Oklahoma City is marking 32 years since voters approved the original Metropolitan Area Projects program, better known as MAPS. The December 1993 vote launched a one-cent sales tax that funded public projects designed to revive the city's core and improve quality of life. A turning point for the city MAPS became a turning point for Oklahoma City. Since the tax passed, the program has driven more than $5 billion in public and private investment across the city. The projects were built over 10 years, even as OKC recovered from the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The city's rebuilding efforts and MAPS construction moved forward together, setting the stage for two decades of steady growth and national recognition. The original MAPS delivered transformative projects: a renovated State Fairgrounds ($14 million), Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark ($34 million), the Bricktown Canal ($23 million), Cox Convention Center ($60 million), Civic Center Music Hall ($53 million), Chesapeake Energy Arena ($88 million), a downtown trolley system ($5 million), the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library ($22 million), and the Oklahoma River ($54 million). Each project sparked private investment and reshaped how residents experienced their city. The next generation of MAPS Looking forward, that same commitment to reinvention continues today. At the State Fairgrounds, the new OG&E Arena replaces the iconic Jim Norick Arena, which served generations since 1965. The 216,164-square-foot facility seats up to 8,000 guests with modern amenities including suites, an upscale lounge, and expanded concessions. The next phase brings a new 20,000-square-foot exhibit hall and a climate-controlled arena seating 400 people. The Norick name will continue forward with the new facility, linking the city's past with its future. Downtown, the OKC Thunder's home is getting a complete transformation. After years as Paycom Center, a new state-of-the-art NBA arena and entertainment center will rise in its place, funded with $78 million from MAPS MARKS 32 YEARS OF RESHAPING OKC
MAPS 4 and additional contributions. Construction is on track for a late summer 2028 opening, with a contractual deadline of June 2029. The Thunder will continue playing at Paycom Center until moving into their new home on a 25-year lease. The city's baseball identity got a refresh too. The Triple-A team officially rebranded as the OKC Comets, paying tribute to Mickey Mantle, the "Commerce Comet." The new identity features bold light blue and red elements centered around a baseball streaking across the sky. Under their Professional Development League license, the Comets remain the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate through at least 2030. The impact 32 years later Three decades later, MAPS' legacy continues accelerating. Recent projects have reshaped daily life with new parks, modern libraries, upgraded trails, transit enhancements, youth facilities, and major venue transformations that keep OKC competitive nationally. As the city marks the program's 32nd anniversary, MAPS remains one of OKC's clearest examples of collective vision. Voters helped chart the city's future through transparency, disciplined timelines, and a commitment to delivering debt-free projects. The result is a community that continues to benefit economically, culturally, and civically from a model that has proven itself again and again.
Mayor David Holt speaks at the grand opening of the new OG&E Coliseum.
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