Originally, city officials had hoped to include Oklahoma City Arena buildout improvements as part of a planned 2009 "MAPS 3" initiative.
#Chesapeake energy arena professional
The arena was built without the luxury amenities because of local concerns on expenditures on an arena without a major-league tenant, with the ability to create "buildout" amenities and improvements to the arena if a professional sports team announced it would relocate to the city.Ī plan for such buildout improvements began in 2007 in the wake of acquisition of the Seattle SuperSonics by an Oklahoma-City based ownership group in October 2006. Originally billed and marketed as a "state-of-the-art" facility, Oklahoma City Arena was actually constructed to minimum NBA and NHL specifications. Despite the "metropolitan" moniker of the improvement program, the tax was only assessed inside city limits. The facility was the premier component of the city's 1993 Capital Improvement Program, known as Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS), which financed new and upgraded sports, entertainment, cultural and convention facilities primarily in the downtown section with a temporary 1-cent sales tax assessed. The original 'Ford Center' name came from a naming rights] deal with the Oklahoma Ford Dealers group which represents the marketing efforts of the state's Ford dealerships, rather than the Ford Motor Company itself. It is located adjacent to the Robinson Avenue exit of I-40 Crosstown Expressway in downtown Oklahoma City. It is owned by the City of Oklahoma City and opened on June 8, 2002, three years after construction began. It also plays host to major concerts, family and social events, conventions, ice shows, civic events and sporting events from local universities and high schools. Of special note, it served as the temporary home for the NBA's New Orleans Hornets, during the 2005––07 seasons.
The arena also served as home for the CHL's Oklahoma City Blazers, until the team folded in July 2009, as well as the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz arena football team.
It is the home of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder. Oklahoma City Thunder ( NBA) (2008–present)Ĭhesapeake Energy Arena (originally Ford Center and formerly Oklahoma City Arena) is a multi-purpose arena, located in downtown Oklahoma City. Exterior photo of the arena, taken when it was called the "Ford Center"