NORMAN — OU athletic director Joe Castiglione and university president Joseph Harroz Jr.’s goal for the future is to be proactive.

After several months of discussion regarding a potential new arena, the coalition of Norman leaders heavily involved in the creation of the proposed $1.2 billion University North Park entertainment district released the public’s first look at conceptual renderings Wednesday afternoon in the president’s conference room inside Evans Hall.

The images depict what would be a new $330 million, 8,000-seat capacity arena for both OU men's and women's basketball teams as well as women's gymnastics that would open in time for the 2027-28 seasons. The arena would be surrounded by retail shops, bars and a hotel.

According to leaders at the event, the university and private investments would provide $100 million of the $330 million needed.

Harroz says the Norman Planning Commission, which has postponed discussions about the district five times since December, will take the proposal up on June 13 and that he’s “hopeful,” about the outcome. The next step would be a city council vote. Expectations from community leaders and council members the last few months have been that a vote would occur in July.

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The announcement comes nearly three weeks from the Sooners’ official entrance into the SEC on July 1.

“This entertainment district and for us, the synergy of an arena with an entertainment district is absolutely a game changer for our program,” Castiglione said. “We have to compete. We make that choice and we will make no mistake about it. But an arena like you will see here shortly is something that helps us immensely in recruiting and developing teams.”

According to leaders, the proposed district would create at least 5,000 new jobs, as well as new housing units for at least 3,000 Norman residents. The leaders’ plan was to get the proposal through the statutory review committee in May, the planning commission in June and city council in July.

That renewed planned timeline has gone smoothly so far. The entertainment district project statutory review committee met on May 13 and May 16 and it adopted and recommended the plan to city council on May 23.

As for when fans can expect basketball contests and gymnastics meets to take place at the arena if the proposal passes council?

Castiglione confirmed Wednesday the current plan is for the 2027-28 season.

“We're trying to do everything in our power to get everything else lined up to go immediately once we get approval,” a source close to the situation told The Oklahoman last month. “We still believe that OU men's and women's basketball and women's gymnastics can perform in that venue for the 27-28 season. Now, if (the process is delayed) 60 days, even later than that, it becomes very challenging and mostly expensive to hold that date.

“If you miss the window, then you're talking about the 28-29 season. It’s tight but we still think we can deliver.”

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The plan is for the athletic teams’ practice facilities to remain on campus, with the option to practice at the new arena, according to the source. The basketball teams currently practice on courts inside the Lloyd Noble Center and workout at the Griffin Family Performance Center.

There is no current plan for the Lloyd Noble Center, the teams’ current home, if the proposal passes city council.

Harroz and Castiglione answered questions Wednesday about how much the university will contribute for the arena specifically.

“Our primary contribution to this will be to pay rent in the arena component,” Harroz said. “When you look at that, 24% of its occupancy will be with the athletic teams — men’s basketball, women’s basketball and gymnastics. So part of that will be that agreement to really help provide the initial anchor.”

Castiglione added: “There will initially be $25 million put in. And another $75 million that’s a combination of rent and operations going to the bottom line of the arena itself. So you count on, from the athletics department standpoint, over $100 million toward it (over a 25-year period).”

Castiglione also addressed concerns raised regarding the proposed arena’s location near Max Westheimer Airport, nearly four miles from OU’s football stadium. He announced there are transportation plans in the works to shuttle students from campus to the arena.

“We anticipated that being a major issue for both of us,” Castiglione said. “Both the athletic program because we want our student body heavily involved in all of our athletic programs. As well as — anticipating the question of moving the arena off the primary campus.

“We did surveys several years ago — about five years ago — of the students who are coming to Lloyd Noble on a regular basis. Eighty-five percent of them were driving to Lloyd Noble,  85%. And that hasn’t changed. So we know the access to the arena will be — coming to the current location or new location — they will get there the same way.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU, Norman leaders release renderings of proposed arena