Castiglione's quotes on the new arena and location

[OUHoops]

Thought these were interesting and didn't want them to be buried in the other thread.

http://www.oudaily.com/sports/oklah...cle_249bb86c-9e1b-11e7-9d74-c77686daabdc.html

“We’re really, really excited about the possibilities of the larger mixed-use development that we believe is not only exciting, but quite possible,” Guy Patton, President of the OU Foundation, said. “We imagine that, as a place where people live, they shop and they go to concerts and basketball games. It’ll be a really unique place, not just in Norman but in Oklahoma.”

“The idea of creating an experience and an overall destination, in addition to the event itself, leads us to believe it will give us a lot more to offer our fans in terms of an experience,” Castiglione said. “It’s much more than purchasing a ticket — it’s making a determination that they want to take full advantage of the overall experience.”

Castiglione went on to say the arena would seat somewhere in the range of 10,000 versus the Lloyd Noble Center's current capacity of 11,528.

“It’s no secret that the Lloyd Noble Center, while still a great facility — and whether this plan goes forward or not — would still be a viable venue for a variety of different events,” Castiglione said. “It can be complimentary to this new arena.”

One concern for OU in the past has been the low student attendance at games, but Castiglione believes this new arena and the district surrounding it would attract more students to games.

"We think of our event being part of a destination for overall enjoyment, and that relates to everything," Castiglione said. "We think in the long run, in what those offerings are, create a great dynamic to be even more attractive to students."

Coaches Lon Kruger and Sherri Coale are also looking forward to the possibility of a new home.

"Both are very excited about the opportunity it creates," Castiglione said. "They know the competition they face, they know what prospective student athletes are looking for, know the environment — they're very excited about the possibilities."

Norman mayor Lynne Miller said they hope to have the project approved in the next few months, but for now Castiglione and the university look forward to the future.

“To be perfectly candid, we’re limited at where we are right now,” Castiglione said. “It’s the synergy of everything else going on in that part of the area that creates that dynamic environment that would attract more and more people to come to our games.”

 

[tycat947]

I think the University is coming out gung-ho to put pressure on city council for creating a new TIF, which will probably be a deal breaker if not passed by council.

 

[skyvue]

What is a TIF?

 

[tycat947]

What is a TIF?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_increment_financing

 

[tycat947]

Article from Transcript just last week on TIF created over 10 years ago.

http://www.normantranscript.com/new...cle_fcdd9312-7f9a-5a78-bd6f-016962836fda.html

 

[AdaSooner]

What is a TIF?

Tax increment financing (TIF) is a public financing method that is used as a subsidy for redevelopment, infrastructure, and other community-improvement projects in many countries, including the United States ...