Oklahoma City consulting firm, CMA Strategies is asking Oklahoma City residents whether they might support a one-cent sales tax over six year period to pay for a $750 million new arena to replace Paycom Center.
The poll also suggests the Oklahoma City Thunder ownership will contribute $75 million for a new arena in which the owners would be responsible for 10% of the $750 million price tag.
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt indicated he was aware of the poll and doesn’t believe
it represents potential terms with the Thunder, though he confirmed “a team contribution has always been a part of the conversation.”
Mayor Holt said, “Whenever I say this should be in line with recent models in similar sized markets, a team contribution has become a part of every recent arena deal, even in the smaller markets,”
The site currently home to Prairie Surf Studios immediately north of the 20-year-old Paycom Center is widely viewed as the most likely location for a new arena because it has streetcar access on all four sides.
City officials and those running the studio agreed that when a five year lease was signed in 2020 the arrangement was not going to be long term.
“This is really the issue of 2023, at least from a mayor’s perspective,” Holt said during a live chat hosted by The Oklahoman in which he revealed the new arena will be a topic of community discussion this year.
“Our $190 million arena is the smallest in the NBA, now above the average age, and it is the second-cheapest. And as one of the three smallest markets in the league, we have to do more, not less, to hold our place. This will require my personal negotiation and advocacy as we work towards a proposal for the community to consider that will preserve a long-term relationship with major league professional sports."
Mayor Holt cautioned not to presume the poll represents potential terms of any new arena proposal.
The Oklahoma City mayor declined to confirm or deny the numbers cited in the poll. He noted the poll by McFerron is prefaced with a request to answer questions based on whether “statements” would make the respondent more likely to vote yes or no.
The OKC mayor went on to say “People ask lots of questions in polls, I can’t comment on conversations we are having … dollar amounts are not decided. Someone throwing a number out is speculation and not reflective of actual conversations.”
.
.jpg)
