Latest news with #TaxIncrementFunding
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Decision on Norman's proposed $1.1B Rock Creek Entertainment district goes to court
NORMAN, Okla. (KFOR) — The fate of the Rock Creek Entertainment District now sits in the hands of Cleveland County Judge, Jeff Virgin. The venue was approved by Norman City Council in a 5-4 vote back in September. It would replace the Lloyd Noble Center, add new offices, housing spaces and shopping centers. Norman's new mayor-elect, Stephen Holman, spoke to News 4 last week and said, 'Most of the people I've heard from are not opposed to an arena at all.' Holman said he's not against the idea but voted no, because of the Tax Increment Funding (TIF) element that would use taxpayer dollars to fund a big chunk of the project. 'Let the people vote on it. It's that simple. Or get the private investment to pay for all of it,' said Holman. A petition was filed by Norman residents wanting the public to vote on the venue. Oklahomans Responsible for Economic Development (ORED), got over 10,000 signatures in 30 days which was beyond the required limit. Petition to put Norman Entertainment District up for vote moves forward However, a protest was filed, claiming the petition doesn't uphold Oklahoma law, sending the decision to court. Attorney Rob Norman is representing the petitioners. 'He's going to issue a ruling by the end of the week. And at that point, I anticipate whatever that ruling is, that one side or the other will appeal,' Norman said after Wednesday's hearing. Norman said he's confident in his oral argument presented during the hearing. He argues the petitioners are using their First Amendment rights and following basic democracy. 'This is really about core constitutional rights. We feel good about our case, we feel good about our presentations,' Norman said. The opposing side argued the petition ballot didn't have enough information for Norman residents to make an informed decision. Their attorneys declined to comment. If the protest wasn't filed, the vote would've been on last week's ballot, but Norman says it could pop up again in the future. 'The state election board sets out certain dates where certain types of elections can be done,' Norman said. In Wednesday's hearing, Judge Virgin said he hopes to have a ruling by Friday. From there, if either of the two sides appeal, the decision would then be up to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Councilmember Stephen Holman sweeps Norman mayoral race, outlining plans for upcoming term
NORMAN, Okla. (KFOR) — Ward 7 Councilmember, Stephen Tyler Holman, was elected as Norman's new Mayor during Tuesday night's election. News 4 spoke with Holman Wednesday afternoon. 'You're going to have a mayor who listens and leads,' said Holman. OMRF talks effects of new policy seeking to limit certain NIH funding Holman says he's honored to have been chosen for the city's top job. His family has lived in Norman for generations. 'It's exciting, after 12 years of serving as Ward 7 Councilmember, to now have the opportunity to represent all of Norman this way,' Holman said. Holman beat sitting Mayor, Larry Heikkila, by a big margin. He believes voters turned to him to fight back on controversial projects, including, a turnpike expansion and entertainment district. 'The proposal just brings so much destruction to Norman. Thousands of trees removed, wildlife displaced, hundreds of homes and families displaced. I mean, just forever altering the character of rural Norman in a real negative way,' said Holman. Randy Carter, the Communications Director for Pike Off OTA, a community-based group against the project, also spoke to News 4 about the election outcome. 'I'm very hopeful that Mayor Holman will continue to work with us on fighting these turnpikes that nobody really wants. He's always been very responsive to listening and taking everything into account,' said Carter. Another hot topic in Norman is the $1.1 billion entertainment district proposed near Rock Creek Road and 24th Avenue. The project would be partially funded through tax dollars. Holman likes the idea but is opposed to it being paid for with TIF (Tax Increment Funding) money. 'Overwhelming public feedback was opposed to that 100% commitment for 25 years, up to $600 million. When you include the financing costs, the public just overwhelmingly felt like that's something we want to vote on directly and we don't want the council, the nine member city council, to decide that,' Holman said. News 4 reached out to the University of Oklahoma, who campaigned for the project along with Mayor Heikkila. They sent the following statement: We will await the outcome of the hearing and determine next steps accordingly. University of Oklahoma Holman says his other goal is finding a solution for the new library that has been closed for months due to mold. He also wants to keep Norman affordable despite the growing population. 'It's going to take all of us working together, not just the council, but the community as a whole,' said Holman. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
