Downtown Trolleys

The smallest of all MAPS 1 projects, $5 million was spent on rubber trolleys that circulate passengers and tourists around the Downtown/Bricktown area. Service has been ongoing since 1999.

Interestingly, this aspect of MAPS was originally planned by Mayor Norick to be full-blown light rail. Funding for that however was stripped by Congressman Earnest Istook who opposed light rail for OKC and refused to send any federal funding its way. Luckily the City today is ready to proceed with full-blown light rail and we anticipate a light rail announcement with MAPS 3 at the end of this year. The original MAPS 1 light rail line would have been 1 mile on the elevated BNSF tracks and then expand out from there. Pictured is a rendering of the proposed stop at 2nd Street.

Ford Center

For $89.9 mil dollars the City's crowning MAPS 1 project was the Ford Center, which has brought unbridled prosperity to OKC when it opened in 2002. It seats about 21,000 and has 586,000 SF. Not only is the Ford Center a top-grossing concert venue, but it also hosted the NBA's Hornets for 2 years, many trade shows, the CHL's OKC Blazers, the AFL's OKC Yard Dawgz, OKC's new permanent NBA team, and is in a rotation with KC for the Big XII Basketball Tourney.

When the Hornets came the the arena was 3 years old and the City was already prepared to invest a few million in technical improvements to bring it up to NBA minimum standards. The Ford Center exceeds both the NBA and NHL minimum standards. In 2008 voters improved $121.8 mil in improvements to make the Ford Center one of the NBA's best arenas, in order to make a more convincing case for the SuperSonics. The improvements include a 12,000 SF family center, a new concourse, a new entrance and main lobby, technical improvements, new scoreboard, new restaurants on every level, 2 new rooftop gardens with skyline views, NBA offices, locker rooms, etc.

Cox Convention Center

The Cox Convention Center was an existing I.M. Pei-designed facility that MAPS 1 renovated completely with renovations ending in 2000, totaling $60 mil when finished. The just-over 100,000 SF facility includes a 25,000 SF grand ballroom, several conference halls, 3 main exhibition halls with more than 25,000 SF, a new Renaissance Hotel connected by skywalk, an interior reflecting subtle Native American influences. The Cox Center also has an arena that seats around 15,000 that is most known for hosting the Big XII Women's Basketball Tourney when the Men's Tourney is across the street at the Ford Center. Today, OKC has vastly outgrown using the Cox Center as its main convention venue and a new facility is in planning phases.

Downtown Library

The Ronald Norick Downtown Library, named after the OKC mayor who envisioned MAPS during the 90s, was the last MAPS project to open upon completion in 2004. For $21.5 mil, Downtown OKC got a 112,000 SF central library with 4 stories and iconic architecture. The first 2 floors provide library and research services, the 3rd provides business services, and the upmost level has conference amenities for nearby schools and corporations. Along the east edge there is a restaurant.