OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) – Mayor David Holt will unveil renderings of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s new arena this week.
Greater Oklahoma City Chamber officials, Thunder officials and architect David Manica of MANICA Architecture will join Holt to show preliminary conceptual renderings of OKC’s new downtown area, which includes a new arena for the NBA Champion Thunder team.
The mayor will unveil designs for the new arena during his State of the City address at the Oklahoma City Convention Center on Wednesday.
The Thunder’s new arena is being built in downtown Oklahoma City in the space that was previously occupied by Prairie Surf Studios, which was the production location of the hit movie Twisters as well as the first season of the popular Paramount Plus show, Tulsa King. The building originally opened in 1972 as the Myriad Convention Center. Its name later changed to Cox Business Services Convention Center before inevitably becoming Prairie Surf Studios.
Demolition of Prairie Surf to clear space for the new arena began in March.
The new arena is being funded in part by a 72-month, one-cent sales tax that will start when the MAPS 4 tax ends and will not increase the sales tax rate. MAPS 4 is the latest phase of OKC’s ongoing city revitalization initiative that began with the original MAPS in 1993.
Oklahoma City voters went to the polls in December 2023 and overwhelmingly approved a sales tax to fund a new $900-million arena that will be the home of the OKC Thunder for many years to come. The proposition to fund a new arena passed with 41,129 (71 percent) YES votes and 16,797 (29 percent) NO votes.
MAPS 4 funding is providing $78 million for the arena. The Oklahoma City Thunder ownership group is kicking in $50 million.
Last month, the Oklahoma City Council signed off on the following agreements to keep the Thunder in OKC through at least 2053, which is 25 years after the expected completion of a new Paycom Center arena that is being built to host Thunder games:
- Arena Use License Agreement
- New Arena Food and Beverage Agreement
- Amended Facility Management Agreement
- Preferential Rights Agreement
“Becoming a big league city has changed us forever, as the last few weeks have reminded us,” Holt said last month. “Since 2022, we have worked as a community to secure our long-term status as a big league city. This agreement represents the culmination of that work. I thank the team ownership and staff, the Council, the City staff and ultimately the voters and residents for their work to bring about this day. Now, we know officially that our relationship with the Thunder is secure through at least 2053.”
MANICA, a Kansas City-based firm that specializes in designing sport and entertainment venues, previously designed the Chase Center in San Francisco, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the proposed Chicago Bears stadium in Chicago and the upcoming Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
The new arena will be at least 750,000 square feet and cost an estimated $900 million.
The new arena is expected to completed in 2028. The Thunder will continue playing in its current Paycom Center home until the new arena is completed.
