OKC voters approve sales tax for new Thunder arena

Field Level Media|published: Wed 13th December, 14:38 2023

Oct 17, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; A general view of the Paycom Center before the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks at Paycom Center. credits: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma City voters have approved a 1 percent sales tax to help fund a new $900 million downtown arena for the Thunder.

The Oklahoma State Election Board said 71 percent of voters approved a plan on Tuesday that will keep the NBA team in Oklahoma City through at least 2050.

"We are grateful to the people of Oklahoma City for the confidence they have shown in both the Thunder and the NBA as we embark on a new era of global sports and entertainment," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.

The Thunder currently play at the 18,000-seat Paycom Center, which opened in 2002 and was previously known as the Ford Center (2002-10), Oklahoma City Arena (2010-11) and Chesapeake Energy Arena (2011-21).

The sales tax will go into effect on April 1, 2028 when the current sales tax expires, meaning the city's tax rate will be unchanged.

The ownership group for the Thunder will contribute $50 million toward construction of the new arena at a location that has not yet been determined. It is expected to open in time for the 2029-30 season.

Previously known as the Seattle SuperSonics, the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City for the 2008-09 season.

—Field Level Media