Development company University North Park LLC seeks to build a $1 billion entertainment district in Norman.

A new University of Oklahoma basketball arena and entertainment district could be built west of 24th Ave., between I-35, Rock Creek Road and Corporate Center Drive in north Norman.

Before ground breaks, the development company, University North Park LLC, must attend predevelopment meetings while it applies for zoning, to present layouts and answer questions from the community about the project’s potential impacts on their neighborhoods.

Students and property owners attended the meeting and asked questions, such as what the traffic plans are and how accessible it will be to OU students.

Sean Rieger, the company’s attorney, told community members Thursday night despite the distance to the new arena, he’s confident students will make the drive to see games and have fun.

“The arena will host not just basketball games, but other sports and events like gymnastics and concerts. Students already drive to football games. This new area has an added draw of restaurants and retail right outside of the arena,” Rieger said.

The entertainment district will be divided into two areas. Rieger said the south side will have the most foot traffic, while the north side will be multi-family housing. He says the district will be pedestrian-friendly.

“You can simply walk all the way through that entertainment experience and enjoy your day before the game, enjoy your night after the game,” he said.

Rieger said there’s no time frame currently for when the area would get developed. University North Park LLC still has to get architectural designs and detailed construction documents approved before ground breaks.