Cox Convention Center

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Cox Business Services Convention Center
"The Cox"
The Myriad
Location 1 Myriad Gardens, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102
Coordinates 35°27′55″N 97°30′52″W / 35.46528°N 97.51444°W / 35.46528; -97.51444Coordinates: 35°27′55″N 97°30′52″W / 35.46528°N 97.51444°W / 35.46528; -97.51444
Broke ground 1970
Opened November 5, 1972
Owner City of Oklahoma City
Operator Spectacor Management Group
Capacity Basketball: 13,846
Ice hockey: 13,399
Arena football: 13,231
Concerts: 15,634
Tenants
Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (AF1) (2009-present)
Oklahoma City Blazers (CHL) (1973-1977, 1992-2002)
Oklahoma City Cavalry (CBA) (1990-1997)
Oklahoma Wranglers (AFL) (2000-2001)
Oklahoma City Stars (CHL) (1978-1982)
Oklahoma Coyotes (RHI) (1995-1996)

The Cox Business Services Convention Center (also known as the Cox Convention Center, the Cox Center, or The Cox and colloquially referred to by its original name, The Myriad) is a large multipurpose convention, arena, and meeting complex located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Contents

[edit] History

Cox Convention Center's name comes from a naming rights deal with local telecommunications giant Cox Communications. The complex was formerly known as the Myriad Convention Center.

The Myriad Convention Center was the centerpiece of Oklahoma City's first major urban renewal project, the Pei Plan. In addition to the Convention Center, the project included the removal of blighted sections of the southern downtown area. The project also began the process for the design and construction of the Myriad Botanical Gardens, located directly west of the Myriad.

It is located adjacent to the Renaissance and Sheraton Hotels and borders Robinson Avenue, Sheridan Avenue, Reno Avenue, and EK Gaylord Blvd in Downtown. Immediately across the street to the south is the Ford Center, the city's largest multipurpose arena, as well as the Courtyard Hotel.

[edit] Arena information

The Cox Convention Center's primary use is that of large scale convention and meeting facility. It also hosts major concerts, conferences, and other large scale events. The complex houses multiple meeting rooms, conference and convention space, dining halls, and a 15,000 seat multi-purpose arena (one of the city's three major arenas).

The arena in the Cox facility is the secondary home to the Oklahoma City Blazers and the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz professional sports teams when the Ford Center is not available. The Cox has also hosted numerous state and college basketball events, including the 2007 and 2009 Big 12 Women's Basketball Tournament and UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard on September 16, 2009.

[edit] Improvements

The Myriad received a major rennovation as part of the city's 1993 Capital Improvement Program, known as Metropolitan Area Projects Plan (or "MAPS"), which financed new and upgraded sports, entertainment, cultural and convention facilities primarily in the downtown area with a temporary 1-cent sales tax assessed. Despite the "metropolitan" moniker of the improvement program, the tax was only assessed inside city limits.

The MAPS Project also funded construction of the Ford Center arena (located just south of the Cox Convention Center) and the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark.

[edit] Events

Prior to the opening of the Ford Center, the Myriad was Oklahoma City's premier sports and entertainment venue. Since opening in 1972, the Convention Center has hosted numerous concerts and sporting events including:

[edit] External links

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