Chesapeake Energy Arena Chesapeake Energy Arena ( originally Ford Center and formerly Oklahoma City Arena ) is a multi - purpose arena , located in downtown Oklahoma City . It is the home of the NBA ' s Oklahoma City Thunder . The arena also served as home for the CHL ' s Oklahoma City Blazers , until the team folded in July 2009 , as well as the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz arena football team . Of special note , it served as the temporary home for the NBA ' s New Orleans Hornets , during the 2005 – 06 and 2006 – 07 seasons . It also plays host to major concerts , family and social events , conventions , ice shows , civic events and sporting events from local universities and high schools . History . It is owned by the City of Oklahoma City and opened on June 8 , 2002 , three years after construction began . It is located adjacent to the Robinson Avenue exit of I - 40 Crosstown Expressway in downtown Oklahoma City . The original ' Ford Center ' name came from a naming rights ] deal with the Oklahoma Ford Dealers group which represents the marketing efforts of the state ' s Ford dealerships , rather than the Ford Motor Company itself . The facility was the premier component of the city ' s 1993 Capital Improvement Program , known as Metropolitan Area Projects ( MAPS ) , which financed new and upgraded sports , entertainment , cultural and convention facilities primarily in the downtown section with a temporary 1 - cent sales tax assessed . Despite the " metropolitan " moniker of the improvement program , the tax was only assessed inside city limits . Originally billed and marketed as a " state - of - the - art " facility , Oklahoma City Arena was actually constructed to minimum NBA and NHL specifications . The arena was built without the luxury amenities because of local concerns on expenditures on an arena without a major - league tenant , with the ability to create " buildout " amenities and improvements to the arena if a professional sports team announced it would relocate to the city . A plan for such buildout improvements began in 2007 in the wake of acquisition of the Seattle SuperSonics by an Oklahoma - City based ownership group in October 2006 . Originally , city officials had hoped to include Oklahoma City Arena buildout improvements as part of a planned 2009 " MAPS 3 " initiative . However , given the impending relocation decision of the Sonics ownership group in late 2007 , the City Council of Oklahoma City placed a sales tax initiative on the city election ballot on March 4 , 2008 . This initiative was passed by a 62 % to 38 % margin , and extended a prior one - cent sales tax for a period of fifteen months in order to fund $ 121 million in budgeted improvements to the arena , as well as fund a separate practice facility for a relocated franchise . Subsequent to the ballot initiative , City officials and Sonics ownership announced a preliminary agreement to move the Sonics franchise to Oklahoma City and the Ford Center . The deal included a provision for $ 1 . 6 million in annual rents to the City for use of the Ford Center ( including marketing rights of luxury seating areas for all NBA and most non - NBA events ) , and a $ 409 , 000 annual supplemental payment in exchange for a transfer of arena naming rights and associated revenue to the Sonics franchise . The franchise move was approved by NBA ownership on April 18 , 2008 . On August 26 , 2010 , the franchise , by then renamed the Oklahoma City Thunder , announced that they had begun negotiating naming rights to its home arena with new potential partners . The facility was called the Ford Center and signage throughout the building remained intact during the negotiation period . The Thunder previously had discussions with the Oklahoma Ford Dealers ; however , a new agreement could not be reached . As a result of the failed negotiation with the Oklahoma Ford Dealers , the Thunder decided to terminate the existing naming rights agreement , which was allowed under the original contract . On October 21 , 2010 , because of the ongoing negotiation for the naming rights for the arena , and because of its failed negotiation with the Oklahoma Ford Dealers , it was announced that the arena would be called the " Oklahoma City Arena " . The new name was used temporarily until naming rights were settled . On July 22 , 2011 a twelve - year naming rights partnership was announced , the partnership between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Chesapeake Energy Corporation to rename the arena Chesapeake Energy Arena . The agreement between Chesapeake and the Thunder has an initial annual cost of $ 3 . 0 million with a 3 . 0 % annual escalation . Included in the agreement Chesapeake will have its branding throughout the building , prominent premium placement on the high - definition scoreboard and on new state - of - the - art interior and exterior digital signs . Most of the new signs will be in place before the start of the Thunder ’ s 2011 - 12 season . Arena information . The 581 , 000 Sq . ft . facility seats up to 19 , 675 on three seating levels with a fourth added during concerts and features 3 , 380 club seats , seven party suites and 49 private suites . It is located immediately across the street from the Cox Convention Center , a marketing point often used by city officials ( since Cox Center itself has a 15 , 000 - seat arena ) . It also features The OLD NO . 7 Club , a full service restaurant and bar . Several other exclusive dining options are also available at The Pub a 1 , 576 sq . ft . “ Irish Pub ” themed bar and at The Courtside Club a 6 , 198 sq . ft . restaurant and lounge area , as well as at the Victory Club , Sunset Carvery and the new Terrace Lounges . Improvements . On March 4 , 2008 , the citizens of Oklahoma City passed a $ 121 . 6 million initiative designed to renovate and expand the Chesapeake Energy Arena and to build a practice facility for the relocated Seattle SuperSonics team which is now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder . Financing consists of a temporary 15 - month , 1 - cent sales tax that will be paid by Oklahoma City residents and shoppers beginning January 1 , 2009 . The city held the temporary tax initiative in March 2008 to facilitate the relocation of the NBA ' s Seattle SuperSonics or another relocation franchise . It is expected that the refurbishment will turn the Chesapeake Energy Arena into a top - tier NBA facility . Some of the planned upgrades to the Chesapeake Energy Arena include upscale restaurants , clubs , additional suites ( including so - called ' bunker suites ' ) , office space , Kid ' s Zone , additional concessions , flooring upgrades , an integrated video and scoring system from Daktronics , view lounges and upgraded ' general use ' locker rooms . NBA specific amenities include ' NBA ONLY ' locker rooms and facilities , a practice court , media broadcast facilities , lighting , and sound , an NBA press room , an onsite NBA and team store , and ticket / staff rooms . It is anticipated that the Oklahoma City Thunder team will lease the new office space . Renovation work on the arena was delayed due to a sales tax receipt shortfall during the 2008 - 10 economic crisis ; eventual tax receipts totaled $ 103 . 5 million rather than the projected $ 121 million . The shortfall was accommodated by revising plans for certain features of the arena expansion project , including limiting the size of a new glass entryway , and eliminating a practice court planned for above the delivery entrance of the arena . Major construction work on the arena expansion was also delayed from the summer of 2010 to the summer of 2011 . Similar revisions were made to the plans for the Thunder ' s separate practice facility , for a total cost savings of approximately $ 14 million . The Thunder ' s practice facility completion date was similarly pushed back to approximately March 2011 .