OKLAHOMA CITY—On Tuesday, the Oklahoma City Council unanimously approved the donation of nine acres of land for the MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium near Bricktown.
The donation comes from OKC-based investment firm Echo and will house the long-in-development stadium meant to be the permanent home for the OKC Energy soccer team.
The stadium will be near the intersection of South Shields Boulevard and SE 3rd Street on the old (now demolished) Producers Cooperative Oil Mill property south across Oklahoma City Boulevard from Bricktown.
The approval of the land donation agreement concludes a multi-year search for the necessary land to build the stadium and kicks off a new design phase. The construction groundbreaking is expected next year.
The expected timeline for the multi-purpose stadium has increased swiftly since July of this year when Oklahoma City’s Echo – an investment and venture capital firm with deep ties to oil & gas, biotech, and entertainment – purchased majority control of OKC Energy.
That purchase meant that Echo would also be responsible for buying and donating the required land for the stadium as part of Energy’s contract with the City.
“I am honored to partner with the City of OKC in the advancement of a core MAPS 4 project,” Echo CEO Christian Kanady said in a press statement accompanying today’s announcement of the land donation deal. “The world-class environment will add to the vibrance of downtown and deliver an even better quality of life for our community.”
Stadium land agreement
When the City approved a $30 million funding increase for the proposed stadium in January of this year, that approval came with a caveat for Energy ownership.
Under the agreement to shift city funding from debt coverage for the Omni Hotel to the stadium development, the Energy’s owners would be required to purchase nine acres of land and donate it to the city, with over seven acres to be used exclusively for the city-owned stadium.
When Echo bought the Energy and assumed control of the club in July, they also assumed the responsibility of purchasing and donating the land.
The donated land from today’s deal is part of the former Producers Co-op area, long eyed to be the new stadium’s home.
Sports and entertainment district
The remaining acreage of the donated land not used for the stadium will be developed by Echo, with expected restaurant and retail spaces filling out the property.
It’s all part of the newly designated Core to Shore TIF district that will use tax increment financing to revitalize the area for commerce.
“As the planned center of a new entertainment district,” Kanady said in his statement, “the future Multipurpose Stadium will become a hub for much more than professional soccer and position our community to host numerous other top-tier sports, music, and entertainment activities.”
The nine acres purchased and donated by Echo is only a part of the 40-acre Producers Co-op property.
In addition to the nine acres donated for the stadium, Echo is expected to develop the full remaining acreage as well, a plan that could top $1 billion.
Energy on hiatus
News of the land donation should be cause for celebration among Energy fans, who have worried about the future of the franchise since the announcement of an indefinite hiatus in late 2022.
Following new, stricter regulations regarding field sizes for teams in the USL – the United Soccer League, in which the Energy competes – team management decided to place the team on hold until the completion of the stadium.
Tuesday’s announcement lends plausibility to the projected timeline that will see the stadium constructed and Energy play resumed for the 2027 season.
A graphic on OKC Energy’s Facebook page Tuesday declared the land donation agreement a “major milestone.”
Future goals
Before the design stage for the stadium can begin in earnest, a full market survey and assessment must be completed to determine the specific needs and community impact of the stadium.
OKC for Soccer – the community initiative operation launched by Echo in August – announced this month that they’ve retained CSL, a division of high-end live events company Legends, to conduct the market assessment.
Recent CSL clients in the soccer world include Spain’s FC Barcelona and the MLS’s Inter Miami FC.
“Our job is to ensure that Oklahoma City gets the downtown stadium it needs,” said Court Jeske, President of OKC for Soccer, in a statement announcing the partnership with CSL. “We are striving to think big and act big as we reimagine professional soccer in the city we call home.”
Brett Fieldcamp has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly 15 years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
