EVAN, YOU SAID, WHERE WILL THE ARENA GO? AND THE ANSWER IS, IT MAY NOT GO TOO FAR. CITY MANAGER SAID TODAY THAT WHILE THE ARENA IS CURRENTLY SITTING RIGHT HERE, IT COULD GO JUST AROUND THE CORNER AT ANOTHER CITY OWNED PROPERTY THAT’S CURRENTLY HOME TO PRAIRIE SURF STUDIOS. WE’VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE THUNDER, GETTING OURSELVES PREPARED FOR THIS. WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. A JOINT EFFORT TO BUILD A NEW ARENA THAT WILL BE HOME TO THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER, THE CITY OF OKC ANNOUNCING TODAY THE NEW ARENA COULD GO WHERE PRAIRIE SURF STUDIOS CURRENTLY STANDS, AND THE ORIGINAL MYRIAD CONVENTION CENTER. BUT THAT’S NOT SET IN STONE. WE’RE LOOKING AT OTHER SITES DOWNTOWN. I’D REALLY RATHER NOT TALK ABOUT THOSE SPECIFIC SITES, BUT YOU CAN LOOK AROUND ON A MAP AND SEE SITES THAT WOULD BE LARGE ENOUGH, AND IT’S KIND OF OBVIOUS WHAT THE OPTIONS MIGHT BE. AND ONCE THE NEW ARENA IS BUILT, FREEMAN SAYS THE CURRENT ARENA, THE PAYCOM CENTER, WILL LIKELY BE NO MORE. IT’S JUST NOT LIKELY YOU DON’T RUN TWO ARENAS SIDE BY SIDE IN A MARKET. OUR SIZE, SO WE’LL BE STILL WORKING THROUGH WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE FOR THAT. AS FOR WHATRILLIONESIDENTS CAN EXPECT, FREEMAN SAYS THE ARENA WILL BE STATE OF THE ART. HE SAYS IT WILL COST A MINIMUM OF $900 MILLION, NOT INCLUDING THE COST TO FINANCE OR POTENTIALLY BUY LAND. FREEMAN SAYS ONCE THE DESIGN PROCESS IS UNDERWAY, THEY’LL HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE COST. ALL OF THAT WILL GO THROUGH CITY COUNCIL. WE’LL HAVE THE SAME OPEN PROCESS, YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENT PROCESS OF DOING PUBLIC PUBLIC PROCESS, PUBLIC SELECTIONS, PUBLIC AWARDS OF CONTRACTS. NOW, THEY SAY THAT THEY WILL DECIDE WHERE THE ARENA WILL GO HERE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. AND WHILE THE THUNDER HAVEN’T SIGNED ANY AGREEMENTS QUITE YET, THEY’VE ONLY SIGNED THAT LETTER OF INTENT. THEY SAY THAT THEY WILL BE LEGALL
Where could the new Oklahoma City arena be located?
Once the arena is built, the city manager said the Paycom Center will likely be no more.
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Updated: 5:25 PM CST Dec 13, 2023
After Oklahoma City voters thunderously approved a new $900 million arena on Tuesday, one of the largest remaining questions is where the arena will be built. City Manager Craig Freeman said the location for the new arena will be decided in the next few months, and it could be just around the corner at another city-owned property — the current home of Prairie Surf Studios. | MORE | Proposition to fund new $900 million downtown Oklahoma City arena passes"We’ve been working together with the Thunder, getting ourselves prepared for this, but we still have a lot of work to do," Freeman said. The new arena will be the home of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the city's NBA team. While it isn't set in stone, Prairie Surf Studios, which was originally the Myriad Convention Center, could be the arena's location. "We’re looking at other sites downtown. I’d really rather not talk about those specific sites, but you can look around on a map and see sites that would be large enough. It's kind of obvious what those might be," Freeman said. Once the arena is built, Freeman said the current arena, the Paycom Center, will likely be no more. "It’s just not likely. You don’t run two arenas side by side in a market our size, so we’ll be working through what the options are for that," Freeman said. Freeman said residents can expect a state-of-the-art arena. He said it will cost a minimum of $90 million, not including the cost to finance or potentially buy land. Once the design process is underway, officials will have a better understanding of the cost, according to Freeman. All of these decisions will go through city council. "We’ll have the same open process, transparent process, public process and public selections, public awards of contracts," Freeman said. The city said the Thunder signed the letter of intent to stay in Oklahoma City, and they will be legally bound to remain in the city once official agreements are signed. Freeman said he wants the new arena to open its doors by 2029. Top Headlines One killed in crash outside Westmore High School Proposition to fund new $900 million downtown Oklahoma City arena passes Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt speaks with KOCO 5 after arena funding passage
OKLAHOMA CITY — After Oklahoma City voters thunderously approved a new $900 million arena on Tuesday, one of the largest remaining questions is where the arena will be built.
City Manager Craig Freeman said the location for the new arena will be decided in the next few months, and it could be just around the corner at another city-owned property — the current home of Prairie Surf Studios.
| MORE | Proposition to fund new $900 million downtown Oklahoma City arena passes
"We’ve been working together with the Thunder, getting ourselves prepared for this, but we still have a lot of work to do," Freeman said.
The new arena will be the home of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the city's NBA team. While it isn't set in stone, Prairie Surf Studios, which was originally the Myriad Convention Center, could be the arena's location.
"We’re looking at other sites downtown. I’d really rather not talk about those specific sites, but you can look around on a map and see sites that would be large enough. It's kind of obvious what those might be," Freeman said.
Once the arena is built, Freeman said the current arena, the Paycom Center, will likely be no more.
"It’s just not likely. You don’t run two arenas side by side in a market our size, so we’ll be working through what the options are for that," Freeman said.
Freeman said residents can expect a state-of-the-art arena. He said it will cost a minimum of $90 million, not including the cost to finance or potentially buy land.
Once the design process is underway, officials will have a better understanding of the cost, according to Freeman. All of these decisions will go through city council.
"We’ll have the same open process, transparent process, public process and public selections, public awards of contracts," Freeman said.
The city said the Thunder signed the letter of intent to stay in Oklahoma City, and they will be legally bound to remain in the city once official agreements are signed.
Freeman said he wants the new arena to open its doors by 2029.
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