‘This is day one': Yukon economic feasibility study for amphitheater plans underway

Yahoo

30-04-2025

YUKON, Okla. (KFOR) — A Chicago-based consulting firm has kicked off the first steps in an economic feasibility study for a potential Yukon music venue.
The site of the proposed Sunset Amphitheater is near I-40 and Frisco Road on the west side of Yukon. The proposed venue holds 12,000 seats, with developers setting their sights on Yukon after Oklahoma City developers shut down a similar plan last year. Venu Holding Corp. is the major developer attached to the project.
The project proposal has seen mixed reactions in the community, with supporters arguing it could be an economic spark for the city, and opponents arguing it could drive homeowners away.
Yukon residents oppose amphitheater plans
Yukon's City Council approved a $60,000 economic feasibility study at the beginning of April. Yukon Mayor Brian Pillmore admitted at the time that it wasn't a popular vote, but that the city needed to take a closer look at all factors regarding the potential venue.
On Tuesday, Chicago-based consulting firm Hunden Partners kicked off the first part of the study with stakeholder meetings meant to start gathering different perspectives, concerns or potential opportunities with the project as they relate to Yukon's future.
'This is day one for our study process to evaluate, does this make sense?' said Hunden Partners director Matthew Avila. 'Is it financially viable? Does it work for the community?'
Avila said those pieces of information will be core to the scope of his firm's work for the city. He says their goal is to better inform the city on what has been proposed by the venue group to make a decision one way or the other.
'We're not biased,' said Avila. 'We're not investing. We are consultants and advisors that work for municipalities.'
Tuesday's two meetings were originally invite-only 'stakeholder meetings,' but neither city officials or firm staff denied entry to members of the public and media who had not shown up with an invite.
'The people that live in the city are the biggest stakeholders of this whole deal,' said Yukon resident Michelle Ellison.
Yukon City Manager Mike Castro explained that city leaders did not originally anticipate it being appropriate to have general public meetings since much of the actual plans had not been ironed out.
'As originally envisioned, this meeting was going to involve a select, very small group of individuals who were focused on the schools, who were focused on equity,' said Castro.
Castro did say Tuesday that the public participation had been helpful, and those who showed up with or without an invitation provided plenty of feedback.
Some residents said they didn't want Yukon to be like other metro cities around them. Others said they were for the development, with at least one resident saying she planned to move her Oklahoma City-based business to Yukon.
Avila said the study will go deeper than the ongoing back-and-forth of public commentary.
'We are going to look closely at people that would go there, that are still going to spend money in Oklahoma City,' said Avila.
Avila said his firm will also be looking at potential revenue shortfalls, touring the city, looking at trends for people who may go to a possible venue for the show but spend their money in Oklahoma City, and interview other venues/promoters in the Oklahoma market.
Furthermore, Avila said his firm will be looking at the financial health of Venu Holding Corp. He said his firm wants to make sure there are no surprises and that any potential figures for costs are fair and negotiated.
'Given that they are a newer group with a lot of potential projects in the pipeline, it does raise concerns.'
Avila says his firm won't be putting together traffic or noise studies, two big concerns for homeowners, but said they wouldn't rule out making recommendations that those studies are conducted.
'How can you not look at that?' Ellison asked. 'Because, to me, that's the most important thing.'
Ellison says, regardless, she's hoping that residents' tax dollars and input are respected by city leaders whenever the study is finished.
'I'm just hoping the city looks at what they say,' said Ellison.
There was discussion Tuesday about whether the findings of the study would be made public without citizens or media partners having to file an open records request. Castro assured those in attendance that the study would be made public.
Additional meetings have not been scheduled yet, but several citizens asked to be notified when they are, so they can attend if they'd like.
Castro said it would likely be a matter that the city council would have to discuss.
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