be an even larger development that would surround the new museum.

The first phase is to start next year and be complete by the spring of 2024.


The Chickasaws recently submitted rezoning plans that reveal more details of the project, as seen below.

[PoliSciGuy]

Man that looks gorgeous. What a campus to have on that side of the river.

[Pete]

I know this will be done in a completely first-class manner since the Chickasaws are in charge.

Will really be fun to watch this come together over the next few years; hopefully they will be starting soon.

[chssooner]

This will be a game-changer for OKC. It will be a major tourist draw, as well. That whole area, including Bricktown, stands to benefit greatly from this.

[David]

Dallas and KC are going to be so jealous.

But seriously, this is going to be so great.

[HFAA Alum]

I am blushing at the wealth of opportunities being put on display here. This is akin to building a small city from the ground up. These guys are doing what smaller towns dream of doing over five decades and executing it in less than nine years (granted, this took more than ten years to plan out thus far). This checks most of the boxes in every conceivable way. Not only does this drive up property value, but it incentivizes the other property owner to beautify along side it. There might be a small skyline south of the river given another twenty years at this rate. The tourism draw will be substantial and it could drive the development of the entertainment district.

If I recall correctly, this and the city's entertainment district (coupled with the new soccer stadium) are separate entities. This would be a huge boon if they can manage to somehow integrate both together to offer both luxury entertainment and more economic options of fun, boosting the potential of having more live music venues, and implementing more residential options for those wanting to be around the action. And given that the hotel industry is starting a boom here, the only direction I can see this city takes is up. Lots of lucrative opportunities here, I hope the city works in tandem with these guys. They look to have their heads on right with the bold visions they have on display here.

[mugofbeer]

I'm starting to think a big gondola lift from Scissortale Park to the River Attractions to the OKANA Development would be cool?

[chssooner]

Would be nice to have some residential component. But this is still a major win! And the Chickasaw tribe will do this in a top-notch manner.

[Laramie]

Imagine the potential $1,5 billion growth here if you can connect the right pieces (Residential, amusement, mixed-use office & retail) to fit around the museum & OKANA resort.

[zefferoni]

Are there any plans for the other side of the river where the pedestrian bridge leads? iirc currently it's just a little strip of land bounded by the highways on two sides and Eastern on the other. I can't remember the layout off the top of my head, but would it be possible to extend a bike trail to the Riversports area on that side of the river?

[Pete]

Are there any plans for the other side of the river where the pedestrian bridge leads? iirc currently it's just a little strip of land bounded by the highways on two sides and Eastern on the other. I can't remember the layout off the top of my head, but would it be possible to extend a bike trail to the Riversports area on that side of the river?

That is also owned by the Chickasaws and previous conceptual plans have shown some sort of nebulous development there. It's one of the reasons they are pushing for the pedestrian bridge.

[HOT ROD]

re: residential, I was thinking the same thing and I'd add it fronting I-35 creating a new southern skyline.

I agree this is top knotch and probably does make most cities jealous if executed as shown. I hope they can start on the hotel tower asap (and perhaps make it 15-20 floors ) that way progress can be seen and the hotel will be open already to not only cator to the museum but also the OKANA amenities as they finish. Will be nice to drive I-35/I-40/I-235 Crossroads of America and see this tower (and hopefully a few more eventually) on one side and downtown on the other side. Connect it all (pedestrian bridge and river taxi as planned but also the gondola idea is very nice) and hopefully add in the OKC Zoo aquarium and development of the cotton lands s of bricktown, along with the lower bricktown development and I think we really start to pull forward as a shall I say 'complete' destination city worth visiting.

Aubrey would be proud.

[jn1780]

I haven't seen much about the waterpark. Are we talking about something like a hotel pool, the Waterzoo near Clinton, or something much bigger? I wouldn't complain if its something like the waterzoo, we have zero indoor waterparks right now.