Convention Center

[Pete]

They moved everything over to the paved portion of the surface lot, so it looks like they will soon be doing the rest.

The park could really use the extra parking.

[catch22]

Any bets on how long that remains a surface lot? It's not super prime land due to EKG and the R/R viaduct, but I could see it getting repurposed sooner than later.

[jonny d]

Any bets on how long that remains a surface lot? It's not super prime land due to EKG and the R/R viaduct, but I could see it getting repurposed sooner than later.

The lot to the south of the new CC? That is specifically for expansion on the new CC, and for that alone.

[Pete]

^

True, but the parcel just south of the parking area will be available for development.

[catch22]

The lot to the south of the new CC? That is specifically for expansion on the new CC, and for that alone.

Oh is it? I didn't know that, or forgot about it - I thought the expansion area was back to the east. makes sense, thanks.

[jonny d]

Oh is it? I didn't know that, or forgot about it - I thought the expansion area was back to the east. makes sense, thanks.

No problem! I was not sure if you were talking about that one or the one to the north of the park, which does need to be developed, but I am not sure if the owner of the lot wants to sell yet.

[catch22]

^

True, but the parcel just south of the parking area will be available for development.

Not sure what a "perfect" fit would be for that site since the access is strange, but having to build up to overcome the elevation of that bridge approach would be a cool opportunity to have a rooftop deck restaurant overlooking the sky dance bridge and the scissortail park.

imagine this at night with the park and skydance bridge right across the street

[catch22]

No problem! I was not sure if you were talking about that one or the one to the north of the park, which does need to be developed, but I am not sure if the owner of the lot wants to sell yet.

Nope, you had it correct!

[Pete]

[David]

^

True, but the parcel just south of the parking area will be available for development.

I'm a little surprised to read this, I would have figured the city would want to get their hands on it for even more potential Convention Center expansion.

Last year I was down in New Orleans for a conference, and the big convention center down there just stretches on forever. I just checked on Google Maps and it's something on the order of 3,300 feet long from north to south. From 4th down to I-44 is only 1,400 feet with a similar footprint from front to back, and only 1,100 with just the one lot for expansion. It's a big site on an absolute basis, but it pales in comparison with the truly big boys.

[Pete]

Here is the area between the convention center and the Omni.

They are pouring the curbs; the improvements for the 4th Street Experience shouldn't be far behind.

[Laramie]

Our new convention center is double the size of the cox convention center built in 1973.

New OKC convention center - Cox convention center (old Myriad)

_____200,000-square-foot exhibit hall - 100,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space (300,000)
_____30,000-sq. ft ballroom - 25,000 sq. ft. ballroom,
_____27 meeting rooms - 21 meeting rooms (48 meeting rooms)
_____20,000-seat arena - 15,000-seat arena (2 arenas)
_____Omni 605 rooms - Sheraton 395 rooms
_____Parking garage 1,100 - Underground parking 947 Total Spaces (2,047)
_____Modern Streetcar system - Rubber wheel vintage trolleys

Again, I don't think you will see the demolition of the Cox center; but some improvement to maintain that additional space and back-up 15,000 seat arena & underground parking.

There's valuable parking and additional backup meeting rooms that makes this facility to valuable of a back-up and dual combo facility to really attract some major tier 2 convention to Oklahoma City--think about it.

[OKC Guy]

I hear one of the parties is relooking for a city/state to hold their convention end of Aug. This brings in over $150,000,000 to economy. They need at least 18k seats.

It appears ours could handle it. Could it be made ready by then? Will we fight for it? Decisions have to be make soon and I hope we are trying, if its ready or could be ready.

[JDSooners]

I hear one of the parties is relooking for a city/state to hold their convention end of Aug. This brings in over $150,000,000 to economy. They need at least 18k seats.

It appears ours could handle it. Could it be made ready by then? Will we fight for it? Decisions have to be make soon and I hope we are trying, if its ready or could be ready.

No way it's ready! I was a part of the Miami Beach cc expansion and there was so much to do there, I look at the exterior and can only imagine what's left on the inside.
Having the myraid, cheasapeake and the new cc I'm sure they could pull something off

[Laramie]

No way . . .

As much as anyone would like for OKC to host the GOP Republican National Convention in August 2020; there's no way OKC would be ready to welcome the GOP to the Sooner State.

Omni Oklahoma City won't be available until early 2021. Our new convention center at the earliest won't be ready until December 2020.

You do not want to attempt to lure a convention that our city is clearly not ready to accommodate. Our largest downtown hotel is the 395 room Sheraton. There will be plenty opportunities for OKC to welcome the National GOP in 2024 or 2028. This will give us an opportunity to tweak the building and make necessary changes. Maybe before 2024/2028 we could look at expansion of the convention center to welcome an event of this magnitude.

[jonny d]

Oklahoma City needs 1 or 2 more 400+ room hotels downtown before they can compete for a party convention. Heck, we are light years from hosting an NBA All-star weekend, let alone the GOP or DNC conventions.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City needs 1 or 2 more 400+ room hotels downtown before they can compete for a party convention. Heck, we are light years from hosting an NBA All-star weekend, let alone the GOP or DNC conventions.

The NBA All Star weekend requirements are three times that of a GOP Republican National Convention for which they have already asked OKC to submit a bid for the 2024 or 2028 convention for which OKC meets minimum requirements.

Republican National Convention asks Oklahoma City to bid on hosting future event:

MIKE: We have been approached by the RNC to consider bidding to host their annual convention. And we'll probably look at it for 2024 or 2028. But political conventions are not nearly as attractive for cities as they used to be.

https://oklahoman.com/article/565560...g-future-event

[Laramie]

GOP Republican Convention 2024 & 2028 Bids.

Columbus, OH is in pursuit of either the 2024 DNC or RNC conventions after unsuccessful bids for those conventions in 2016 & 2020. Ohio's capital city has 10,000 more hotel rooms than Milwaukee who will host the DNC in 2020.

IMO, President Trump will have a lot to do with Oklahoma City putting in a bid for the 2024 GOP in which if Trump is re-elected; he'll want to hand pick his Republican successor.

If he loses to challenger Joe Biden in 2020 both the DNC and the RNC will be looking for new cities in 2024 because Biden isn't expected to run in 2024 because of his age.

VP Mike Pence will be 64 in 2024 but if the Republicans lose in 2020; Pence being apart of the losing ticket in 2020 will lose a lot of appeal having been linked to Trump's re-election bid.

Columbus will then have the inside bid on the more lucrative DNC and Oklahoma City will make its first debut to bid on the RNC with a 4 year old well tweaked Omni in a position to be a new destination and re-set for the RNC. It wouldn't be a problem for OKC to schedule more flights in-and-out of WRWA during a 2024 RNC election year b/c of close proximity to a major mega market like Dallas if OKC were to win an RNC bid.

Hosting the RNC would cost the city 10-15% investment in preparation costs but could reap benefits in the $500 - $600 million range.

You can bet city leaders are looking at the recent passage of $115 million of MAPS 4 improvements to get the Chesapeake Energy Arena ready to be in a position to host the RNC and secure longevity for the state's only major league franchise with $104 million targeting the Peake and $9 million for renovation to the Thunder practice facility. Look for the Chesapeake Arena and the SF coliseum to be the early recipients of MAPS 4 initiative funds.

[Pete]

[Martin]

that is looking really good... can't wait to see those all those trees mature.

[bombermwc]

If the RNC comes here, i'll just pad lock my door and stay home that week....

[sroberts24]

Would it be the biggest convention the city has ever hosted? No matter how you feel about politics, it would be a HUGE (see what I did there) get for OKC. The only thing I can think of that would compare, as far as media attention, would be the NBA Finals games we hosted. Both international media coverage and a chance to showcase the city.

[HOT ROD]

agreed!

too bad okc isnt ready yet, otherwise this could have been a katrina 2.0 grab for okc. 2024 sounds nice too regardless of party..

[Laramie]

Just keep wondering if we'll have to go thru some pain before any gains. Don't know of any U. S. cities under 2 million MSA that were able to bid on a GOP RNC convention and get accepted the first time on their first time bid.

Why OKC didn't build a larger than 605 room convention hotel; it allows for the other city hotels to pick up the slack and benefit from conventions & related trade shows since some attendees won't use the designated convention hotel headquarters.

You can bet having extra convention space with the Cox backup and the Fairgrounds Bennett Events Center will allow OKC flexibility to bid on more conventions & trade shows simultaneously.

Fairgrounds Complex:

Bennett Event Center: 201,000 square feet exhibit space
State Fair Coliseum: 7,000 seat arena
10 hotels, Meridian Hotel Corridor 1,200 rooms

Cox Convention Center & Oklahoma City Convention Center Complex:

300,000-square-foot exhibit hall space.
48 meeting rooms
2 ballrooms: 30,000-sq. ft ballroom - 25,000 sq. ft. ballroom
2 arenas: 20,000 & 15,000
2 covered garage parking areas 2,047 spaces
12 hotels in walking distance 2,900 rooms

Dual combo facility to really attract some major tier 2 conventions to Oklahoma City--think about it.

Again, you'll never see the current Cox Convention Center demolished.

[Pete]

Oklahoman reporting that Mike Carrier, the long-time head of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, is retiring at the end of September.