OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Council on Tuesday approved a contract with Midwest Wrecking to demolish Prairie Surf Studios—formerly the Cox Convention Center and Myriad Convention Center—clearing the City-owned site for construction of a new Paycom Center.
The City will pay Midwest Wrecking $11.5 million for the job.
“We’ve removed nostalgic items from the arena like a medallion that was embedded in the floor, light fixtures with section numbers on them, flags, and some of the seating,” said David Todd, arena program manager. “The center will be torn down wall by wall over the next few months.”
The new arena will serve as the future home of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The City will own, operate, and maintain the facility.
Next Steps
Demolition is expected to begin in the coming weeks and take six to eight months to complete.
Design work for the new arena is underway. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026 and is expected to be completed in 2028.
Arena background
In December 2023, Oklahoma City voters approved a one-cent sales tax by a 71% margin to fund construction of a new, publicly owned arena. In May 2024, the City Council approved a development agreement with PBC Sports and Entertainment, LLC, the ownership group of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Oklahoma City Blue.
The new arena will be funded by a 72-month, one-cent sales tax set to begin when the MAPS 4 tax ends. The sales tax rate will not increase. Additional funding includes $70 million in MAPS 4 allocations and $50 million from the Thunder ownership group.
Estimated to cost $900 million, the arena will span at least 750,000 square feet and is being designed to:
- Benefit Oklahoma City residents.
- Meet or exceed NBA specifications and requirements.
- Maximize team revenue to help ensure the long-term presence of major league professional sports in the city.
- The Thunder will continue to play at the current Paycom Center until the new arena opens.
- Construction is targeted for completion by June 2028, with a contractual deadline for opening by June 2030.
- The team’s 25-year commitment to remain in Oklahoma City begins once it moves into the new facility.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
