Thunder trailblazing home arena plans

Image: Paycom Center, Dvash788, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Oklahoma City (Oklahoma, US) has awarded a $11 million contract to the Midwest Wrecking to demolish the Prairie Surf Studios, formerly known as the Cox Convention Center, to make way for a new state-of-the-art arena for the National Basketball Association (NBA) team Oklahoma City Thunder.

‘koco.com’ quoted David Todd, Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) Program Manager for the Oklahoma City, as stating, “This building has seen a lot of events. It’s got a great history with Oklahoma City.”

The Midwest Wrecking Company is a demolition company based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (US) specializing in safe and cost-effective structural demolition for residential, commercial and industrial projects.

The 13,846-capacity Prairie Surf Studios is a film production complex located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (US). It was formerly a convention center and the home of several minor league teams.

The Oklahoma City Thunder is an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City (US). The Thunder competes in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at the Paycom Center.

The 18,203-capacity Paycom Center is an arena located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. It opened in 2002 and since 2008 has served as the home venue for the National Basketball Association’s (NBA’s) Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) in Oklahoma City is a series of public investment programs funded by temporary sales taxes aimed at improving the quality of life and revitalizing the City through debt-free capital projects.

‘koco.com’ further stated that April marks a new beginning for downtown OKC as the demolition of the Prairie Surf Studios will commence taking at least five months to complete. The City Council has determined this site as the best location for the new arena.

Added Todd, “The City Council decided this is the best site for this. We put together plans, we’ve bid those plans and on March 25^th the City Council approved the contract to carry out the demolition.”

The demolition, which will continue until the end of September, presents logistical challenges due to the building’s size and concrete structure.

Informed Todd, “It’s four square blocks of building all covered in concrete. It’s got an arena that’s in there.”

There may be some disruptions such as limited sidewalk and street access and short durations of streetcar service interruptions due to the demolition of the pedestrian bridge.

Despite these challenges Todd said he is confident that the project will be completed with minimal disruption to the other businesses and on time.

Shared Todd, “We’ve never had a project of this size. This is quite a big building. The Convention Center, at the time, was the biggest building we did and we did finish that on time and under budget so we anticipate we can do the same.”

The Thunder fans walking downtown for playoffs might see a hole in the ground next to the Paycom Center but the City says it’s an exciting first step for the new arena. The City says construction on the arena will start early 2026 and be wrapped up by 2028.
 

State-of-the-art Arena

‘CONSTRUCTIONDIVE’ stated that earlier in March the Oklahoma City Council stated that Flintco and Mortenson will partner to build a new arena for the National Basketball Association’s Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Council voted recently to approve the contract with Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Flintco and Minneapolis-based Mortenson. The team will construct “a first-class, state-of-the-art NBA arena and entertainment venue that meets and/or exceeds the NBA specifications and requirements”.

Tulsa (US)-based Flintco was founded in 1908 and offers a full range of construction services. They employ more than 700 people serving clients in healthcare, education, hospitality, sports, and industrial sectors while offering offsite construction solutions. Flintco also self-performs concrete, steel erection and excavation.

Minneapolis (US)-based Mortenson is a top-25 builder, developer and provider of energy and engineering services committed to helping organizations move their strategies forward. Mortenson’s broad portfolio of integrated services ensures that its customers’ investments result in high-performing assets. The result is a turnkey partner fully invested in the business success of its customers.

‘CONSTRUCTIONDIVE’ further stated that the budget for the venue is at least $900 million and it will be at least 750,000 square feet. The Council voted to approve a preconstruction contract with the contractors worth $2.275 million, as per public documents.

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