Where development on the OKANA hotel and resort stands after one year of construction
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One year after construction started, workers have topped off the 11-story, 404-room OKANA hotel and have started construction on an adjoining conference center, indoor waterpark and outdoor adventure lagoon.
The $400 million resort along the Oklahoma River is being built by the Chickasaw Nation as part of an agreement with the city of Oklahoma City to finish the adjoining First Americans Museum.
At a ceremony held last week, Chickasaw Nation Secretary of Commerce Dan Boren predicted the resort, when it opens in 2025, will have a $1 billion economic impact in the first decade. A study by Hotel & Leisure Providers estimates construction, by the time the project is completed, will have created 1,400 jobs with an $80.7 million payroll.
Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby, joined by Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, said the development has resulted in “an abiding respect” for one another and an understanding that “what is good for one of us is good for the other.”
What to know about the OKANA development and other features
The tribe previously announced the museum and resort area, located along the south shore of the Oklahoma River between Eastern Avenue and Interstate 35, will be marketed as the Horizons District.
A 4.5-acre outdoor adventure lagoon will sit at the center of the property. The resort also will feature a 12,000-square-foot family entertainment center, a two-level indoor waterpark covering 100,000 square feet, 39,000 square feet of conference center space, a spa, a golf simulator with an additional 36,000 square feet of retail outlets and dining options adjacent to the resort.
The development also will include an amphitheater that will seat 1,500 guests and have an adjacent outdoor lawn area that will be used for events or festivals.
The Chickasaw Nation also plans to relocate Exhibit C Gallery, currently in Bricktown, to a spot adjacent to the museum and resort. The reimagined 10,000-square-foot First Americans retail gallery will feature a multi-use gallery space and up to seven rental art studios for Native artists.
More: Largest commercial development in 30 years coming to OKC's Adventure District
In an update of the project, the tribe announced the hotel’s exterior wall sheathing has been completed, the exterior wall waterproofing and roof penthouse steel has begun, and model guestrooms soon will be complete.
About 75% of the interior wall framing is complete, and the connector bridge to the resort’s 12,000 square-foot Family Event Center has been installed. At the event center, structural steel is about 80% complete, and roof decking is complete in two of its areas. Stud framing for the event center’s exterior walls and skylights is in progress, and foundations for the south monumental stairs are installed.
The final concrete wall panels at the indoor water park were placed in early October, and all the building and waterslide foundations and columns have been installed. The slide materials are on site.
Installation of underground piping for the lazy river is in progress, as is the installation of the structural steel and exterior wall panels and the final roof steel and decking. The main lagoon pool piping and concrete floor has been installed and so has a swim-up bar.
The Suntan Pool has been excavated and prepped for the installation of a concrete floor and masonry.
The city, meanwhile, is preparing to start construction of a new Oklahoma River Cruises Ferry Landing and a pedestrian bridge that will connect Horizons with Riversport Adventures and the Boathouse District on the river’s north shore.
“The ultimate goal is to create an attraction that will build upon the considerable economic and creative momentum we have seen in Oklahoma and Oklahoma City in recent decades,” Anoatubby said. “We believe this resort and the Horizons District will add significantly to that momentum as they become both a destination and a hub for visitors interested in other area attractions.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC's OKANA hotel, indoor water park set for early 2025 opening
