Roof of historic Jim Norick Arena at OKC Fairgrounds imploded
By Jonathan Greco
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OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — It’s time to say goodbye to “The Big House” as the roof of the Jim Norick Arena was imploded on Tuesday.
The arena was built in 1965 and hosted rodeo events, concerts, sports and more for decades. Now, it’s the end of an era as the city makes way for the new OG&E Coliseum.
The implosion happened around 7:35 a.m. Tuesday, the detonators going off inside the arena. The roof then collapsed, leaving a plume of dust and smoke over the historic building.
“Part of the facility has already been demoed, and that’s an effort to allow the air to escape when the air is dropped. There will be air trying to get out of there,” OKC MAPS Program Manager David Todd said. “It’s really just removal of the roof tomorrow. The walls will still be standing, and they’ll be pushed over at a later time.”
The city aims to have the area cleared by the start of the Oklahoma State Fair on Sept. 11
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