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Council approves plans for the MAPS 3 State Fair Park expo building

Today the Oklahoma City Council approved final plans for Phase 2 of the MAPS 3 Oklahoma State Fairgrounds project which is a new 279,000-square-foot expo center building. The expo center will offer 201,000-square-foot of contiguous floor space at State Fair Park, among other amenities. Once complete, the building will be the largest event space in Oklahoma City.

Construction on the expo building will begin shortly after the 2014 State Fair and is expected to be completed early 2016. It will be built where the Travel & Transportation Building, Carriage Hall and courtyard are today.

“This new expo building will allow us to elevate our position in the marketplace and give us an edge in attracting a different type of regional and national show that has previously bypassed Oklahoma City due to our inability to provide the necessary square footage under one roof,” said Tim O’Toole, President & CEO, Oklahoma State Fair, Inc.

The expo building’s modern design will feature a 12,000-square-foot lobby, concession areas, a ticket space, commercial kitchen and additional parking for 500 cars with a total of more than 2,000 cars including Phase 1 improvements. A combination of glass and translucent wall panels will create an open, light-filled entrance. The building was designed with maximum flexibility in mind. The open floor plan will allow for a variety of configurations depending on the event’s specific needs including banquet and catering facilities equipped to serve in excess of 3,500.

The MAPS 3 budget for the expo building is $54 million, allowing $44 million for actual construction. An additional $4.7 million in MAPS 3 funds are being invested in new parking lots and other site improvements, separate from this project. The expo building’s construction is one among a series of improvements taking place at State Fair Park.

The MAPS 3 Oklahoma State Fairgrounds Subcommittee provides guidance to the project and is made up of nine mayor-appointed citizens: Chairman Bob Nelon, Vice Chair Dee Morales, Ann Simank, J. Blake Wade, Mike Turpen, Chris Turner, Eric Roberts, Tim O’Toole, Shawn D. Clark and Madeline Mitchell. Every MAPS 3 project is currently underway, either in planning, design, construction or land acquisition.

MAPS 3 updates are available by subscribing to the MAPS 3 e-newsletter at City of Oklahoma City | Public Information & Marketing. Updates are also available on http://www.twitter.com/maps3 and www.facebook.com/maps3okc. Log on to City of Oklahoma City | Public Information & Marketing for project details and to read the implementation plan.

About MAPS 3
MAPS 3 is a $777 million construction program designed to improve the quality of life in Oklahoma City. It is funded by a one-cent sales tax initiative that began in April 2010 and ends in December 2017. MAPS 3 funds eight projects: Downtown Convention Center, Downtown Public Park, Modern Streetcar/Transit, Oklahoma River Improvements, Oklahoma State Fairgrounds Improvements, Senior Health and Wellness Centers, Trails and Sidewalks.