In three years, the landscape of Oklahoma City will forever change with the addition of a brand-new, billion-dollar arena to host the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt revealed renderings of what the new space will look like once constructed during Wednesday’s State of the City address, and now the city waits for the demolition of the Myriad Convention Center to be completed so construction may begin.

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On Thursday, News 9 spoke to Chris Semrau, general Manager of the Paycom Center, to learn more about the impact on entertainment in Oklahoma City the new arena will have.

“Yesterday was a milestone day on our long journey to secure that extended relationship with the NBA and provide a downtown facility to keep attracting these premier sporting entertainment events for the next generation,” Semrau said.

Semrau said that while the emphasis will be placed on the new facility’s purpose, hosting the Thunder, additional considerations in the construction process are being made to support the venue in other areas.

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“We’re involved in the design discussions every day to make sure that the emphasis is on the competition of basketball, while providing the optimized facility for touring events like concerts and family shows,” Semrau said. “The scene configuration will be done so in a way that will optimize the business side for tours, as well as great amenities and experiences backstage for those artists and tours.”

With a new layout compared to the existing Paycom Center, Semrau noted the optimized viewing experience for guests, no matter the event.

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“The sight lines for the guests, for basketball and concerts, will be super tight, a very vertical facility to really make it a special experience,” Semrau said. “Where you feel you’re in the event, while providing elevated guest experiences on all of the levels of the facility. It’s a complete circle, giving a panoramic view of downtown Oklahoma City.”

Semrau said 2024 was a record-breaking year for the Paycom Center, hosting over 40 concerts, and the goal is to increase that number in the new space.

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“This will help us attract those signature events that people want to see and will make us very competitive nationally for touring events,” Semrau said. “It’s a little early, but we had great feedback from key decision makers in the concert industry yesterday who are thrilled with the investment Oklahoma City has made, and they want to be part of this when we open in 2028.”

Semrau said the competitiveness of the music touring industry means Oklahoma City has to stay ahead of other touring locations to keep up momentum.

“It’s a super competitive industry, there are only so many tours and there are more and more venues every year,” Semrau said. “We need to invest in ourselves to make sure that we keep Oklahoma City in contention for the tours that people want to see in our communities.”