City announces plans to call for NBA election
Initiative will improve Ford Center and construct NBA training facility; timing dictated by scheduled NBA consideration of relocation application to Oklahoma City
(December 20, 2007) - Mayor Mick Cornett today announced plans by the City to call for a citywide election to provide funding for capital improvements to the Ford Center and for construction of an NBA training facility. The City will call for the election January 2, 2008, for the election to be held March 4, 2008.
Passage will demonstrate Oklahoma City’s long-term commitment to the NBA, and will occur prior to the NBA’s vote on a relocation application to Oklahoma City in April, 2008. Additionally, the Ford Center improvements are intended to increase the enjoyment of the facility for all users at all events.
“I think we as a community have reached a consensus that our experience with the NBA was a success and we’d like to pursue it further,” said Mayor Cornett. “This commitment to making a capital investment in our own facilities is a necessary ingredient to receiving the best possible consideration by the NBA.”
The March 4th vote will be to approve a temporary one-penny sales tax to commence the day after the temporary MAPS for Kids sales tax elapses. Details concerning the exact length of the tax are still evolving, but will be resolved by the time of the January 2, 2008 Council meeting. Preliminarily, the tax is expected to last between 12 and 15 months.
All enhancements will be owned by the City. The improvements would help attract any NBA team and are not specific to a particular franchise. The timing of the election is driven by the scheduled consideration of the SuperSonics application to the NBA for relocation to Oklahoma City.
NBA Vote Fact Sheet
● On December 11, 2007, the City Council approved a consulting contract with the Benham Companies to evaluate what necessary improvements must be made to the Ford Center to accommodate a permanent NBA franchise, and what those improvements and construction of a training facility would cost. Initial findings of that study regarding cost and a basic outline of the improvements are expected to be complete before the January 2, 2008 City Council meeting.
● One year of a one-penny sales tax in Oklahoma City currently raises approximately $97 million.
● The temporary citywide sales tax would be collected starting January 1, 2009, the day after the elapse of the temporary MAP for Kids one-penny sales tax.
● The City expects to call for an election at their regularly-scheduled January 2, 2008 meeting. January 3, 2008 is the final day the election could be called, in order to be held on March 4, 2008, in time for the NBA’s consideration in April of the relocation application.
Oklahoma City and Major League Sports Timeline
1993 – The citizens of Oklahoma City approve the Metropolitan Area
Projects (MAPS) initiative, which includes a sports arena intended to lure a major league sports team to Oklahoma City.
1997 – After serious community efforts, Oklahoma City is not awarded a National Hockey League (NHL) expansion franchise.
1998 – The citizens of Oklahoma City approve an extension of the MAPS sales tax, thus ensuring that the sports arena would be built.
2002 – The Ford Center opens.
2004 – Mick Cornett is elected Mayor, and begins meeting on a regular basis with National Basketball Association (NBA) Commissioner David Stern to pitch Oklahoma City as a major league market.
2005 - 2007 – The New Orleans Hornets of the NBA become the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets for two years, following the devastation by Hurricane Katrina. The relocation results in an estimated $66 million in economic impact the first season. In that first season, the games in Oklahoma City average 18,737 fans, good for 9th in the NBA. Just over one month into the first season, Commissioner David Stern says that Oklahoma City is now at the top of the list for any future expansions or relocations.
November 2, 2007 – The SuperSonics franchise announces its intention to file for relocation to Oklahoma City.
January 2, 2008 – The City is expected to call for a March 4, 2008 election to commit funding for capital improvements necessary to help secure NBA approval of any relocation request.
March 4, 2008 – The election is expected to be held.
April, 2008 – The NBA Board of Governors is expected to consider the SuperSonics relocation request.
