Producers Coop

[SEMIweather]

It feels like this is where the new basketball arena will ultimately end up.

[Pete]

It feels like this is where the new basketball arena will ultimately end up.

Not a chance.

It's going to the old Cox Center site and I believe that will be formally announced in July.

[BoulderSooner]

Not a chance.

It's going to the old Cox Center site and I believe that will be formally announced in July.

yep with a vote within the next year

[chssooner]

yep with a vote within the next year

I know it will pass, but a tiny part of me thinks it will be a lot closer than we realize.

[caaokc]

I know it will pass, but a tiny part of me thinks it will be a lot closer than we realize.

There will be a decent sized “the owners should pay for it themselves” crowd

[Just the facts]

There will be a decent sized “the owners should pay for it themselves” crowd

And they should. Surely the NBA is turning a profit by now. However, I would support a dedicated tax on athletic shoes.

[chssooner]

And they should. Surely the NBA is turning a profit by now. However, I would support a dedicated tax on athletic shoes.

So you don't want the city to have ownership of the arena? That hasn't worked anywhere, hence why no owner does it. The city needs the asset, to get good concerts to town and visitors to come for said concerts.

The owners should pay for some of it, but they only use it a portion of the year, 41 days total. Why should they pay for a 365 day asset if they use it for a month and a half, in terms of days?

[Oski]

Why should they pay for a 365 day asset if they use it for a month and a half, in terms of days?

They can lease it to events themselves. If the city owns the area, 20 years from now we'll talk about plan to demolish Paycom Center and build another new arena there for them.

[dankrutka]

So you don't want the city to have ownership of the arena? That hasn't worked anywhere, hence why no owner does it. The city needs the asset, to get good concerts to town and visitors to come for said concerts.

Isn't this exactly the recent trend? The most profitable NBA arena—the Chase Center—was financed and is owned by the Warriors leadership group. Same thing is happening for the Clippers new arena.

I’m not saying what should happen in OKC, but this is a recent trend, right?

[Mountaingoat]

I think there would be a difference between ownership methods of a facility in a megalopolis like LA VS a large city like OKC. LA teams will get revenues OKC could only dream about outside the arena (such as TV revenues and team logo athletic equipment). Even when OKC had Durant, Westbrook and Harden, l bet their athlitic apparel sales were only a fraction of the Lakers.

[Just the facts]

So you don't want the city to have ownership of the arena? That hasn't worked anywhere, hence why no owner does it. The city needs the asset, to get good concerts to town and visitors to come for said concerts.

The owners should pay for some of it, but they only use it a portion of the year, 41 days total. Why should they pay for a 365 day asset if they use it for a month and a half, in terms of days?

No I don't want the City to own it and it has worked everywhere it has been tried. What was the last professional team in any sport to leave a city where the team owned the arena/stadium?

The best way to keep the Thunder in OKC is for Thunder ownership to own the arena. In fact, I would be in favor of OKC selling the current arena to the Thunder for what the City has put into it. At least we could start collecting property taxes on it.

[Just the facts]

They can lease it to events themselves. If the city owns the area, 20 years from now we'll talk about plan to demolish Paycom Center and build another new arena there for them.

OKC would probably get better events and more of them because the team would have serious profit motive in seeing the arena used as much as possible.

[bombermwc]

Do you think there isn't a serious profit motif now? I think you misunderstand who books these things. The city itself doesn't do that. Neither would the team owners. They partner with other companies to do that work. And it's entirely likely it would be the same company, no matter who the owner of the building is. Especially since that same company does a huge amount of that across the country. It's called ASM now, but it was more commonly known before as SMG or AEG (they merged). Talk about cornering the market. It's almost a monopoly in the large class arena world. I guarantee they have more pull than a single arena trying to go it on it own. OKC has gotten events simply because SMG was managing it (and Tulsa too) that we would not have gotten otherwise.

[Laramie]

Reflect on bomermwc's comment. AMS can coordinate events because they have the matrix computer that acts as a data base for many arenas from NBA, NHL and Arena football and events throughout the country.

They have access to schedules, times, dates, rental agreements and building capacities; this helps them with schedule recommendations. IIFC this AMS Global is the current firm that manages Paycom Center and possibly several other City owned gathering facilities.

[Rover]

OKC would probably get better events and more of them because the team would have serious profit motive in seeing the arena used as much as possible.

What would those other large scale events be? Or are you of the belief that "build it and they will come"? OKC has a limited population. Oklahoma has a limited population. And, it is one of the poorer states in the country. We can't just wish into existence the same frequency of sold out events you would have in LA, NY, Chicago, Dallas, or other huge cities. We won't have a major concert every week, or two or three events a day. Not happening. And is BECAUSE of profit motives and basic economics of all parties.

[jn1780]

I think there would be a difference between ownership methods of a facility in a megalopolis like LA VS a large city like OKC. LA teams will get revenues OKC could only dream about outside the arena (such as TV revenues and team logo athletic equipment). Even when OKC had Durant, Westbrook and Harden, l bet their athlitic apparel sales were only a fraction of the Lakers.

Those arenas are also lower risk because the owners know they will have no trouble finding entertainment to fills those arenas for the markets they are in when basketball is not in session.

I feel like the only way OKC would get private money to finance the area is if the Chickasaws build their own arena and we allow a casino on the property. That's what is happening in Vegas and the same owners of 'Climate Pledge Arena' are doing it.

[citywokchinesefood]

Those arenas are also lower risk because the owners know they will have no trouble finding entertainment to fills those arenas for the markets they are in when basketball is not in session.

I feel like the only way OKC would get private money to finance the area is if the Chickasaws build their own arena and we allow a casino on the property. That's what is happening in Vegas and the same owners of 'Climate Pledge Arena' are doing it.

I would love a casino downtown, the governor would never let it happen though.

[Laramie]

I would love a casino downtown, the governor would never let it happen though.

Agree 100% - Now you're talking my cup of $$$ green tea $$$. No downtown casino; however

an OKANA casino permit from the State of Oklahoma allocated to the Chickasaw Tribe in exchange for an Oklahoma City NBA-NHL Arena partnership not to exceed $1 billion with the City of Oklahoma City, State of Oklahoma and the Thunder ownership group.

Chickasaw Tribe pays $300 million for full gaming/gambling permit on OKANA and Remington Park sites only.
City of Oklahoma City pays $300 million and demolition of 4 square block PSM site.
State of Oklahoma pays $300 million and a large percentage of sports betting proceeds to Public Education.
Thunder ownership pays anything over $900 million with naming rights for construction of new arena--signs an agreement to keep the franchise in Oklahoma City for the life of the new arena and pays for upkeep and upgrades not to exceed $100 million over twenty years.

.

[Plutonic Panda]

I would love a casino downtown, the governor would never let it happen though.

I agree. It would be awesome and would liven up the area.

[unfundedrick]

I would love a casino downtown, the governor would never let it happen though.

It has absolutely nothing to do with the governor. We have gone over this exact same issue multiple times on a number of threads, especially Okana. There is no land anywhere in downtown OKC where an Indian casino could legally exist.

[okccowan]

There is no land anywhere in downtown OKC where an Indian casino could legally exist yet.

[HFAA Alum]

I bet if it WASN'T a Native American casino, Stitt would be all 4 acres of his ears.

[chssooner]

I bet if it WASN'T a Native American casino, Stitt would be all 4 acres of his ears.

Those aren't allowed in Oklahoma.

[Plutonic Panda]

Those aren't allowed in Oklahoma.

They should be.

[Urbanized]

Go talk to Congress about that one.