Oklahoma City Breaks Ground on $900M Downtown Arena
A rendering of the Continental Coliseum, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s future $900-million home arena in downtown Oklahoma City.
“This is the city’s most ambitious public project in our history.”
—David Holt, Mayor of Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City and the Oklahoma City Thunder announced the start of construction on the Continental Coliseum, breaking ground March 26 on the $900-million arena planned for the former Myriad Convention Center site in the city’s downtown.
“This is the ... most ambitious public project in our history,” said Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, calling the Continental Coliseum a statement of the city’s long‑term commitment to remaining a major‑league market and investing in a downtown venue that will resonate for generations.
A joint venture of Tulsa-based Flintco and Minneapolis-based Mortenson Construction is leading the project. MANICA Architecture of Kansas City, Kan., serves as design architect, with Atlanta-based TVS as architect-of-record. Demolition of the previous structure was completed ahead of groundbreaking, clearing the way for the construction team to begin work on the 750,000-sq-ft facility.
The project is funded primarily through penny sales tax extensions and Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) capital funds, with Oklahoma City residents and consumers contributing roughly $850 million of the total cost. The Thunder’s ownership group will contribute the remaining $50 million. Oklahoma City voters approved the project in December 2023 with a 71% approval rate.
Continental Coliseum carries a target completion date of late summer 2028 for the 2028-29 NBA season, with a hard deadline of June 2029.
The arena’s conceptual design features a 360-degree glass curtain wall across all concourse levels and a west-facing fan activation zone at street level, called Thunder Alley, aligned with the adjacent Myriad Botanical Gardens. Seating capacity has not been finalized.
Flintco previously built the Thunder’s current home, Paycom Center, as well as the Devon Tower high-rise and the OKC Convention Center. The arena will be owned by Oklahoma City and operated by Legends Global.
Continental Resources, an Oklahoma City-based oil and gas company, secured a 15-year naming rights agreement for the facility, announced two days before the groundbreaking. The Thunder will continue playing at Paycom Center until the new venue opens.
