A rich musical heritage, a site with “ambiance” and municipal support is the combination that reeled in the $93 million amphitheater in Broken Arrow.
That’s the assessment of J.W. Roth, a Colorado Springs entrepreneur and founder of Notes Live, a fast-growing entertainment and hospitality company that chose Broken Arrow for one of its biggest investments to date.
Sunset Amphitheater is to be built on undeveloped property just north of Broken Arrow Events Park, along the Creek Turnpike.
Notes Live aims to build a live-music powerhouse across the country. It opened a venue in Gainesville, Ga. and announced new music and entertainment complexes in Colorado Springs, Oklahoma City (Mustang), Dallas-Fort Worth and Murfreesboro, Tenn. (near Nashville). Notes Live has plans to operate in a dozen markets by 2028.
The company typically identifies and targets markets in regions with growing populations but a dearth of high-quality music and entertainment venues and offers “premium concert experiences.”
The selling point
Speaking with the Sentinel recently, Roth is promising a premium venue and musical experience. Broken Arrow’s Sunset Amphitheater will hold 12,500 fans and showcase “the nation’s top artists and musicians in a scenic setting that juxtaposes superlative ambiance and hospitality with gorgeous views of plains, water, and the clear night sky.”
The venue will be closely modeled after Notes Live’s food and music center in Colorado Springs – set to open in 2024 — and will feature luxury fire pit suites, traditional reserved seating, a landscaped grass berm and custom-built “Owners Club suites” which are inset beneath the berm.
A rich musical heritage put Tulsa on the map with Shelter Records signing the likes of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Gap Band, J.J. Cale, Phoebe Snow and Bob Marley. Then there’s the legacy of Leon Russell, the star power of Garth Brooks, locally popular Hanson and the Woodie Guthrie Museum, along with the iconic Cain’s Ballroom.
But Notes Live observes that Broken Arrow also has a vibrant arts, recreation and tourism scene with the Challenger Sports Complex, The Kristin Chenoweth Theatre at the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center and her Broadway Bootcamp, and the bustling Rose District.
Last May, Broken Arrow’s Cedar Ridge Country Club hosted LIV Golf Tulsa and brought in record crowds for the young pro tour.
The Sunset Amphitheater is expected to support over 630 direct and indirect jobs and make an annual economic impact of more than $211 million. Construction is projected to begin in 2024, with the aim of unveiling the venue in time for the 2025 summer touring season.
“The events park is what sold us, because what we build is premium,” Roth says. “I’m not interested in building in a cow pasture. So building on the lake, building where the ballparks are, and all of the ambiance that the site has was a big selling point for us.
“It’s also important that we’re not building in markets that have big amphitheaters. We don’t look at other venues as competition, per se, but our specific venue is an outdoor premium music venue. So there are other venues hold concerts, but ours is specific to music and specifically outdoors.”
A naming rights deal for the Broken Arrow amphitheater will be announced at some point. Roth couldn’t discuss which companies have already thrown their hats in the ring, “but they’re companies that you see every day. I can say that.”
A large percentage of visitors are expected to come from out of state, according to impact studies Notes Live has done. Roth says this will not only drive additional economic development, but new businesses looking for a home are attracted by culturally rich cities.
“As a new employer, if I’m coming to the market here or thinking about moving my company here, I care about crime. I care about schools for my employees’ kids. I care about the culture and the entertainment aspect,” Roth says. “It’s what drives an economy, and it’s a big piece of the decision-making process for employers.”
A local flavor
In addition to concerts, Notes Live expects to be holding local events at the amphitheater as well. Other amphitheaters the company owns have hosted graduations, proms, festivals and other events. “We’ll do a lot of things that are community and local centric,” Roth says.
Broken Arrow Mayor Debra Wimpee says live music venues have long been a desire of residents and she expects the amphitheater development to “generate experiences that become life-long memories for residents and visitors” to Broken Arrow.
She notes the city’s Event Parks area has accommodated many different types of events and activities in the past. “I look forward to the day when Events Park is a shared home for amazing concerts on one end and community events and celebrations on the other side,” Wimpee says.
While it’s too early for musical acts planned in Broken Arrow to be announced, Roth says the lineups will be similar to those appearing at the Red Rocks entertainment complex near Denver.
Investments are open for the luxury suites to the general public. Go to https://noteslive.vip/brokenarrowsunset/ for more information
For 2024, that venue has booked bands and entertainers such as Puscifer, Primus and The Perfect Circle, Riley Green, Steve Martin and Martin Short, For King and Country and Gregory Isakov.
At Boot Barn Hall opened in Georgia, Lives Notes’ and its promoters have brought in national acts like The Bellamy Brothers, Orleans, Firefall, Sawyer Brown and Easton Corbin. Boot Barn Hall also showcases popular regional musicians and tribute bands like The Sofakillers, Wirewood Station, The Petty Nicks Experience and The Long Run.
Boot Barn Hall has also hosted events like Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Kick-off Campaign, Folds-of-Honor Memorial Concert, Colorado’s State of the State and State of the Region Address, Colorado Springs Sesquicentennial Celebration, Mount Carmel Veterans Service Center Hoedown for Heros and Shield 616 Ride for the Blue.
Being a good neighbor
There will be a large amount of infrastructure work needed at the site to handle thousands of fans and cars. Roth says the city of Broken Arrow and Notes Live will be working on a plan to handle traffic flow properly.
The city of Broken Arrow has agreed to perform approximately $20 million in public infrastructure improvements at Events Park including:
- A new on-site parking lot with a minimum of 2,360 parking spaces
- Stormwater detention facilities improvements
- Road improvements within Events Park
- Road improvements to connect access to State Highway 51 to provide more entry and exit points at Events Park
- Road improvements on New Orleans Street (101st Street)
- Waterline improvements serving the amphitheater
Engineering firm Kimley Horn has been retained to begin the design work of the public infrastructure improvements.
The City is working on the creation of a sales tax only Tax Increment Finance (TIF) District to fund its share of the project.
City leaders are negotiating the purchase of an adjacent 41 acres of private property north of Events Park for the proposed location of the amphitheater. At least 13 acres is expected to be sold to Sunset, with an additional 7 acres to be sold if needed. The city’s plans for the other 21 acres have not been announced.
Public meetings are also expected in the near future in Broken Arrow to update residents and local business about plans for the amphitheater.
“I like for people to know that one, we’re a palms-up company, so the first thing on the agenda is to get everybody up to speed on exactly what we’re doing, how it’s going to work and to relieve any sort of concerns they might have.”
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