Published: September 28, 2024 | Last Updated on October 2, 2024, 12:01 AM
OKLAHOMA CITY — The mammoth, $400 million OKANA resort project is continuing on budget and on schedule, according to project leaders, and is readying for a public unveiling early next year. Ticket sales went live this week for April 2025 bookings.
Part of the city’s newly coined Horizons District, the sprawling resort is funded primarily by the Chickasaw Nation and occupies Chickasaw-owned land south of the Oklahoma River and next door to the First Americans Museum.
The full complex is set to feature an 11-story hotel, 4.5-acre outdoor “lagoon,” 12 restaurant and beverage outlets, and a full-sized indoor waterpark.
Nearly two years on from the project’s October 31st, 2022 groundbreaking, construction is entering its final phases, with waterslides installed, pools dug and prepped, and the timeline proceeding as planned, enough to confidently launch online bookings for hotel stays from April 1st onward.
“I’m telling you, it’s really amazing,” OKANA Managing Director Ken Leone told Free Press during a site tour this week. “We’re moving along. Everything is on schedule, and that’s the important thing.”
Lagoon & indoor waterpark
Central to the resort’s appeal is a more than 100,000 square foot indoor waterpark and a 4.5-acre multi-pool area – billed as the resort’s “lagoon” – set to be surrounded by sand and dotted with cabanas, activity courses, and a swim-up bar.
Access to the waterpark and lagoon will be open and available to the public (for a one-time “day pass” cost) rather than exclusive to resort guests.
“64,000 square feet of the lagoon is just one pool,” Brian Szydloski, General Manager of OKANA’s waterpark operations told us during the site tour. “It’s the largest pool in Oklahoma and one of the largest pools in the country, with just shy of 1.3 million gallons of water.”
While the resort’s hotel and on-site entertainment and business areas are forecast to have a major effect on city tourism, the waterpark and lagoon areas are likely to be the primary selling point for Oklahoma City locals.
“It’ll be open all year round, 365 days a year,” Szydloski said. “It’s all temperature controlled, so the water and air will be maintained between 84 and 86 degrees all year round. It doesn’t matter if it’s 10 degrees outside, it’s always 84 to 86 degrees at OKANA.”
Restaurant and bar options
OKANA’s other main appeal for city residents not interested in a hotel stay is the especially large range and selection of food and beverage options.
Forgoing restaurant chains in favor of original, Oklahoma-owned, and managed concepts, OKANA is set to feature 12 restaurant and bar options on-site, with a majority open to the public for casual patrons without the need for a day pass or resort reservation.
“The whole idea of this [retail and dining area] is that it’s really for the local public,” Leone said. “It’ll really be like an outdoor mall. It’ll have that feeling.”
The restaurant concepts are on schedule to open with the April launch alongside the hotel.
Economic impact
All of this should result in a significant economic boost for the city and state, providing hundreds of jobs and the potential for nearly $200 million in tax revenue alone over the resort’s first decade in operation.
Beyond direct tax revenue for the state and city, the anticipated overall economic impact of OKANA is said to be upwards of $90 million in just the resort’s first year, with the ten-year outlook topping $1 billion in economic influx.
“The first year is about 800 jobs that we’ll be hiring for,” Laura Rudicel, OKANA’s Director of Marketing, told us. “And then the ten year forecast is looking to be just shy of 1,000 jobs.”
Many of those positions for the waterpark and food services amenities are already accepting applications through Pyramid Global Hospitality.
‘A destination’
Though not officially tied to the First Americans Museum, OKANA’s Chickasaw Nation ownership and proximity to the museum make it particularly suited to Native American cultural outreach and collaboration alongside its resort and entertainment amenities.
In addition to the aesthetics and branding, the development will showcase prominent displays of Native artworks and First Americans’ cultural history and heritage throughout.
Plans are underway for direct collaboration and cross-promotion with the museum as well.
“OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark has been designed to complement First Americans Museum’s focus on culture as well as to connect visitors to other entertainment experiences along this established and vibrant part of the Oklahoma River,” said Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby in a press statement. “It is our vision that the OKANA Resort and the Horizons District will become a destination and a hub for visitors from not only our region, but across North America and around the world.
For more information about the OKANA resort project, including hiring opportunities, and to book a reservation beginning in April 2025, visit okanaresort.com.
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.
