Norman Residents Submit Petition for Public Vote After Approval of Rock Creek Entertainment District

Norman residents have filed a referendum petition with the city to put the Rock Creek entertainment district in University North Park to a public vote.

According the requestThe ordinance approving the entertainment district would be left to voters on February 11, the day of the first regular municipal election. Residents have 30 days to collect signatures from registered voters.

Introduced in September 2023The Rock Creek Entertainment District is a $1.1 billion development set for University North Park. The development relies on funding from a tax increment financing district, or TIF. The district includes plans for a stadium with OU basketball and gymnastics as the anchor tenant, commercial areas, 500 housing units and office space.

The group that filed the petition operates under the name Oklahomans for Responsible Economic Development or ORED. On their website, ORED presents writings and presentations by OU economics professor Cynthia Rogers.

Rogers told OU Daily that one of the main issues for those opposed to approval of the entertainment district is the funding model. Rogers said diverting tax money to support the entertainment district at TIF would lead to funds being taken away from public education and other areas.

“It is absolutely 100 percent clear that if you use property taxes, school taxes, for anything other than schools, you are taking money away from public education,” Rogers said.

Rogers said Norman residents are being misled about the project, pointing to the statement made by the developers that the entertainment district was a “risk-free” investment for the city.

“There is a significant risk because we could spend hundreds of millions of dollars, divert hundreds of millions of dollars, put you in a situation where the owning authority goes bankrupt,” Rogers said. “We still owe payments on that debt.”

At the September 18 Norman City Council meeting, Supporters of the project told OU Daily.including interim Dean of Professional and Continuing Studies Gregg Garn, believed the entertainment district would move the city forward.

“I think this is powerful for the university and the city to come together to move forward in a powerful way,” Garn said. “And I don’t see any adverse effects for public schools.”

Since the petition was presented, some Norman residents have received text messages as part of a campaign encouraging people not to sign the petition.

“Support the growth of Norman and the new sports stadium located in the Rock Creek Entertainment District that was approved by the city council. Please do not sign the petition which may put this crucial project at risk of further delays,” the message said.

The text message pointed residents to a website titled Elevate Norman. OU Daily asked Norman Economic Development Coalition President and CEO Lawrence McKinney, Norman Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Scott Martin and Visit Norman CEO Dan Schemm if their organizations were involved in the campaign. All three said their organizations, while supporting the entertainment district, are not involved in the website.

OU Daily also contacted OU Marketing and Communications, who said neither the university nor the OU Foundation is involved.

Three residents, Pamela Mccoy-Post, Paul Arcaroli and Richard Sondag, filed the petition on September 20. Attorney Robert Norman is the legal representation of the petition, according to the text of the ballot filed with the city. The four addressed the Norman City Council last week during public comment when, in a 5-4 vote, the council approved the entertainment district.

On September 18, an eight-hour council meeting was filled with more than 70 residents who addressed the council with their concerns and support for the entertainment district. At that meeting, Norman he told OU Daily He wanted there to be a public debate for residents, who only have three minutes to speak before the council.

“We have to make our case elsewhere,” Norman said. “We can and we will.”

News reporter Natalie Armor contributed to this report. This story was edited by Ana Barboza, Ismael Lele and Anusha Fathepure. Josh McDaniel and Sophie Hemker edited this story.

This article It was originally published by OU Daily.