A MAPS 4 initiative that includes funding for a new OKC Energy stadium has moved forward, as the Oklahoma City Council is sending it to a December voter referendum.
Oklahoma City officials have been considering potential projects that could be included in a MAPS (Metropolitan Area Projects) 4 initiative. One of the proposals has called for a new multipurpose outdoor stadium, designed to host USL Championship’s OKC Energy along with events such as college and high school soccer, high school football, and concerts. Backers of the proposal have noted that it would not only provide OKC Energy with an improved facility over its current home–Taft Stadium–but also give the city an outdoor venue that can draw other events.
On Tuesday, the city council weighed in on an outline for a MAPS 4 initiative that includes $37 million in funding toward the proposed facility, voting to send it toward a December 10 voter referendum. A public hearing will be held next month before the council votes in a separate meeting on adopting the ballot language. More from The Oklahoman:
Where about 12% of the MAPS 3 budget was allocated to neighborhoods, Mayor David Holt said 70% of the estimated $978 million to be raised by MAPS 4 is earmarked for neighborhoods and “human needs,” which includes new park features and a new home for a center dedicated to reducing the incidence of domestic violence.
The council voted to call an election Dec. 10….
The council will have a public hearing on the ballot language Sept. 10 and vote to adopt it Sept. 24.
If the ballot question is approved by voters, the 1-cent MAPS sales tax will be extended for the initiative and expected to raise $978 million over an eight-year window beginning in April 2020. It would cover 16 projects, including the proposed stadium.
WE DID IT! The MAPS 4 list is set, and we are so excited to stand alongside ALL of the impactful projects that will significantly benefit OKC and meet important needs within this community!#ForCityAndClub // #1OKC pic.twitter.com/qCMpuhNmj0
— Energy FC (@EnergyFC) August 27, 2019
Rendering courtesy OKC Energy.
RELATED STORIES: Proposed MAPS 4 Initiative Includes OKC Energy Stadium Funding; Proposed Outdoor Stadium Would Host OKC Energy; New OKC Energy Stadium Plan Unveiled