Plans for the Rock Creek Entertainment District are now cleared to move forward after a Cleveland County Judge ruled that a petition to bring the district to a vote of the people was invalid, according to a report from KOCO 5 News in Oklahoma City.

Back in 2023, plans were released for a $1 billion entertainment district in Norman, and despite the benefits that it would bring to the University of Oklahoma and its surrounding community—including a new basketball arena—several Norman residents were not interested.

Last year, voters petitioned that there should be a vote after the Norman City Council approved the project, considering that $600 million in sales tax would be used to fund it.

One referendum petition and over 10,000 signatures later, and the project's approval status got its day in court.

Fast forward to February 21, 2025, and the project has officially been given the green light, or at least for the time being. According to KOCO 5, the writers of the petition said they plan to appeal the decision, which means there's more red tape likely to follow.

If an appeal is granted, the ruling will be taken to a higher court, bringing the 10-figure project to a halt once again.

The planned district would be located in the University North Park area and would include all kinds of amenities, housing, and office space for the people in and around OU. The centerpiece of the project, of course, would be a new arena that would house Oklahoma men's and women's basketball.

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