In the middle of the ongoing legal battles and the dissatisfaction of the community, the Rock Creek Entertainment District project in Norman, Oklahoma, remains in its development of development. The Commissioners of Cleveland County gave the green light to look for suggestions for the construction of a new arena, which is of central importance for the plan of the entertainment district. According to KFOR, this decision is noticeable in a pending case of the Supreme Court over a district of TIF (Contested Tax Increment Finance).
David Floyd, the lawyer who represented the authority for leisure and entertainment facilities in Cleveland County, emphasized the need to keep the guidelines of the economic development agreement despite the ongoing judicial review. “The reason for this is that the violent complaint of and in itself does not reverse the judgment of the district court,” Floyd told the Norman transcript. The controversial project is criticized because it progresses without final approval and at the same time dealt with the public comments during a special meeting.
The decision of the Supreme Court could have a significant impact on the project. If the Court rules in favor of the petents who require the question before public vote, the project could experience delays. Nevertheless, the commissioners assume that the current economic development contract is still in force. This means that you follow inquiries about suggestions and quotations for designing and building the Rock Creek Arena project, as described by Floyd in an interview that KGOU was given.
Proponents of the public participation in the decision -making process of the project such as Cynthia Rogers, professor at the University of Oklahoma, express her concerns about the lack of opportunities for entering the community. “You actually only approved something, that has not yet existed. You have not even seen a draft of what you just approved,” said Rogers in an interview with the Norman transcript. Paul Arcaroli from Oklahomans for the responsible economic development, which criticized the decision of the Board of Directors, seems to be repeated by Paul Arcaroli from Oklahoman without enabling public comments.
According to Floyd’s statements about KGOU, the deadlines for the project are large. If the construction of the final date is to be set in the economic development agreement in January 2029, the earth must begin by 2027.
