Broken Arrow Using State Funding To Support Infrastructure Near Amphitheater

The City of Broken Arrow is taking advantage of millions of dollars in state funding to help bolster the infrastructure near a new Amphitheater coming to BA.

The program through the State Department of Commerce is designed to help projects that promise to bring tourists to Oklahoma. City leaders say the money will go a long way to support the much-anticipated project.

Funding from this program will help the city of Broken Arrow build better roads in this area near the NSU campus to help meet an important requirement by developers, to be able to clear the 12,000-seat amphitheater of its crowds in 45 minutes.

Work is already well underway to construct the Sunset at Broken Arrow Amphitheater.

"Chugging along to get us open by 2025," says Economic Development Manager Jennifer Rush.

She says the outdoor music venue is expected to bring big crowds to Broken Arrow. That's part of the reason the city was able to secure millions of dollars in funding from the Enterprise Zone Incentive Act.

"It's been in the Oklahoma City area so this is the first time that it's been used on this side of the state so we're really really proud of that," says Rush. 

The program will match any Broken Arrow Taxpayer money used for the project up to $39.5 million. It will be used for things like roads, parking, and utilities around the new amphitheater.

"To bring on a project of this size it really does take a public-private partnership to make it happen," says Rush.

So far the city expects to use nearly $29 million of that money to make it easier for visitors to get in and out of big shows at the venue. 

"When you're bringing 12,500 participants to one area, there is a lot of infrastructure work that needs to come into play in order to get people in and out quickly."

Rush is glad the state recognizes the impact this new project will have as a tourism destination.

"There's so many different tourism attractions throughout the Tulsa region and now we're able to offer one to give other people that come into this region a place to go and something to do."

Part of the state funding will also be used to improve county roads near this project.