OKC City Officials In Search Of Better Location For MAPS 3 Convention Center

City officials said Oklahoma City will reopen the site selection process for the MAPS 3 Convention Center in search of a location that “better fits the land acquisition budget.”

Tuesday, March 3rd 2015, 6:04 pm

By: News 9


City officials said Oklahoma City will reopen the site selection process for the MAPS 3 Convention Center in search of a location that “better fits the land acquisition budget.”

According to a press release, the Municipal Counselor on Tuesday dismissed Oklahoma County District Court lawsuits against the owners of the property that the City Council selected for the convention center. City officials said the action marks the end of the city's current attempt to acquire this property, the site of a former car dealership south of Myriad Botanical Gardens and west of the downtown arena.

“It became obvious to the City Manager, the Municipal Counselor and me that purchasing this proposed MAPS 3 Convention Center site is not in the best interest of our residents and the MAPS program,” said Mayor Mick Cornett. “This protects the integrity of the MAPS program and shows our commitment to build every MAPS 3 project within budget while meeting or exceeding the expectations of our residents.” 

7/21/2014 Related Story: Is The New OKC Convention Center Worth It?

The City's budget for the MAPS 3 Convention Center includes $13 million for land acquisition. The property's owners provided documents estimating its value at more than $100 million, city officials stated. 

11/5/2014 Related Story: OKC City Council Approves More Funding For Convention Center

This wasn't the first time the City reopened the site selection process for a MAPS project. Previous MAPS projects that involved a reopened site selection process include the ballpark, the downtown library and the Bricktown Canal.

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