Last Updated on March 29, 2024, 10:09 AM | Published: March 28, 2024
OKLAHOMA CITY — OG&E was announced as the lead donor for the new MAPS 4 Fairgrounds Coliseum Wednesday and that it would be named “OG&E Coliseum” for the next ten years.
But, the actual amount OG&E is giving to the project is “undisclosed.”
The announcement came during the “topping out” ceremony Wednesday which was eventually snowed out so that the crowd and ceremony had to be moved inside of the Bennett Event Center just a few yards away.
Sean Trauschke, Chairman, President, and CEO of OG&E, talked freely about their plans to contribute a significant sum.
Specifically, the gift is being given from the OG&E Energy Corp. Foundation, Inc. which received a large infusion of funds in 2022 when OGE Energy Corp. sold its interest in Enable Midstream Partners with the intent to increase charitable contributions in the community.
Ron Norrick was mayor of Oklahoma City and led the successful campaign to get the first MAPS plan passed in December 1993. The popularity, trust, and success of the original projects led voters to continue to vote for the dedicated penny sales tax for successive MAPS plans up through MAPS 4 and the most recent dedicated penny tax for a new NBA Arena.
Now, as Chair of the State Fair Board, Norrick praised OG&E for their contribution and explained its importance to the project.
“It has been known from the very beginning that the coliseum portion of the MAPS 4 budget was not sufficient to cover the entire cost of the $126 million project,” stated Chairman Norick.
“Multiple funding sources needed to come together to bridge the gap. We are extremely thankful that the OGE Energy Corporation Foundation stepped up with their generous donation. Without them, we would not have been able to build the coliseum we are building today.”
There was much talk from one speaker to the next, including Trauschke, about the generosity of the OG&E Foundation, but no statement about the actual amount given.
When Free Press asked Scott Munz, head of marketing for Oklahoma State Fair, Inc. about the amount, his only response was that it was ”not being disclosed at this time.”
And, OG&E’s spokesperson, Aaron Cooper, replied to our request for a dollar amount with, ”The terms of the naming rights agreement are not being disclosed.”
The $126 million MAPS 4 Coliseum is being built next to the old, round Jim Norick Arena. That facility was completed in 1965 and will be torn down once the new rectangular coliseum is completed.
The public in Oklahoma City is paying for MAPS 4 with a dedicated penny sales tax, which is the project money used for a large part of the construction of the new Coliseum. The design phase of the new Coliseum was paid with MAPS 3 money. And, naming rights donations to the project were always a part of the plan.
As it turned out on Wednesday, heavy snowfall stopped the outdoor event of a crane lifting the last massive steel truss into place to complete the highest steel constructed for the arena.
However, that did not stop the ceremony from proceeding, only inside the Bennet Event Center right next door at the Fairgrounds.
Speakers at the event were:
- Teresa Rose – MAPS 4 Citizens Advisory Board Chair
- Mayor David Holt – City of Oklahoma City
- Mayor Ron Norick – Former Mayor, City of Oklahoma City and current Chairman of the Board, Oklahoma State Fair, Inc.
- OKC Fairgrounds Coliseum naming partner
- Steven Johnson – Flintco
About MAPS 4
MAPS 4 is a debt-free public improvement program funded by a temporary penny sales tax that will raise a projected $1.07 billion over eight years. Oklahoma City voters approved the sales tax to fund
MAPS 4 in a special election on Dec. 10, 2019, moving forward with a unique and ambitious plan to transform our community. The temporary penny sales tax funding MAPS 4 began April 1, 2020, and ends in 2028.
More than 70 percent of MAPS 4 funding is dedicated to neighborhood and human needs. The rest is for quality of life and job-creating initiatives. The MAPS 4 Citizens Advisory Board and its six subcommittees will guide MAPS 4 planning and implementation, making recommendations to the City Council. The Council has final authority on MAPS 4.
The MAPS Investment and Operating Trust developed a strategic investment plan to support long-term sustainable funding for MAPS 4 projects’ operational expenses and maintenance. Visit okc.gov/maps4 for more.
About MAPS 3
MAPS 3 is a $777 million, voter-approved capital improvement program to improve the quality of life in Oklahoma City. It is funded by a temporary 1-cent sales tax that began in April 2010 and ended in December 2017. MAPS 3 funds eight projects: Downtown Convention Center, Downtown Public Park, Modern Streetcar/Transit, Oklahoma River Improvements, Oklahoma State Fairgrounds Improvements, Senior Health and Wellness Centers, Trails and Sidewalks.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
