Cox Convention Center

Cox Business Services Convention Center
"The Cox" The Myriad
Former names	Myriad Convention Center (1972–2002)
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	SMG
Construction cost	$23 million[1] ($121 million in 2011 dollars[2])
Architect	Bozalis & Roloff[1]
Capacity	Basketball: 13,846 Ice hockey: 13,399 Arena football: 13,231 Concerts: 15,634
Tenants
Bricktown Brawlers (IFL) (2011) Oklahoma City Barons (AHL) (2010–present) Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (AFL) (2009–2010) 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 (originally Myriad Convention Center and commonly Cox Convention Center, Cox Center, The Cox and The Myriad) is a multi-purpose complex, located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

History

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

It 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 Chesapeake Energy Arena, the city's largest multipurpose arena, as well as the Courtyard Hotel.

Arena information

Its 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 Convention center was home to the Bricktown Brawlers Indoor Football League team, in addition to the Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League. The Cox arena 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.

Improvements

The Myriad received a major renovation 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.

The Cox Convention Center received another upgrade, budgeted at $4.5 million, to accommodate the move of the Edmonton Oilers' top farm team, the Oklahoma City Barons and which began play in fall 2010.

Notable events

Prior to the opening of the Ford Center, the Myriad was Oklahoma City's premier sports and entertainment venue.

Concerts

• Neil Young - March 1, 1973
• Elvis Presley - July 2, 1973, July 8, 1975 and May 29, 1976
• Jerry Lee Lewis - October 6, 1973
• The Beach Boys - May 4, 1975, with Chicago and May 10, 1990, with America and Three Dog Night
• Eric Clapton - August 22, 1975
• KISS - March 4, 1976, November 14, 1977, March 23, 1983, August 25, 1990, September 11, 1996 and April 4, 2000
• Fats Domino - March 6-7, 1976
• The Who - March 15, 1976
• Yes - August 10, 1976, October 3, 1977, June 5, 1979 and March 14, 1984
• The Electric Light Orchestra - February 16, 1977, with Steve Hillage
• Led Zeppelin - April 3, 1977
• The Eagles - July 6, 1977, with Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band and January 25-26, 1995
• Alice Cooper - August 13, 1977 and April 14, 1979
• Rush - October 15, 1977, February 1, 1980, with Max Webster, April 25, 1981, March 4, 1983, with Golden Earring, May 1, 1986, with Blue Öyster Cult, January 23, 1988, with The McAuley Schenker Group and May 25, 1992, with Primus
• Rod Stewart - November 30, 1977
• Kansas - August 12, 1978, with Crawler and Thin Lizzy
• Aerosmith - October 12, 1978, February 15, 1986, July 14, 1990, June 4, 1993, December 20, 1997, with Talk Show and December 9, 2001, with The Cult
• Styx - November 3, 1978, February 11, 1981 and May 13, 1983
• Black Sabbath - November 20, 1978, with Van Halen
• The Moody Blues - December 4, 1978, with Jimmie Spheeris and October 6, 1993
• Boston - February 14, 1979, with Sammy Hagar
• Jethro Tull - April 25, 1979
• Journey - July 14, 1979, with Thin Lizzy and December 4, 1986
• The Bee Gees - August 4, 1979
• Queen - August 8, 1980, with Dakota and August 27, 1982, with Billy Squier
• Fleetwood Mac - August 22, 1980 and September 26, 1982
• Jackson Browne - September 17, 1980 and August 23, 1983
• Elton John - October 9, 1980, November 19, 1997 and October 30, 1999
• The J. Geils Band - April 18, 1982
• Genesis - August 15, 1982
• Van Halen - September 21, 1982, June 15-16, 1984, July 16, 1986, February 2, 1992 and October 3-4, 1995
• Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - January 26, 1983, with Nick Lowe & His Noise To Go and November 4, 1991, with Chris Whitley
• Stevie Nicks - September 17, 1983, with Joe Walsh and April 16, 1986, with Opus
• The Police - November 20, 1983, with UB40
• Billy Joel - April 11, 1984
• Tina Turner - October 25, 1984, with Mr. Mister and October 25, 1985
• Iron Maiden - March 2, 1985
• AC/DC - October 10, 1985, with Yngwie Malmsteen, February 7, 1991, with King's X and August 22, 1996
• Mötley Crüe - June 30, 1987 and January 3, 1990
• Metallica - November 30, 1988, with Queensrÿche and January 24, 1992, with Metal Church
• Bon Jovi - April 11, 1989
• R.E.M. - October 28, 1989, with Pylon
• Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band - January 20, 1990, with Little Feat and Zachary Richard
• Janet Jackson - July 3, 1990
• ZZ Top - December 13, 1990 and November 12, 1999, with Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Jane's Addiction - February 9, 1991
• Scorpions - March 26, 1991, with Trixter
• Queensrÿche - April 30, 1991
• Whitney Houston - May 30, 1991, with After 7
• Bryan Adams - April 2, 1992
• Guns N' Roses - April 6, 1992
• The Smashing Pumpkins - November 23, 1996, with Garbage
• Bush - May 6, 1997, with Veruca Salt
• Prince & The New Power Generation - August 5, 1997
• Page & Plant - June 4, 1998
• Shania Twain - October 28, 1998
• The Rolling Stones - April 10, 1999
• Korn - February 24, 2000
• The Red Hot Chili Peppers - April 29, 2000, with The Foo Fighters and March 12, 2007
• The Dixie Chicks - August 5, 2000
• Tim McGraw and Faith Hill - October 15, 2000
• Creed - October 18, 2000
• Slipknot and System of a Down - October 5, 2001, with No One and American Head Charge
• The Family Values Tour - November 11, 2001
• Vince Gill - December 2, 2001
• The Trans-Siberian Orchestra - November 21, 2004
• Nickelback - March 7, 2006
• John Mayer - February 3, 2007
• American Idol Live! - July 19, 2011

Sports

• National Finals Rodeo (1979 - 1984)
• NBA and NHL exhibition games
• 1989 U.S. Olympic Festival events
• Boxing
• Tennis
• UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard - September 16, 2009
• Indoor Track meets
• First and second round games for the 1994 and 1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship (Bryce Drew's famous buzzer beater took place here during the 1998 tournament)
• Talk show host Phil Donahue taped his show in the Great Hall of the Myriad for a week in 1981
• Pro Wrestling (Mid-South Wrestling, WWF and WCW)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Jack Money & Steve Lackmeyer (May 25, 1998). "Myriad Flap Doesn't Faze First Architect". The Oklahoman. http://newsok.com/myriad-flap-doesnt-faze-first-architect/article/1128823. Retrieved November 10, 2011. 
2. ^ Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–2008. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved December 7, 2010.

External links

• Cox Convention Center official website

Events and tenants
Preceded by Rexall Place	Home of the Oklahoma City Barons 2010 – present	Succeeded by current