If you’re new to Oklahoma City, you may be curious what people are referring to when they talk about the MAPS projects. MAPS stands for Metropolitan Area Projects. It has a history going back nearly 30 years, originally proposed by the Oklahoma City Chamber and then-mayor Ron Norick in the early 1990s.
One of the most special aspects of MAPS projects is the funding mechanism used to support them. Unlike many city projects, because they are paid for in cash, they allow our city to avoid any debt as a result of their execution.
Over the years, Oklahoma City has seen major improvements take place through the efforts of the original MAPS and the follow-up MAPS for Kids (which constructed or renovated more than 70 schools in OKC) and MAPS 3 programs. Some of the most notable completed projects so far include:
- Construction of the Bricktown Canal
- Renovation of the Civic Center Music Hall
- The downtown OKC Metropolitan Library
- Transformation of the Oklahoma River
- The Paycom Center (previously known as the Ford Center and Chesapeake Energy Arena)
- Oklahoma City Convention Center
- Expansion of our trail system
- Scissortail Park
- OKC Streetcar
The positive impact of MAPS programs has been far greater than anyone expected. They’ve improved the quality of life for many Oklahoma residents—even those who live outside of Oklahoma City limits. An estimated $5 billion in economic impact has been attributed to the original MAPS program, and even more credit is due for the success of the following MAPS programs.
Oklahoma City is currently in the process of implementing MAPS 4 projects, which will continue to serve and improve our community. The plan and timeline can be found here.
As Oklahoma City mayor David Holt said, “The journey of a great city is never over,” which is well aligned with the exciting progress we’ll continue to witness in our community as we move into the future.
MAPS 4 is comprised of 16 different transformative projects:
- Parks ($140 million)
- Youth Centers ($110 million)
- Senior Wellness Centers ($30 million)
- Mental Health and Addiction ($40 million)
- Family Justice Center operated by Palomar ($38 million)
- Transit ($87 million)
- Sidewalks, bike lanes, trails and streetlights ($87 million)
- Homelessness ($50 million)
- Paycom Center and related facilities ($115 million)
- Animal Shelter ($38 million)
- Fairgrounds Coliseum ($63 million)
- Diversion Hub ($17 million)
- Innovation District ($71 million)
- Freedom Center and Clara Luper Civil Rights Center ($25 million)
- Beautification ($30 million)
- Multipurpose Stadium ($37 million)
As you can imagine, these projects serve an important purpose in leading our community into an optimal future. They were approved for implementation on September 14, 2021 at the City Council meeting, but Oklahoma City voters approved the sales tax to fund the projects almost two years before in December of 2019.
The temporary penny sales tax that funds MAPS projects began in April of 2020 and will end in 2028. An estimated $978 million will be raised through the sales tax in support of the projects.
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