▁of ▁the ▁city ' s ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁Capital ▁Im prov ement ▁Program , ▁known ▁as ▁Metropolitan ▁Area ▁Project s ▁( MA PS ), ▁which ▁fin anced ▁new ▁and ▁upgrad ed ▁sports , ▁entertain ment , ▁cultural , ▁and ▁convention ▁facilities ▁primarily ▁in ▁the ▁dow nt own ▁section ▁with ▁a ▁temporary ▁ 1 - cent ▁sales ▁tax ▁ass essed . ▁Despite ▁the ▁" met ropol itan " ▁mon iker ▁of ▁the ▁improvement ▁program , ▁the ▁tax ▁was ▁only ▁ass essed ▁inside ▁city ▁limits . ▁▁ ▁Origin ally ▁bil led ▁and ▁market ed ▁as ▁a ▁" state - of - the - art " ▁facility , ▁Oklahoma ▁City ▁Arena ▁was ▁actually ▁constructed ▁to ▁minimum ▁NBA ▁and ▁N HL ▁specific ations . ▁The ▁ar ena ▁was ▁built ▁without ▁lux ury ▁amen ities ▁because ▁of ▁local ▁concerns ▁on ▁exp end it ures ▁on ▁an ▁ar ena ▁without ▁a ▁major - le ague ▁ten ant , ▁with ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁create ▁" build out " ▁amen ities ▁and ▁improvements ▁to ▁the ▁ar ena ▁if ▁a ▁professional ▁sports ▁team ▁announced ▁it ▁would ▁re loc ate ▁to ▁the ▁city . ▁ ▁A ▁plan ▁for ▁such ▁build out ▁improvements ▁began ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁the ▁Seattle ▁Super S on ics ▁by ▁an ▁Oklahoma - City ▁based ▁ownership ▁group ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁Origin ally , ▁city ▁officials ▁had ▁hoped ▁to ▁include ▁Oklahoma ▁City ▁Arena ▁build out ▁improvements ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁planned ▁ 2