NORMAN — Joseph Harroz Jr. stood at a lectern as the sun rose Wednesday morning across the street from the future site of the Rock Creek Entertainment District.
OU’s president spoke to the crowd featuring athletic director Joe Castiglione, men’s basketball coach Porter Moser, women’s basketball coach Jennie Baranczyk and women’s gymnastics coach K.J. Kindler, of the vision he had for the necessity of the university to help Norman “move forward.”
“This is a day we have been waiting for,” Harroz said. “… Four or five years ago, we were working on the strategic plan of the University of Oklahoma. Hadn’t had one in a while, and decided it might be a good idea. That’s a hot tip for you coaches. Turns out a game plan can be useful.”
University and community leaders had a plan and while it hasn’t come without bumps in the road, that plan inches closer to reality by the day. Harroz, joined by Castiglione and the coaches, as well as Norman Mayor Larry Heikkila, took a victory lap Wednesday, unveiling a sign reading: “The Future Home of the Rock Creek Entertainment District.”
The Norman City Council voted 5-4 to approve the Rock Creek Entertainment District, a $1.2 billion development in the University North Park area in the early morning hours of Sept. 18. The development is planned to include a new arena for OU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams and women’s gymnastics team, replacing the Lloyd Noble Center.
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Just over a year ago, members of Team Norman stood on a stage inside Norman North High School and announced plans for the entertainment district during the Norman Economic Development Coalition’s annual State of the Economy breakfast. Those very leaders celebrated Wednesday in an open field hundreds of yards away from the future development.
“We visit places all over the place that have places that you can sit down and eat, bring your dog, have your friends there, do the things that are there, go to a game,” Heikkila said. ” … We don’t have a place like that in this part of the world. We’re going to soon, and I look forward to it.”
The entertainment district is a widely debated topic in Norman.
Following council’s vote, Norman residents filed a referendum petition with the city to turn the Rock Creek Entertainment District in University North Park over to a public vote. The group is collecting signatures for the petition.
“The fight’s going to go on,” Heikkila said. “Any time that we use democracy or do those kinds of things, there’s always a difference in opinions, particularly with Oklahomans, particularly in Norman. And so as we do that, we have things that seem to scare other people, things like voting, and we’re going to do this, and we got petitions. That’s alright, it will work. All this stuff will happen. It is going to be wonderful to be driving down I-35 and see the whole area.”
Heikkila said he has a plan for if enough signatures are collected.
“The plan will be to make that a campaign,” Heikkila said. “Just like a political campaign or anything else, we’ll present our side, the voter will make a choice.”
But Wednesday was a celebration for Harroz, Heikkila and the other leaders in support of council’s vote.
“This project is about the prosperity of Norman and the prosperity of our state,” Harroz said. “It’s a unique combination that only we can fill or only we can pass on. I was so proud of the city council vote, so proud of where we’re going and cannot wait to watch what’s built across the road.”