Move over Jim Norick, there's a new arena in town. Or, there will be soon.
Crews are expected to break ground for the new fairgrounds coliseum — replacing "The Big House," which opened in 1965 and helped the OKC Fairgrounds become known as "The Horse Show Capital of the World" — starting this fall, sometime after the conclusion of the Oklahoma State Fair. The new coliseum will be constructed for just over $102 million, with funding from different pools, including MAPS 3 and 4 and hotel tax revenue.
Design on the coliseum was already in the works when the voters approved MAPS 4 in 2019, paving the way for it to be the first MAPS 4 project to break ground. The projects cost has risen considerably due to rising construction costs and inflation, with a November 2020 city council memo estimating the price tag at $73 million.
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Though a small portion of the Jim Norick arena will be demolished to make room for the coliseum, the arena will be fully operational during all phases of construction, fairgrounds spokesman Scott Munz said.
"We were adamant about it not disrupting any of our business in the arena itself," Munz said.
The current fairgrounds arena has the largest economic impact of all publicly owned facilities in Oklahoma City, hosting over 250 event days a year, including international equine and livestock shows, concerts, sporting events and ice shows.
A 2019 study, conducted for presentation of the coliseum as a possible MAPS 4 component, found that arena events in 2017 drew more than 1.1 million visitors to the fairgrounds and $211.5 million in direct spending at the facility, as well as at hotels, restaurants, retail establishments and other related businesses.
Designed to suit a variety of events, the coliseum will seat about 4,700 in its 21-inch padded seats for horse shows. Retractable seating will allow up to 7,500 seats in different layouts for events like bull riding, concerts and basketball games.
There also will be premium spaces like a lounge and three suites, and modern features like charging areas, Wi-Fi and a cellular distributed antenna system for better phone connectivity.
More:Why did OKC's history, culture and aspirations disappear from its fairgrounds?
When on the concourse level — whether at the bar, one of four concession stands or looking for a restroom — Munz said visitors will still be able to see the action on the coliseum floor.
"This is a design element that is being employed in new building designs around the country," Munz said.
The 2019 study estimated the new coliseum would generate a 10% increase in direct spending and create 370 additional jobs.
With limited space to build, the northwest edge of the new coliseum overlaps with the current arena's main entrance.
The first phase of construction will consist of demolishing that entrance and rerouting visitors to other parts of the building to enter and exit.
The new coliseum is being built on top of a current parking lot, eliminating 350 spaces to make room for the building, plaza and landscaping. The spaces are used for events at the Norick arena, as well as carnival rides during the annual state fair. A replacement parking lot will be built across the street, meaning additional parking during the fair.
While construction will begin after the 2022 fair, it will be in full swing in 2023. This will create some impact for the fair, like finding an alternate location for some carnival vendors, but Munz said it won't be "insurmountable."
"There will be some displacement, there will be some inconveniences, there will be some rerouting and stuff," Munz said. "But it's not like we're going to not have a fair because we've got a construction zone on one edge of it."
Bids for the coliseum's construction will open once the building plans have been approved by the MAPS 3 and 4 Citizen's Advisory Boards and city council. The plans are expected to go before the council Aug. 16, MAPS 4 Program Manager David Todd said.