CAA ICON of Denver to oversee Oklahoma City's new NBA arena. Pic below is a placeholder. 
1 Myriad Gardens (former Myriad), one block north of Paycom Center Arena. OKLAHOMA CITY — A Denver-based consulting firm on more than 65 sports and entertainment venues was hired Tuesday to oversee design and
construction of the new Oklahoma City downtown arena.
The City Council approved a contract for professional consulting services with CAA ICON not to exceed $18 million. Three nationally recognized
firms interviewed for the project consultant, according to OKC Manager Craig Freeman.
The project consultant will assist with the overall direction, management and oversight of the project, including work to be performed by the design
architect, contractor and other consultants.
According to its website, CAA ICON, a division of CAA Sports, is “the industry-leading owner’s representative and strategic management consulting
firm for public/private sports and entertainment facility owners and operations, professional franchises and leagues.”
Projects in its portfolio include the Intuit Dome, an 18,000-seat NBA arena that opened Aug. 15 as the new home of for Los Angeles Clippers in
Inglewood, California. Currently the firm is consulting on a $2.1 billion multi-purpose stadium in Nashville for the Tennessee Titans. Completion is
scheduled for 2027.
“The construction of the arena is an extremely important four-year-long project for the city,” Project Director David Todd said. “It requires more
manpower and specific expertise in professional event facility design and construction than what the city has.”
Todd said the city has completed interviews and currently is negotiating with a firm to be the design architects for the project.
“We hope to have that contract approved before the end of October,” he said. “CAA ICON is working with us to negotiate the architect’s contract and
is helping put together a notice of qualifications for a contractor.”
Todd said the city will decide by the end of the year whether to hire a construction company to act as construction manager or to use the consultant
in that role through the end of construction.
This contract approved Tuesday ends Nov. 30, 2028, with the option to extend it.
City officials have said the arena will be a first-class, state-of-the-art NBA arena and entertainment facility, which will include at least 750,000
square feet and cost at least $900 million. It will replace the 22-year-old Paycom Center that has been the home to the Oklahoma City Thunder
since 2008.
The site selected for the new arena is the former Cox Convention Center (Former Myriad Convention Center) that currently is leased by Prairie Surf
Media. Demolition is scheduled for 2025.
Oklahoma City voters approved extending a 1-cent sales tax that was set to expire in 2028 for six more years to spend on a new downtown arena.
At that time, the city had committed to complete the new arena no later than summer 2029 but now it is attempting to move that up to June 2028
at the request of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Freeman said. The Thunder ownership has agreed to stay in Oklahoma City and play in the new arena
for at least 25 years.
OKC's new arena will include amenities that meet NBA specs and infrastructure to accommodate large concert tours and major events, according to
Freeman.
The project will require short-term financing that will be paid back as soon as the sales tax comes in, he said.
