New State Fair Coliseum

[Laramie]

Horse barn is correct. No basketball, no hockey, just a horse barn. We no longer have a fair grounds, just horse barns.

OMG Miracle121, I'm afraid your 'horse barns' evolution has substance--240 acres under roof. Oklahoma City will have a 440 acre grounds to grow its 'Horse Capital of the World' brand.'

What was once a decent fairgrounds 50 years ago has slowly morphed into the world's largest Equine Exposition Estates.

[OKCRT]

Horse barn is correct. No basketball, no hockey, just a horse barn. We no longer have a fair grounds, just horse barns.

Yup

[zefferoni]

Horse barn is correct. No basketball, no hockey, just a horse barn. We no longer have a fair grounds, just horse barns.

I'm not defending the State Fair folks, but as a transplant from a rural area I thought that was mostly what a fair was. Agricultural trade show with a ferris wheel and unhealthy food.

[Dob Hooligan]

The State Fair of Oklahoma runs 10 days a year, plus a week for set up and a week for tear down. The Fair Board is committed to keeping it busy throughout the year. State Fair Park has events 50 weeks a year, on average, and the horse activities have not kept most other users out.

I think 7,000 is a good seating number that could use better facilities than currently exist. There is little demand in Oklahoma City for basketball or hockey with over 7,000 attendance that can't be satisfied by the Chesapeake Energy Arena (or possibly Cox Convention Center Arena).

[Miracle121]

I have nothing against horse shows, I think it's great that we get tax revenue off of them. The new arena should be a multi-purpose facility, it's paid for with tax payers money. Everyone doesn't like horse shows, some people would like to see an ECHL hockey team play in the new arena or state high school basketball playoffs be played there. Not just a horse barn.

[Dob Hooligan]

I have nothing against horse shows, I think it's great that we get tax revenue off of them. The new arena should be a multi-purpose facility, it's paid for with tax payers money. Everyone doesn't like horse shows, some people would like to see an ECHL hockey team play in the new arena or state high school basketball playoffs be played there. Not just a horse barn.

I don't recall ever hearing or reading that the new arena can't accommodate either basketball or hockey. Am I missing something?

[TheTravellers]

I have nothing against horse shows, I think it's great that we get tax revenue off of them. The new arena should be a multi-purpose facility, it's paid for with tax payers money. Everyone doesn't like horse shows, some people would like to see an ECHL hockey team play in the new arena or state high school basketball playoffs be played there. Not just a horse barn.

[Laramie]

Don't mean to derail the subject; however, a 7,300 maximum capacity arena will be too small for the 2A, 3A & 4A high schools who played in what was known as 'The Big House.' Those teams brought the who community when their high school both boys & girls team played at the SFA.

The State Fair Coliseum will not be large enough to handle those events. Oklahoma City's central location is ripe for the playoff classes we host.

Norman's Lloyd Noble Center (11,528 seat capacity) would be in a better position to host the playoffs than the State Fair Coliseum. Will we ever get to host 5A & 6A classes which are played at Mabee Center @ Oral Roberts University (11,300 seat capacity).

I know downtown is a parking panacea (paid parking will benefit) if the playoffs were moved to Cox Convention Center Arena; however the coliseum doesn't have the capacity to handle what 'The Big House' accommodated.

Also, I don't see OKC getting rid of the Cox Convention Center within the next 10 years; hate to disappoint many of my forum friends, IMO, it will be renovated (MAPS 5) with new seats, remodeled exhibition hall and used as a back up for the new Oklahoma City convention center.

[5alive]

I don't think the Cox Convention Center will be torn down anytime soon, but I would be surprised if it is renovated.

[Dob Hooligan]

Don't mean to derail the subject; however, a 7,300 maximum capacity arena will be too small for the 2A, 3A & 4A high schools who played in what was known as 'The Big House.' Those teams brought the who community when their high school both boys & girls team played at the SFA.

The State Fair Coliseum will not be large enough to handle those events. Oklahoma City's central location is ripe for the playoff classes we host.

Norman's Lloyd Noble Center (11,528 seat capacity) would be in a better position to host the playoffs than the State Fair Coliseum. Will we ever get to host 5A & 6A classes which are played at Mabee Center @ Oral Roberts University (11,300 seat capacity).

I know downtown is a parking panacea (paid parking will benefit) if the playoffs were moved to Cox Convention Center Arena; however the coliseum doesn't have the capacity to handle what 'The Big House' accommodated.

Also, I don't see OKC getting rid of the Cox Convention Center within the next 10 years; hate to disappoint many of my forum friends, IMO, it will be renovated (MAPS 5) with new seats, remodeled exhibition hall and used as a back up for the new Oklahoma City convention center.

So, how many people attend "The Big House" events? I thought the Norick Arena held about 8,000 for basketball currently? I recall reading that the high school tournaments were still going to be a priority for the new arena.

[JDSooners]

Don't mean to derail the subject; however, a 7,300 maximum capacity arena will be too small for the 2A, 3A & 4A high schools who played in what was known as 'The Big House.' Those teams brought the who community when their high school both boys & girls team played at the SFA.

The State Fair Coliseum will not be large enough to handle those events. Oklahoma City's central location is ripe for the playoff classes we host.

Norman's Lloyd Noble Center (11,528 seat capacity) would be in a better position to host the playoffs than the State Fair Coliseum. Will we ever get to host 5A & 6A classes which are played at Mabee Center @ Oral Roberts University (11,300 seat capacity).

I know downtown is a parking panacea (paid parking will benefit) if the playoffs were moved to Cox Convention Center Arena; however the coliseum doesn't have the capacity to handle what 'The Big House' accommodated.

Also, I don't see OKC getting rid of the Cox Convention Center within the next 10 years; hate to disappoint many of my forum friends, IMO, it will be renovated (MAPS 5) with new seats, remodeled exhibition hall and used as a back up for the new Oklahoma City convention center.

I think the Big House is suitable for all championship games less than 6A, 7300, is still larger than the gyms the schools play, if the attendance does swell past the 7300 the colleges and the Chesapeake arena should step up and house the championship games

[Miracle121]

If OKC had a ECHL hockey team and was playing the Tulsa Oiler they would have well over 7300 fans. Let's not forget those games in the Cox center(Myraid), when 13399 was not enough seats!!

[Laramie]

An ECHL franchise since Wichita & Tulsa would be instant rivals. Whether a team is better suited at the Cox Convention Center vs. the State Fair Coliseum remains to be answered.

Bricktown Entertainment District has the before & after game amenities that helps support AAA baseball's Dodgers and NBA Thunder basketball.

IIFC the Cox Convention Center has an ice plant; both facilities would probably need new dasher boards of which the city is capable of building. Zamboni (no less than $12,000), last game I attended was an AHL Barons game inside the Cox--they had two Zamboni machines working simultaneously.

An ice plant would have to be installed at the State Fair Coliseum ($250,000 - $650,000); don't recall any decent restaurants in the fairgrounds area other than fast foods; nothing respectable stays open after 9 p.m., the same time Chuck House, Pappy's BBQ & Cocina Marin Mexican between Meridian, May & Reno avenues to N.W. 10th Street closes.

[Miracle121]

No ECHL hockey team will move into the Cox Arena (Myraid) without the city being able to tell them how long the arena will be there. The city keeps talking about tearing it down and the OKC Blue has priority on available dates. I agree that the Cox Arena is the best place for a ECHL franchise. Maybe the OKC Blue could move to the new fairgrounds arena?

[Laramie]

OKC will use the Cox as a back up to the new convention center; there's 100,000 sq. feet of exhibition space; 16,000 sq. feet of ballroom space--predict they will never demolish the Cox Center because there will be a need for more hotel rooms once the new CC opens and let's not forget the 994 underground parking spaces.

The G-League OKC Blue & an ECHL franchise could share the Cox Convention Center Arena. The Blue rarely draws over 1,200 fans, whereas the Blazers had a solid following of 5,500. NBA Thunder ($64 million annual economic impact) ended the season with a continuous sellout streak of 414 sellouts since 2010.

Again, our 440 acre fairgrounds is primed for the horse related shows with the Bennett Events Center as a support exhibit hall for related events.

State Fair Board Trust's aim is to break-even or better on the annual fair; continue to keep and maintain the horse events that pump an estimated $125 million annual economic impact into our city--higher than the NBA Thunder.

[Laramie]

“Since 1999, the number of Californians departing the Golden State for Oklahoma has outnumbered those going the opposite direction by more than 21,000...The influx of Californians is a sign of Oklahoma’s growing economic prowess.” USA Today

Source: https://www.newmarklsb.com/uploads/m...lgnllg0qp6.pdf

[jedicurt]

The G-League OKC Blue & an ECHL franchise could share the Cox Convention Center Arena.

except that when an ECHL team was in town and looking... the city said it could not give a long term answer with regards to the Cox Center... and that NHL Parent club ownership group was just looking for a 7 year commitment that they would have a place to play... this was 2 years ago, and so we are talking about 6 more seasons from now... so they city couldn't confirm it would exist by 2026

[Dob Hooligan]

City leadership considers the Reno and Meridian corridor to be acceptable for food & lodging to support the State Fair Park area. Seems to work okay for the high school basketball tournament and other events currently held there. 50 weeks out of the year.

Although the Blazers drew some large crowds back in the 1990s, it is commonly believed that they were achieved by free tickets, dollar tickets and (many times) dollar beer. Especially the last few years. ECHL average attendance is in the 4,000 range IIRC. And I think the Blazers would do well in the new arena. The best thing that could happen to them is a sold out house for the Tulsa games generating demand for higher prices.

Ice rink events that are not hockey have done well at the Norick Arena in the past, and I think they will continue to do so in the new arena.

I love the State Fair Park area because it had done well by me for the 38 years I have been in business 2 blocks from there. A business that draws zero benefit from the activities there, by the way. But there is benefit is asking 3 million Oklahomans "Do you know where the fairgrounds are?" and getting instant familiarity by telling them I am 2 blocks from there.

I also love Blazers hockey and the Incomparable Myriad. I just want ECHL hockey to be in OKC and I don't care if it is downtown or the fairgrounds.

How about a "Blue-Blazers Doubleheader"? The Blue and Blazers playing basketball at 4PM and hockey at 7, with one of them at the Cox Center and the other at Chesapeake Energy Arena?

[Miracle121]

Would love to see a OKC Blazers vs Tulsa Oiler hockey game at the fairgrounds or downtown. Mayor Holt let make it happen.

[Laramie]

Amen, Miracle...

[Laramie]

An ECHL Oklahoma City franchise in the mix with Tulsa & Wichita will provide a 3 city triangle rivalry.

Really feel that our city is ready to take on AA level ice hockey heightened & energized with the rivalries. As Miracle mentioned at the new State Fair Coliseum or the downtown cox convention center doesn't matter--let's make it happen.

An OKC franchise could be playing in a 7,200 seat new coliseum at State Fair Park or a 13,395 seat arena inside the Cox Convention Center.

My gut feelings tell me that you get a franchise here in 2021 playing downtown. We now have 655,000 in our urban core (25th largest U.S. city) and 1.4 million in the MSA, 150,000 more that we had when the AHL Barons debuted in the Cox Center.

When the NBA arrived in 2008, 12 years ago they garnered all the attention on the sports scene because they were Oklahoma's first major league franchise.

Ice hockey would give city sports fans another option in addition to NBA basketball, PCL AAA Baseball and USL Oklahoma City Energy FC soccer.

[Laramie]

Potential Markets for ECHL Western Expansion: https://thesinbin.net/potential-mark...n-expansion/6/



OKC is among the top contenders...

[Pete]

Plans for new state fair arena revised

Later this week, plans will be presented to the MAPS Board that reveal a revised state fair arena.

Eliminated from previously disclosed plans: an upper level of seating and a small horse/livestock arena between the existing barns and the new facility, along with more barn and multi-purpose space.

Seating capacity would be reduced by 1,354 for basketball and 1,682 for concerts.

The construction would occur in such a way that the existing Norick Arena would remain operational until the new facility is complete, then it would be demolished.

The new arena is budgeted to receive $63 million in funding from MAPS 4, and was also allocated $9 million from MAPS 3.

For the original plans, see our previous article: https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?...-Fair-Coliseum .

[BoulderSooner]

looks like they would have the space for the connector in the future .... if needed/ wanted .. (seems like the only benefit of that is for bad weather situations ..)

[Laramie]

The estimated budget for the project dropped from $96 million to $84 million. The $63 million funding in MAPS 4 and $9 million recently allocated from MAPS 3 surplus totals $72 million putting it closer to that target. The Bonds for the project should help them reach that target--smart move.

May get a bid for the project below that $84 million budget.

The 8,000 seat capacity will secure some of the state basketball tournaments like 4A classes and below.

This new layout reminds me of the old Stockyards Coliseum built back in the early 30s. Wish they could somewhat duplicate that outer exterior facade of the old coliseum. (I know there are of some of you who would like to put the coliseum back in Stockyards City ).