Tulsa’s new BOK Center. (Photo by Brandi Simons/For The Oklahoman.)
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Tulsa’s BOK Center creates 1-2 punch for state
TULSA - When classic rockers the Eagles bring their “Long Road Out of Eden” tour to the new BOK Center this weekend, it will be the end of the long road to bring an arena in Oklahoma’s second-largest city.
When the Eagles take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the sold-out show will be the opening event at the $178 million, 18,500-seat arena. Construction started in 2005 on the venue, the largest project of the county’s Vision 2025 economic development plan.
“I think the excitement is everywhere, and while the outside is spectacular, particularly at night as the lights are on, the inside is phenomenal. … It will be a wonderful place to hold concerts and sporting events, but it’s frankly just a wonderful place to tour,” said Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor.
Taylor said the arena is the most important Vision 2025 project to the city’s economic future. When she took office in 2006, the project faced budget challenges, so to see it finished on time and under budget is exciting.
“Oklahoma City and Tulsa are really the twin engines of economic growth in Oklahoma, and for both cities to have premiere entertainment venues is important to draw crowds from outside of our state,” she said. “Anything that puts Tulsa or Oklahoma City on the map puts Oklahoma on the map, and that’s good for us all.”
Ticket sales have been booming for the new arena, which boasts an impressive lineup for its first few months. The demand for Eagles tickets has been so great, the band last week announced a second Tulsa stop in November.
“I think the Eagles are a great choice because they appeal to so many generations, whether you’re a 17-year-old or a 68-year-old, everybody really likes the Eagles. It’s kind of a great open-building act because they have such mass appeal and they don’t tour a lot,” said BOK Center General Manager John Bolton.
Other events coming soon to the arena include Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Metallica, Janet Jackson, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and the first Oklahoma exhibition game for Oklahoma City’s new NBA team.
“We worked really hard to create kind of a grand opening season September through December that really had a broad diversity,” Bolton said.
The arena’s features a curtaining system that allows seating arrangements to be tailored to different types of shows, high-end finishes throughout the building, lapendary banners to improve acoustics and a distinctive curved glass and stainless steel exterior.
“It’s a pretty unique looking building. We’re really happy with it,” he said.
Bolton said the state can support both the BOK Center and Ford Center, and he doesn’t think Tulsa’s new arena will be detrimental to Oklahoma City’s venue.
“I think a rising tide kind of elevates both cities and both buildings,” he said. “I think people in Tulsa are as excited about the NBA coming to Oklahoma City as hopefully they are (in Oklahoma City) about us having a great new arena in Tulsa.”
He said Oklahoma City and Tulsa markets are separate, with Tulsa pulling from the north and east parts of the state as well as Fayetteville, Ark. and Joplin, Mo.
Tim Linville, marketing director for the Ford Center, said he anticipates many touring events will include one of the Oklahoma arenas on one leg and catch the other one on a different leg.
“Both facilities are managed by SMG … and we do a good job of working together to try to make sure both buildings are more than successful,” he said. “It’s competition but it’s friendly competition.”
Oklahoma City’s new NBA team will be filling 41 dates in the Ford Center, not including any possible playoff games, he said, so the Tulsa arena will provide another chance for the state to land big shows.
The BOK Center will go through a “honeymoon period” in which acts will want to play at the new arena, but he said the Ford Center is gearing up for one of its busiest October-March concert and sporting events seasons ever.
He added that the $100 million Ford Center upgrade, which is underway, will make the building one of the best in the NBA.
“I think both facilities can be extremely successful,” he said. “I think this state is lucky to have two really great facilities.”
For more information on the BOK Center, go to (918) 894-4200 www.bokcenter.com.
-BAM