While touring the new OG&E Coliseum being built at Oklahoma State Fair Park, with Oklahoma Farm Bureau President and MAPS-4 Venues Subcommittee Member, Rodd Moesel, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays took to opportunity to discuss the ins and outs of the new facility with him.
Currently, the Jim Norick Arena at the OKC Fairgrounds is the most used public facility in Oklahoma City with more than 200 days out of each year booked for events. While the equine industry claims most of those days, livestock shows claim many, as do high school basketball games, wrestling tournaments, and concerts.
“The biggest things are agricultural events, horse shows and stock shows,” Moesel summarized.
He told how Populace, the architectural and engineering firm for the facility, visited with many of the current users of the facility during the design process. They also visited other premises in Tulsa, Fort Worth, Kansas City, and more to find the best parts of each facility that could be incorporated into the new OG&E Coliseum.
“As a committee, we were like the final sounding board before things went out to bid and to city council,” Moesel stated. “We were trying to make sure that those things were listened to and included in the plans. I was very impressed with the city staff and with the architects that put all of this together.”
While he acknowledges the prominence of the Jim Norick Arena during its sixty-year lifespan, Moesel looks forward to seeing positive reactions from people once they see the new facility’s extra amenities that will allow for more convenient and safe handling and movement of animals, more space in the arena, and wider, more comfortable seating for spectators with better views.
“Hopefully, everybody will be excited about the new arena once we get to move in and start using it,” he prompted.
With events already booked in the new arena as soon as this June, plans are being made to demolish the Jim Norick Arena about sixty days after the new facility is put in use so that construction can begin on the “connector” which will connect the new coliseum to the existing stalling barns. During the tour- it was revealed that the Norick name will be used within that facility that will connect the new Coliseum with the SuperBarn- as they anticipate calling a portion of it the Jim Norick Practice Ring.
The challenge is to fine the final dollars for the new “connector” as it is expected to cost about $27 million dollars- with $20 million dollars currently committed. Some private funds may augment the current public dollars to make that piece of the puzzle a reality as soon as possible.
As for the Coliseum itself- “There is still a lot more to do, but it will be a huge step when we get to move in here,” Moesel shared. “I’m very excited to hear what people’s reactions are and very grateful to Mayor [David] Holt. I’m sure he appointed me to represent the agricultural community to be sure that ag was included in the plans because of how important it is to the use of this building. Hopefully, we have listened to people enough and have a lot of features that will serve agriculture and our state well.”
Through multiple tours of the building’s construction, Moesel is confident that the building will last for many years to come and represent the state well during national events and through its planned Made In Oklahoma features.
