Concept aerial view of the proposed 50-acre sports district and stadium in southeast Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City, September 14, 2025
Plans for a 50-acre sports-driven entertainment district in southeast Oklahoma City and a separate downtown arena have moved from planning to contractor selection, pushing both projects toward construction. The district, led by Echo Investment Capital with Populous as master architect, will center on a new stadium and link nearby attractions for professional soccer, concerts and community events. A Flintco–Mortenson joint team secured the downtown arena contract. JR Jensen added experienced project manager Heath Pickens to its team. City leaders cite renewed downtown access and sustained reinvestment as drivers for advancing both builds.
What happened: Three big developments were announced and confirmed for Oklahoma City construction and development. A major private developer unveiled plans for a 50-acre sports-driven entertainment district in southeast Oklahoma City with a new stadium and mixed-use amenities. City leaders completed hiring for the new downtown arena, selecting a joint team to build the facility. Separately, JR Jensen added an experienced project manager to its roster.
Timeline and scale: Both the new sports-driven entertainment district and the downtown arena are scheduled to break ground in February 2026 and aim for completion by June 2028. The private district sits just south of the Harkins Theatre in Bricktown and spans 50 acres. The arena project follows a public approval process completed by voters in 2023.
The sports-driven entertainment district is being developed by Echo Investment Capital with Populous named as master architect. Populous positions the district as an intentional link between existing attractions such as Riversport, the convention center, the Thunder arena and Bricktown, aiming to create a vibrant, walkable entertainment district at the heart of downtown activity. A former NBA star has been tapped to serve as creative director for the district, bringing a focus on art, design and global exposure.
The city selected Flintco and Mortenson as the construction team for the new downtown arena. City and project managers described the hiring as the final major contractor selection step for the MAPS-funded arena program. The contractor team has signaled a focus on state-of-the-art systems, sustainability and guest comfort as design priorities. Early design guidance calls for slightly larger, more comfortable seating with more legroom, improved circulation paths and better restroom placement to improve visitor experience.
The new stadium in the 50-acre district is intended for professional soccer for both men’s and women’s teams, can host high school sports events, and may be configured to hold up to 8,000 people on the field for concerts—potentially making it one of the largest concert settings in the state when used in that way. The broader district is planned to include entertainment, dining and walkable public spaces to extend downtown activity beyond game days.
JR Jensen announced the hiring of Heath Pickens as project manager. Pickens brings more than 15 years of commercial construction experience and a background managing complex, large-scale projects nationwide. He began his career as a field engineer in Texas after earning a degree in construction management technology from Oklahoma State University and later advanced into project management and scheduling roles. His resume includes owner’s representative roles overseeing multiple multimillion-dollar builds for institutions such as Oklahoma State University and large churches.
Pickens has led projects that include a $350 million airport expansion in Dallas and a $50 million Air Force barracks project, along with numerous hospitality and church builds. His technical strengths cover estimating, scheduling, design-build delivery, contract negotiations and project execution. He emphasizes building strong client and subcontractor relationships and notes values such as integrity, craftsmanship, meaningful connections and family time. Pickens also participates in mission work and has helped build homes in Juarez, Mexico.
For the downtown arena, the contractor team will use conceptual design information to produce a detailed estimate in the coming weeks; that estimate is a key milestone before full construction authorization. One of the first technical steps will be infrastructure assessment to determine what existing utilities, foundations or streets must be retained, upgraded or replaced before vertical construction begins.
The broader downtown area has just reopened to traffic and pedestrians after three years of street construction, restoring access as the city prepares for multiple major builds. Local planners and developers have framed the arena and the 50-acre district as complementary projects that will activate downtown through sports, events, retail and hospitality.
Practical notes: Construction for both the stadium and the arena is scheduled to start in February 2026 and to finish in June 2028. Design teams will continue to refine plans and cost estimates in the months before groundbreaking.
Content timestamp: Updated September 14, 2025 @ 4:58 am.
Weather at the time of the update: Mostly cloudy, high near 63°F with winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph and areas of fog. Low near 58°F with winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.
Combined, the two projects and the new hire signal a busy construction period for Oklahoma City over the next three years. They are expected to add construction jobs, create new event capacity, and extend the downtown entertainment loop that links sports, hospitality and river recreation assets. Key risks include coordination of multiple large projects, infrastructure challenges in the arena footprint and the ongoing need to finalize budgets and detailed designs before work starts.
Both projects are scheduled to start in February 2026 and aim to be completed by June 2028.
Populous is the master architect for the district, working with the developer to integrate the site into the wider downtown and entertainment network.
The city approved a contract with Flintco and Mortenson as the joint construction team for the new multimillion-dollar downtown arena.
Heath Pickens has joined JR Jensen as a project manager. He brings more than 15 years of commercial construction experience, a background in project scheduling and execution, and experience leading large-scale projects including airport and military builds.
The stadium is planned for both professional men’s and women’s soccer, high school sports events and can be configured to host large concerts when the field is used for standing-room capacity events.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Entertainment district size | 50-acre site in southeast Oklahoma City, south of Bricktown Harkins Theatre |
| Master architect | Populous |
| Stadium uses | Men’s and women’s professional soccer, high school sports, large-format concerts |
| Arena contractors | Flintco and Mortenson joint team |
| Construction window | February 2026 start — June 2028 completion (both stadium and arena) |
| JR Jensen hire | Heath Pickens, project manager with 15+ years’ experience, OSU construction management technology degree |
| Downtown status | Streets reopened after three years of construction; multiple projects to coordinate |
This article presents factual planning and contracting information about major construction projects and personnel changes in Oklahoma City as of the content timestamp above.
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