OKC Mayor David Holt Speaks at Kickoff Campaign for the New Thunder Arena

With the vote set for Dec. 12, the campaign for OKC's new arena proposal is underway.

On Thursday, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt spoke at Scissortail Park for the kickoff campaign to support the new arena proposal for the Thunder. 

Here at Scissortail Park for the kickoff campaign to support the new OKC arena proposal

OKC Mayor David Holt is expected to speak at 10 am CT pic.twitter.com/pgXVminC7W

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) September 28, 2023

The proposal, if passed, will provide Oklahoma City with a brand new arena for the Thunder, keeping the team in OKC beyond 2050. 

The Thunder are currently signed on a short-term lease with Paycom Center, which is set to expire in 2026. This is part of why the city is fighting to pass this proposal, but also in an effort to keep the team playing in a suitable environment that compares against the rest of the NBA.

Paycom Center ranks in the bottom third of capacity amongst other NBA arenas, and combined with being one of its smallest markets, the risk of losing the Thunder to another city could be a realistic possibility without the proposal passing.

“The only alternative is a future without an NBA team without concerts, without a modern arena and without all the economic and quality of life benefits that we know come with those things," Holt said.

Having an NBA franchise not only gives sports fans living in cities a team to root for, but it also has a substantial impact on the cities' economy. 

“Since the Thunder arrived in 2008, we've gone from the 31st-largest city to 20th," OG&E CEO Sean Trauschke said. "We’re now the 6th-fastest Metro City in terms of GDP growth… OKC did a survey across all residents and 81% of residents say this is a great place to live.”

Oklahoma City will hold a vote for the new arena on Dec. 12, which will ask residents if they are interested in paying the current one-cent sales tax for an additional six years. The proposal will require $900 million, with Thunder ownership contributing $50 million of it. 

“I'm not voting yes on December 12 for the owners of a sports team… I'm voting yes on December 12 for the same reason our residents voted yes in 1927, 1962 and 1993 — I'm voting yes for us," Holt said.

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