ACCESS. THE MOTION TO POSTPONE PASSES, VOTING AGAINST COUNCIL MEMBER DIXON, COUNCIL MEMBER. HINKLE. COUNCIL MEMBER BALL AND MAYOR HAKOLA AND NORMAN CITY COUNCIL LEADERS VOTING 5 TO 4 TO DELAY A VOTE ON THE NORMAN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT PHASING PLAN UNTIL MAY 20TH. CITY LEADERS SAY THAT THIS GIVES THEM SOME MORE TIME TO WAIT FOR THE STATE SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE IF A PETITION TO PUT THE DISTRICT TO A PUBLIC VOTE IS VALID. THE PHASING PLAN OUTLINES WHEN CONSTRUCTION COULD START ON CERTAIN PROJECTS FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT. WITH THE VOTE POSTPONED, THE CITY’S ATTORNEY SAYS THEY SHOULD EXPECT A LETTER FROM DEVELOPERS STATING THE CONTRACT IS IN DEFAULT. THERE IS A SPECIFIC PROVISION IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT THAT ONCE YOU GET THE NOTICE OF THE DEFAULT, YOU HAVE 30 DAYS TO CURE THAT DEFAULT. IF YOU WERE TO COME BACK ON THE 20TH AND CONSIDER THE MATTER, THEN THAT WOULD NOT RESULT IN DEFAULTING THE CONTRACT.
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Norman City Council decides to postpone vote on phasing plan for entertainment district
City leaders said it will give them more time to wait for the Oklahoma Supreme Court to decide whether a petition to put the district to a public vote is valid.
Updated: 9:25 AM CDT Apr 23, 2025
Norman city leaders on Tuesday decided to delay a vote on the planned Rock Creek Entertainment District until late May. The City Council voted 5-4 to delay the decision on the phasing plan until May 20. City leaders said it will give them more time to wait for the Oklahoma Supreme Court to decide whether a petition to put the district to a public vote is valid. If the court decides the petition is not valid, the city will move forward with the plan at a cost to the city of about $600 million. The phasing plan outlines when construction could start on certain projects for the entertainment district. With the vote postponed, the city’s attorney said they should expect a letter from developers stating the contract is in default. >> Video Below: Group to appeal judge’s decision on $1B Norman entertainment district. Click here to learn more.”There is a specific provision in the economic development agreement that when you get that default you have 30 days to cure that default,” Norman city attorney Rickey Knighton said. “If you were to come back on the 20th and consider the matter, then that would not default the contract.” The $1 billion entertainment district is planned for the area of Rock Creek Road and 24th Avenue. Video Below: Oklahoma Supreme Court to hear Norman entertainment district case. Click here to learn more. Opponents of the TIF district, which will use sales taxes to pay for much of the project, said the plan isn’t clear enough. “It says things like, ‘Up to so many housing units, subject to market demand,’” said Cynthia Rogers with Oklahomans for Responsible Economic Development. “This is supposed to be, ‘Build the arena and you get all this stuff,’ but it really is, ‘Build the arena, and we’ll see how the markets shake out.’” Top Headlines TIMELINE: Severe storms with low tornado risk possible Wednesday in Oklahoma 7-year-old boy joins Mensa, aspires to become an astronaut Dibble police officer arrested for blackmail, stalking, assault Bill to limit which schools some Oklahoma students can transfer to advances At least 49,000 layoffs have hit the federal government. Track them here
Norman city leaders on Tuesday decided to delay a vote on the planned Rock Creek Entertainment District until late May.
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The City Council voted 5-4 to delay the decision on the phasing plan until May 20. City leaders said it will give them more time to wait for the Oklahoma Supreme Court to decide whether a petition to put the district to a public vote is valid.
If the court decides the petition is not valid, the city will move forward with the plan at a cost to the city of about $600 million.
The phasing plan outlines when construction could start on certain projects for the entertainment district.
With the vote postponed, the city’s attorney said they should expect a letter from developers stating the contract is in default.
>> Video Below: Group to appeal judge’s decision on $1B Norman entertainment district. Click here to learn more.
“There is a specific provision in the economic development agreement that when you get that default you have 30 days to cure that default,” Norman city attorney Rickey Knighton said. “If you were to come back on the 20th and consider the matter, then that would not default the contract.”
The $1 billion entertainment district is planned for the area of Rock Creek Road and 24th Avenue.
Video Below: Oklahoma Supreme Court to hear Norman entertainment district case. Click here to learn more.
Opponents of the TIF district, which will use sales taxes to pay for much of the project, said the plan isn’t clear enough.
“It says things like, ‘Up to so many housing units, subject to market demand,’” said Cynthia Rogers with Oklahomans for Responsible Economic Development. “This is supposed to be, ‘Build the arena and you get all this stuff,’ but it really is, ‘Build the arena, and we’ll see how the markets shake out.’”
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