Oklahoma’s Own In Focus: Norman City Council Approves TIF District For $1.1B Entertainment District Despite Opposition

Wednesday morning, City Councilors approved a Tax Increment Financing district to help pay for a $1 billion entertainment district in Norman — despite residents speaking against it in a meeting Tuesday.

City leaders say this will change where standard taxes go after they’re collected, not raise taxes.

The $1.1 billion Rock Creek District was officially proposed in September 2023. The plan includes retail, 500 housing units, office spaces, and an arena for OU basketball.

The plan would create two tax increment finance districts. The first for sales or use tax would be activated on May 1, 2025. The second would be a property tax that would be activated on Dec. 31, 2026.

OU’s first season in the new arena would be the 2027 season and retail would open the same year. Office spaces would open in 2029.

But not all Norman residents are happy about the new entertainment district, specifically the plan to pay for it.

City council members who voted no on the TIF district last night say they feel it would put a burden on the city by trapping funds that would normally return to the city.

“I absolutely think that the city of Norman needs to ask the people of Norman,” Deb Clark, a Norman resident and business owner, said.

She agrees with the City Councilors who voted no.

She’s not convinced the Tax Increment Financing or TIF plan for the district is a good idea.

“Those city dollars that are captured aren’t going back to pay for the very things that are being utilized, including, you know, they’re going to have the need for an ambulance and fire,” she said.

Clark is referencing the plan to contribute 100% of the sales tax in the TIF toward paying for the entertainment district when those are dollars that would normally go to the city.

“That’s a burden on the city that’s not being replaced because those dollars are captured,” Clark said.

Norman City Councilmember Michael Nash brought up a similar point at Tuesday’s meeting.

“There’s really no reason that we should be taking that hit if it’s just a matter of changing that split,” Nash said.

“This is a lot of money that is supposed to be public money that is being captured and given to private entity to make their area. And that needs to be discussed,” Clark added.