The Oklahoma City Thunder will remain in OKC for the foreseeable following the approval of continuing the one-cent tax in an election on Tuesday to build a new arena.
A clean 71% of 57,926 voters voted in support for the new arena proposal.
After over a year of discussion, the Thunder will soon have a new home that will succeed Paycom Center — which has been the home of the Thunder since they arrived in 2008.
The arena proposal approved included a $900 million cost for the publicly-owned venue with $50 million contributed by Thunder ownership. At least $70 million will also come from the MAPS 4 project.
Once completed, the Thunder have pledged to sign a 25-year lease, with it opening by the 2029-30 season.
Following the lopsided election win, Thunder owner Clay Bennett released the following statement:
NBA commissioner Adam Silver also released a statement on the new arena approval:
The Thunder have played at Paycom Center since they arrived in 2008 — but the arena itself opened in 2002, making it one of the oldest/smallest NBA arenas.
The long-term 15-year lease expired earlier this year, which resulted in the Thunder signing a short-term three-year lease that ends in 2026.
