OKLAHOMA CITY- (KOKH) — “At the end of the day, it’s going to be perfect for Oklahoma City, it’s going to be perfect for the Thunder, it’s going to be perfect for everyone here. It will be your own unique building,” said David Manica, owner of Manica Architecture.

The newly named architect of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s future arena, David Manica, explains his vision for the team’s new facility.

It was only on Tuesday that the city council voted to officially hire Manica as the person in charge. He told FOX 25 that the new arena will feature some upgrades.

“I think one of the big things is the greater variety of seating options. Therefore, there will be many different types of experiences to enjoy in the new building, unlike here; “It’s more limited and old-fashioned, let’s say, in things like that,” he said.

Manica said that in addition to seating options, many of the differences between the new arena and the current Paycom Center will be fan-focused, such as wider concourses and better concession facilities. During the meeting where Manica was approved, a city councilwoman expressed concern about minority contractors being given opportunities to contribute to the construction of the arena, which is one of many MAPS 4 projects.

“Because we have projects that have already started in Maps 4 and I’m concerned because I’m still hearing from a lot of our contractors that they’re not able to be at the table,” said Nikki Nice, City Councilwoman for District 7.

City Manager Craig Freeman assured that minority contractors will be included.

“We are working on and developing our minority contractor program to reach out to people and help them understand how they can get involved and be part of this process,” he said.

Meanwhile, Manica added that they will tailor the arena for everyone in OKC.

“I really want this project to first be about listening to the team and the city about what we want the project to look like, and then we start drawing lines that make sense,” he said.

Manica said they are still in the process of determining seating capacity for the new arena and that construction will hopefully begin in early 2026.