OKC Mayor David Holt Celebrates Wins at State of the City Address

OKLAHOMA CITY — “All we do is win,” Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt told the crowd gathered to hear his State of the City address on Wednesday, July 15 at the Oklahoma City Convention Center. And we do that by continuing to bet on sports, he said.
The population of Oklahoma City is projected to exceed 700,000 people by 2030 – which is double the population of the city in 1970, he noted. Approximately 21 people move to Oklahoma City every day, he said.
The increased attention on Oklahoma City has a lot to do with the “international platform provided by the NBA and the our Oklahoma City Thunder and our incredibly talented players,” said Holt. Many people nationwide got their first idea of what Oklahoma City is really like by visiting the city for a Thunder game, or by seeing images of the city related to the NBA.
Oklahoma City voters, embracing the team, voted to invest in a new, 750,000 square-foot, $1 billion, state-of-the-art arena which is projected to open in time for the 2028-29 NBA season. The area enabled the city to secure the team until at least 2050.
MAPS funding has also allowed the city to invest in the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex, which is estimated to have an economic impact of more than $50 million for the city.
Voters also chose to invest in RIVERSPORT OKC, creating an watersports facility that will be an official venue of the 2028 Olympics (while most of the competition will be held in Los Angeles, Oklahoma City is the only other U.S. city chosen to host some of the games). This weekend, RIVERSPORT will host the International Canoe Federation’s Canoe Slalom World Championships, again a testament to the quality of the facility and its ability to attract national competitions to the city.
With MAPS 4, voters approved funding for a multipurpose stadium which is currently under construction in downtown Oklahoma City. When completed in January 2028, the facility will have a capacity of 10,000 and will be used as the home facility for Oklahoma City’s soccer team.
Ground broke earlier this summer on the $121 million multi-purpose stadium, with several star athletes – including Baker Mayfield, Russell Westbrook, Jalen Williams, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and Nik Bonito –investing in the soccer team and the club’s development.
Holt used the opportunity of the State of the City address to make an announcement regarding Oklahoma City’s soccer team, formerly known as Oklahoma Energy FC: Oklahoma City’s new professional soccer team will be called OKC United. Holt unveiled a new logo for the team during his address. The new organization will also focus on developing the “next generation to compete” in the sport as well, he said.