The Oklahoma City New Arena is circular, featuring massive glass walls from top to bottom over the concourse. They cover the entire exterior. A gigantic "OKC Thunder" logo is displayed on the roof in the rendering.
"It simultaneously is cutting edge, but it also feels classic. I think that's important," Holt said. "It really evokes, I think, a performance hall. It's in some ways less an arena than it is something you might go to see a piece of art, a ballet or an opera. And I think all of that's an amazing thing for our city to achieve."
According to Holt, it will be at least 750,000 square feet. He said this is because the Paycom Center is too old and small compared to other NBA arenas, which is among the smallest in the NBA in terms of square footage, at around 568,000 square feet.
The square footage, in addition to the bowl's design, will allow seats to be closer to the court. But this means there will be fewer seats than the Paycom Center, although the exact number has not been determined.
"We didn't need more seats … even if there's a few fewer voices, they will be a lot closer to the court," Holt said.
He added the concourse will also benefit from the size increase because of increased room for businesses and merchandising.
MANICA Architecture, a Kansas City-based architecture firm, designed the facility.
David Maneca, the owner of the company, said the circular design means there is no front or back door.
Instead, he believes the circle represents "equality" and "balance," while the building's glass facade represents "transparency" and "authenticity." This was determined after he asked Thunder players, staff and city leaders what they wanted the stadium to symbolize, Maneca said.
"In this design, unlike any other in the world, the community will come together as one. The crowd is united as one around the court, and all the concourses share the same singular volume of space, no matter where you are in the building," Maneca said. "Everybody's in it together. And for me, that is what I have come to know and understand that Oklahoma City is all about."
The arena is expected to open by mid-2029 on the site of the old Myriad Convention Center. Construction is scheduled to begin next year, following the demolition of the convention center.
Estimates suggest it will cost upwards of $900 million, which will be paid for via a six-year, one-cent sales tax starting in 2028. According to the city of OKC, it won't increase sales tax rates.
General obligation bond
During his address, Holt also brought up the upcoming vote on a $2.7 billion bond proposal. It is set for Oct. 14 and was approved by the Oklahoma City Council on Tuesday.
If passed by voters, it would provide funding for more than 540 projects across various city sectors. Those include streets, libraries, parks and recreation and affordable housing programs.
Holt said the city must first fund its essential services before it can purchase amenities.
"This is not sexy stuff. These are the city's fundamental needs. But if we want to maintain our ability to dream big, to have the luxury of pursuing more ambitious improvements in quality of life, we have to take care of the basics first," Holt said.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
