Flintco-Mortenson Pours First Elevated Decks at $900M OKC Arena
The Flintco-Mortenson joint venture has poured the first of more than 18 elevated concrete decks at the $900M Continental Coliseum in Oklahoma City, Construction Dive reports. Loading dock wall construction has also started.
Project Status
The 750,000-square-foot arena will be the future home of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder. Work began on the southeast side, where crews placed concrete from Dolese Bros. onto elevated structural decking that forms the floors of the mezzanine and concourse levels. On the east side, crews are building the loading dock walls, which will anchor back-of-house operations and handle event equipment, production crews, vendors and deliveries.
Two crews will work clockwise and counterclockwise around the building before meeting on the opposite side. Ellen Becker, project executive for the JV, told Construction Dive that the multiple headings are needed to hold the schedule and support a goal of starting structural steel in 2027. She also said the phased design and bidding approach is a first for a project of this size in Oklahoma City, and that the JV, team, city and design team have worked to keep milestones on track.
The Oklahoma City Council awarded the JV the contract in March 2025, with a budget of at least $900 million. The JV broke ground in March 2026 on the former Myriad Convention Center site, which was demolished earlier this year. Completion is targeted for summer 2028.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Concrete trades are in the peak window now. With the first of more than 18 elevated decks now poured, the remaining decks will be placed across the mezzanine and concourse levels, worked from two headings. Formwork, rebar, pumping and finishing crews should expect sustained, repeated pours rather than a single event. Dolese Bros. is the named concrete supplier.
- Dock-side scopes are tied to the east wall work. Walls are under way for a dock that will serve trucks, production crews and vendors. Our inference: dock doors, levelers, embeds and utility rough-in will follow, but the source does not say which packages are bought or open.
- Steel is the next major milestone, with a 2027 target. Becker said the two-heading concrete sequence supports starting structural steel in 2027. Steel and erection firms, and any crane and rigging support, should plan around that year. The source does not name a steel contractor.
- Follow-on trades are our inference. Once steel goes up, we would expect precast erection, envelope, MEP and finishes to follow before the summer 2028 completion target. The source does not confirm scopes, awards or sequencing for any of these.
- Later packages may still be coming through phased bidding. Becker described a phased design progression and bidding approach, new for a project this size in Oklahoma City. Our inference: packages for later scopes may be released as design matures. Firms in envelope, MEP and finishes should get prequalified with Flintco (Tulsa) and Mortenson (Minneapolis) ahead of those releases.
- Local capacity matters. The JV pairs a Tulsa contractor with local concrete supply and works on a $900M budget set at the March 2025 award. Oklahoma-based subs have a natural pitch for coordination and logistics-heavy scopes on a tight urban site.
