New State Fair Coliseum

[bombermwc]

I dont really understand the retractable seating on the upper level. If you make it retractable, that assumes there's some benefit to pulling it back. What would be the purpose of the space on an upper level like that if you pull the seats back?

Not nearly the size or anything, but OCU's gym also has retractable at the top. But at least there, the upper level served as the classroom space for defense/wellness/etc courses. Somehow i dont think that will be happening at a public arena. Is retractable cheaper than permanent seating?

Somehow the current arena feels bigger, but it's only 10,400 or something like that, so we wouldn't really be losing much capacity and would totally get a better facility. I guess it's the ceiling height above the upper seats right now. The place does look like an aging pile of crap....especially that spray insulation junk.

To those that think the Myriad is about ready to be torn down, this would probably help solidify that argument some. Still lots of other topics related to the Myriad, but at least for the fairgrounds, seems like a good deal. Main question for me is what is OSSAA going to do during the construction year? Every spring, high schools around the state fill their gyms with thousands of spectators for these games, and the "big house" fills up every seat for a couple of weeks. I think wrestling moved out to the Grand Casino this year????? But that's a LOT of money that is going to end up going somewhere other than the city. Think maybe they'll offer up the Myriad? Parking would suck a WHOLE lot more. But all the parking folks around downtown would definitely eat it up.

[Mustang Man]

I wonder if motorsports shows like Monster Jam and Motocross would hold their events here instead of the Chesapeake. Would make a cool home for minor league hockey, too.

There are multiple indoor Midget and Mini Sprint Races held across the Midwest now, The Chili bowl and Tulsa Shootout are held in December at the Tulsa Expo center that Are sold out every year bringing millions of dollars into the economy, The New OKC arena would be a perfect location for something like that as long as they had some indoor pits for the cars.

[Pete]

One reason for the retractable seating above may be to just close off that seating when it is not in use.

Also, looks much better than having a ton of empty seats.

[traxx]

Hopefully OKC can refrain from calling this new arena the big house. That's Michigan's thing.

[_Kyle]

There are multiple indoor Midget and Mini Sprint Races held across the Midwest now, The Chili bowl and Tulsa Shootout are held in December at the Tulsa Expo center that Are sold out every year bringing millions of dollars into the economy, The New OKC arena would be a perfect location for something like that as long as they had some indoor pits for the cars.

This would be perfect for Monster Jam. When I went last month it filled just about half of the Chesapeake Arena.

[d-usa]

Could you use the upper space for retail booths during events if the seating is retracted?

[_Kyle]

Could you use the upper space for retail booths during events if the seating is retracted?

They could but I don't know if they would.

[the michigander]

Hopefully OKC can refrain from calling this new arena the big house. That's Michigan's thing.

Sure is!

[_Kyle]

Found this:

[_Kyle]

I'm guessing that's what it looks like without the seats on the top.

[jn1780]

I'm guessing that's what it looks like without the seats on the top.

I guess that keeps people confined to the lower section and allows advertising.

[bombermwc]

That's what i thought when i saw that jn1780....can't sell a seat, sell a sign!

[_Cramer_]

Have you all seen the video the State Fair Park released?
https://www.facebook.com/okstatefair...7/?pnref=story

[Pete]

^

Thanks for sharing that. Very cool.

This is a screen grab that shows the upper level seating retracted. In all the configurations shown in that video, those seats are either used for spectators or retracted for smaller events.

[Laramie]

Hopefully OKC can refrain from calling this new arena the big house. That's Michigan's thing.

Michigan's 'big house' is an outdoor facility; wouldn't be concerned about reference to the State Fair Arena being called the 'big house.' It's probably the description rural areas use to describe the arena at State Fair Park.

The non use of retractable seating could also serve for some wrestling mats to be positioned in that area to allow participants to warm up.

Not sure about the upper level seating added capacity (7,400 lower level) but it would eliminate the empty upper deck you see at many arenas where certain events don't require the extra seats or use of traps like you see at the Cox Arena to cover seats not being used. The flexibility of the new arena, you could use retractable seating on one side of the upper deck without using both upper deck retractable seating.



Could also serve as a new home for the NBADL Oklahoma City Blue and open the door for another chapter of minor league ice hockey in OKC.

[Pete]

BTW, on that State Fair Facebook page with the video, they are openly lobbying to have the arena included in the upcoming general obligation bond:

We’re working on plans for a new Arena at State Fair Park! The architect/engineering consultants have been hired & the City of Oklahoma City is conducting a survey on project funding needs for the 2017 General Obligations Bond, and possibly MAPS 4.
You can help by taking the survey and voicing your support! On question No. 3, simply let them know you'd love to see a new Arena at State Fair Park

[_Cramer_]

^
Noticed that too!

[Laramie]

Don't forget to include the renovation & expansion (12,500 seats) of the Don E. Porter ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in your survey.

[Bill Robertson]

There are multiple indoor Midget and Mini Sprint Races held across the Midwest now, The Chili bowl and Tulsa Shootout are held in December at the Tulsa Expo center that Are sold out every year bringing millions of dollars into the economy, The New OKC arena would be a perfect location for something like that as long as they had some indoor pits for the cars.

I would love to see midget, mini-sprint, speedway bikes, etc. race inside in OKC. The question is, why would a new arena cause a promoter to bring such to OKC. The current arena is a good venue for dirt track racing. Much better than the River Spirit Center in Tulsa. Pretty much any arena is better for racing than the River Spirit Center. The River Spirit Center actually sucks as a racing venue. The Chili Bowl is world famous, sold out every year before the last year's race happens and is raced in by stars of every racing discipline because, well, it's the Chili Bowl. It's definitely not because of the venue.

[traxx]

Michigan's 'big house' is an outdoor facility; wouldn't be concerned about reference to the State Fair Arena being called the 'big house.' It's probably the description rural areas use to describe the arena at State Fair Park.

I just don't like Oklahoma co opting famous names and using them here. It's kinda lame.

[KayneMo]

^ OKC's was first though, known as the big house since the late 1960s, and Michigan's since the the late 1980s.

http://newsok.com/article/5483910
"State Fair Arena got its nickname thanks to a pair of Oklahoma high school coaching legends.... That has remained the same for almost five decades."

http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/201...and-so-special
"NICKNAME: "The Big House," given by longtime ABC college football announcer Keith Jackson, circa 1988."

[Pete]

Do we really need this?

Remember, we already used MAPS I money to upgrade the existing facility then spent much more tax payer money on horse barns, parking and the new expo building.

We were promised that all that investment would result in much more revenue due to horse shows and other business.

So why can't that revenue fund a new arena, if one is needed?

At what point does this investment actually generate revenue that is reinvested rather than constantly taxing ourselves?

In addition to all these surcharges paid for by citizens, there is also a 5.5% hotel room tax and a good chunk of that goes to the fairgrounds as well.


It seems obvious at this point they hope to fund this through the general obligation bonds (at the expense of roads and other infrastructure) or through another MAPS.

It's also clear they are very far down the road on this and have already shelled out a lot of money for studies and plans that no one seemed to know about.

[Pete]

Just looked this up and the fairgrounds get more than half the 5.5% lodging tax.

Good grief, taxpayers are funneling a ton of money into the fairgrounds and we *still* are using MAPS and possibly the general obligation bonds to give them still more, despite all the supposed revenue they are generating?

[Pete]

Some further info, for fiscal year 2016, the fairgrounds received almost $8MM from the hotel tax.

They get 6/11th of all taxes collected (5.5% on all rooms in the city limits), convention and tourism gets 4/11th and event sponsorship gets 1/11th.

And of course, with the number of hotel rooms expanding rapidly in the city, taxes and the amount paid to the fairgrounds is continually increasing.

[Mustang Man]

Yes the Arena might be a good place to race but what about an area for the pits that would be inside and not in the weather during the colder months, It looks like to me the New Arena is going to have a New barn attached that might be able to be the Pit area just like the venue in Tulsa that has the pits inside.