OKC may divert $3M in unspent convention center funds to Riversport for 2028 Olympics prep

Oklahoma City's MAPS advisers recommended diverting millions of dollars in unspent funds for the downtown convention center to instead fund improvements and further preparations at Riversport ahead of the 2028 Olympics.

The MAPS 4 Citizens Advisory Board voted unanimously Thursday to recommend a transfer of $3 million from the MAPS 3 Convention Center budget to the city's Public Works Department for upgrades and repairs at Riversport Rapids, the city's popular whitewater rafting park and a proposed canoeing venue for the 2028 Olympics .

The whitewater facility, which was completed in 2016 as part of the taxpayer-funded MAPS 3 program , needs additional improvements before potential Olympics events can be held onsite. The city's Public Works Department is managing a project contract for Riversport that would include replacing its Unistrut system at the bottom of the whitewater channels.

"It needs some repairs to the system that holds what we call the RapidBlocs, the blue blocks you see that make the rapids," Todd said. "There's a system under there's that been completely submerged underwater and it has, as expected, experienced some corrosion problems."

The MAPS 3 Convention Center was completed in late 2020 under budget , Todd explained, and funds that had not yet been spent could be used to make necessary repairs to the other MAPS 3 facility.

More: How 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials site Riversport OKC has grown into 'global destination'

The volunteer oversight committee also recommended transferring nearly $686,000 toward a feasibility study and a master plan for additional improvements at the site.

"There's so many more things that can be put into the whitewater facility and even that entire region," Todd said. "The study will look at the whole region and do a master plan, so we're able to fund that. Public Works will be executing the project, so it's really a city thing and not a MAPS thing, although we do have the money to fund it."

Transfer of the funds to the Public Works Department is pending Oklahoma City Council approval of a resolution Tuesday. OKC officials have also cautioned that the deal with LA28 Olympics organizers won't be complete until a vote by Los Angeles City Council, which could take another two months.

"There is still a process remaining," Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said in late June . "The Los Angeles City Council is still considering aspects of this proposal and we are deeply respectful of their work. I serve on a city council as well, so I have great empathy and respect for their process. They deserve all the space they need to evaluate LA28’s plan.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC may divert $3M in unspent convention center funds to Riversport for 2028 Olympics prep