Sonic HQ fading away? Which MAPS project shaped OKC the most? Your questions answered

The Oklahoman’s Steve Lackmeyer fielded reader questions during his recent weekly OKC Central Live Chat. Each week, Steve hosts a live chat, giving readers a chance to ask questions about Oklahoma City development and growth as well as an opportunity to ask direct questions of OKC newsmakers like Mayor David Holt and Dan Straughan, the executive director of the Homeless Alliance. You can join Steve most Fridays at 10 a.m. to add your comments and questions about downtown development.

To be able to ask questions and interact with Steve or special guests, you must have a digital subscription to The Oklahoman and you must be logged in. Right now, you can get unlimited digital access to all of our content for $1 for six months.

Sonic corporate offices on the way out of Oklahoma City?

Q: I have heard the Sonic building is now nearly empty. What do you know about the future of this property? 

A: Dozens of employees at the headquarters were laid off or transferred to Atlanta when the company was purchased by Inspire Brands. At that time the company indicated it still intended to employ 200 at the former Sonic headquarters as a headquarters and operations center. But when I drive by the headquarters these days, I rarely see more than a dozen cars in the adjoining parking lot.  I called the number that was once attached to the headquarters and it forwarded me to the operations center voicemail in Atlanta.

Lower Bricktown developer Randy Hogan confirms that as of Dec. 1, Sonic gave up the top three floors and will only be keeping the ground floor. So yeah, we're pretty much losing Sonic as a corporate presence. The good news is Randy reports he is talking to several prospects and the ample parking supply makes the task of backfilling the space a lot easier.

Thunder is an arena tenant, not an owner

Q: I plan to vote yes for the arena. I don’t have an issue with the funding, but I do have a couple of questions. Will the Thunder be considered a tenant and pay a fee for each time they use the arena? Or, is the $50 million paid up front considered payment for any future use of the arena by the Thunder once the arena is open? What about the money generated from other arena use, shows, concerts, etc.? Do those fees essentially offset the annual costs for arena operations so it’s break-even? Or, if fees/rental income exceed operational costs where does the extra money go?

A: I forwarded this question to Mayor David Holt. Here's what he has to say: "Yes, the Thunder will be a tenant. They will pay rent just like they have for the last 15 years. Their $50 million is truly a donation. They receive nothing for it.

"Certainly, all the users of the arena pay fees, but it doesn't always cover all of the operational costs. We're just too small a market. The internal operations of the arena probably do not break even if you're just looking at the balance sheet of the arena itself without considering the many economic benefits to the larger community.

"But none of our city services break even. That's never been viewed by our residents as the point of city government or an arena. An arena is only going to break even in a top 10 market. We are the 42nd largest market.

"No private sector actor has ever built an arena in a market this small for a reason. But we as a community have decided that we don't want to just give up on having the same quality of life as people who live in top 10 markets. We decided we want those things too, so we've been willing to pay for them, because we enjoy the quality of life that results.

"And the larger community enjoys a huge economic benefit, even if the arena itself does not always realize the same economic benefit."

More: Oklahoma City’s NBA arena vote is Dec. 12. What you need to know before you vote.

Paycom Center was built as a no-frills venue

Q: It used to be that, when you ordered a new car from a dealer, and the price was too. high, you could have some equipment, like the radio, deleted for credit. If I remember correctly, OKC did the same for our MAPS arena (Paycom Center). When the price came in over budget, corners were cut, like a loading dock. Briefly, remind me of just how many amenities were cut out to fit the budget. And if it weren't for the MAPS extension, we might not have an arena to discuss replacing. 

A: Oh, how times change. This brings us a chance to look back at how city leaders were concerned when the expected cost of what is now Paycom Center hit $84 million, which was millions over the budget set as part of the original MAPS.

That was a bare-bones arena and as I recall there was, at one point, a couple dozen "add-alternates" as part of the bidding package. They included suites and signage.

As it turned out, the city got a great deal on the arena when Flintco messed up its math with subcontractors and submitted a bid well below the final budget. I recently added up the original cost with improvements, expansions done in ensuing year with the Thunder and Paycom Center ends up still being one heck of a deal with it hitting about $250 million. That's well below the cost of American Airlines Center in Dallas and other arenas built at the turn of the century.

BRT education getting started

Q: In the late 70s, my high school gave a course in driver education, where students studied the latest edition of the Oklahoma Drivers Manual from cover to cover. Many students also took the summer driving course at Northwest Classen, which offered both simulators and on-the-road training. Neither course taught how to interact with bus rapid transit infrastructure, or cycling lanes. And now, boomers like me are using trial and error to figure things out. Why hasn't EMBARK run public service ads, or even produced YouTube videos for the over 1 million motorists who now are back in drivers ed? 

A: The city's first bus rapid transit route, serving northwest Oklahoma City, started earlier this month. The BRT travels 9.5 miles each way, with 32 stops and priority traffic signals set for 38 intersections for nine vehicles. The line connects with the larger fixed-route bus network, specifically routes 005, 007, 008, 010, and 023, the OKC Streetcar, and Spokies bike share.

And yes, it has streetcar style stops, operates like a streetcar, and does involve sections with dedicated BRT lanes.

EMBARK spokesman Michael Scroggins reports the BRT service has a series of animated safety measures online similar to those done with the introduction of the streetcars to help build awareness about bus lanes and signals. This will includes a paid digital media campaign in addition to expected media reporting.

Adding art to the NE 23 tunnel under the Capitol?

Q: Are you aware of any plans to improve the 23rd Street underpass at the Capitol? Is it being discussed as part of the NE 23rd street better street safer city project? 

A: I am not hearing of anything yet, but there is ample opportunity to do something similar to the wall art done by Joe Slack along Classen Boulevard. I talked with Joe and it definitely caught his interest when I mentioned the 23rd Street underpass. Hey, Mayor David Holt, how about this as a candidate for MAPS 4 beautification funding?

Learn more about Joe Slack's work here: https://www.joeslack.com/public-art

Look west and east for new hot spot downtown neighborhoods

Q: I ask you this question about once a year: for someone looking to purchase in the inner core, what neighborhoods would you recommend? 

A: Metro Park neighborhood west of SoSA and Classen North Highlands at NE 13 and Walnut are my top picks. Both are well into their recoveries and I'd feel good about buying or building a home due to future opportunities.

MAPS reshaped the city with the Oklahoma River

Q: Do you get the sense that the upcoming arena vote is taking on a minimalists vs futurists tone? In your opinion which MAPS project to date has been the most transformative and can a new arena, if approved by voters have a similar impact, if so why? 

A: I'm not sure it's a minimalist vs. futurist debate as much as it is a disagreement over priorities, the value of an NBA team to the city, and a lack of understanding of civic issues.

Let me expand on this. JoBeth Hamon, Ward 2 council representative, is among the chief critics of the arena. She wants to see spending go more toward public transit, homelessness, affordable housing and other social issues. There are those who note millions are already being spent on those issues through MAPS 4. We have seen some misinformation going out when it comes to this debate.

Some argue we shouldn't be funding an arena when housing vouchers are on hold. But that hold is on the state funding, not the city's housing program. Some cite the county jail, but again, that's the county, not the city. Some have written this election will cancel out the MAPS 4 funding already in place for affordable housing programs and mental health. That's absolutely not true.

Can we say, however, that mental health, public transit and affordable housing are adequately funded? I know a lot of folks in the know who say these challenges still lack the resources to make a big difference.

The second part of your question, however, goes to the question of cultural and civic value of a project (like an arena). I argue the most transformative project in the original 1993 MAPS program was the restoration of the Oklahoma River from a drainage ditch to a scenic, recreational waterway that may very well end up landing Oklahoma City as a host site for the 2028 Olympics canoe slalom competition. This is a waterway that was a source of embarrassment for the city and a divide between north and south OKC.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Shrinking Sonic corporate presence in OKC, top MAPS legacy discussed