To say that the BOK center isn&#39;t architecturally relevant doesn&#39;t hold water for me. It&#39;s 2010, the building is designed in a contemporary architectural style by a world renowned architect. What should we have done, built an Art Deco building? Art Deco is a historical style. When it was popular in the 1930s, it was as modern, as contemporary, as things got. So why shouldn&#39;t Tulsa ALWAYS be thinking progressively? Building forward-thinking architecture IS &quot;complimenting Tulsa&#39;s architectural heritage&quot;. <br /><br />There are also planned shopping / eating / living / lodging developments near the BOK, funded by private investors (as these things should be). You build the arena and you reap the benefits (sales taxes) of the development that comes along with that.