The Oklahoma City Council has hired Flintco and Mortenson to construct a new arena for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The $900 million project, funded by a sales tax and team ownership, will replace the Cox Convention Center by 2028, ensuring the Thunder's presence in OKC until at least 2030.
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The Oklahoma City Council approved a contract on March 11, 2025, with two construction companies, Flintco and Mortenson, who will partner to build the OKC new arena, which will be home to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"Hiring a construction management team is a major milestone for the new arena project and will allow the city, operators and architects to work collaboratively with the contractors during design," David Todd, arena program manager, said. "The Flintco Mortenson team will be an excellent addition to this project, bringing together local and national experience building some of the most iconic venues in sports."
The city will own and be responsible for maintaining and operating the new arena.
"As a century-old company founded in Oklahoma, we are deeply honored to build the new NBA arena with Mortenson. The Thunder is Flintco's hometown team," Dave Kollmann, Flintco central region president, said. "Having built the current arena over 20 years ago, we understand the significance of this project for our city and its future, knowing hundreds of construction jobs will be created to boost our economy. Our employees live, work and play here — and we take great pride in bringing our expertise to a facility that will inspire generations of fans, athletes, and Oklahomans."
The building will be an NBA arena and entertainment venue that meets and/or exceeds NBA specifications and requirements. The arena's budget is at least $900 million, and the building will be at least 750,000 sq. ft.
"Mortenson, in partnership with Flintco, is thrilled and honored to be selected by Oklahoma City and the Oklahoma City Thunder as the construction management team for their new state-of-the-art multi-purpose arena," Kevin Dalager, vice president of operations for Mortenson's Sports + Entertainment team, said. "This project is a tremendous opportunity to create a landmark venue that will serve as a hub for community engagement and sporting excellence for generations to come."
The arena will be built on the city-owned site where Prairie Surf Studios, formerly the Cox Convention Center, is located. The existing building will be demolished in spring 2025. Design is under way and construction will start in 2026, with completion scheduled for 2028.
In December 2023, Oklahoma City voters approved a penny sales tax to build a new, publicly-owned arena. In May 2024, the Oklahoma City Council approved a development agreement for the arena between the city and PBC Sports and Entertainment LLC (PBCS&E), owners of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Oklahoma City Blue.
The new arena will be funded by a 72-month, 1-cent sales tax that will start when the MAPS 4 tax ends and will not increase the sales tax rate. The arena also will be paid for with $70 million in MAPS 4 funding and $50 million from the Oklahoma City Thunder ownership group.
The Thunder will continue to play home games at Paycom Center until the arena opens, with a target completion date of June 2028 and a contractual obligation to open the new arena by June 2030. The Thunder's 25-year commitment to remain in Oklahoma City begins when they move into the new arena.
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