Cleveland County District Judge Michael Tupper dismissed the lawsuit challenging Norman's $1.1 billion Rock Creek Entertainment District on Sept. 8, clearing the way for construction and bond preparations to continue.

Tupper ruled in favor of the city of Norman, the Norman Tax Increment Finance Authority, the Cleveland County Recreational and Entertainment Facilities Authority and UNP North, LLC, a subsidiary of the OU Foundation, after a four-and-a-half-hour hearing, the OU Daily reported.

The judge granted the defendants' motions to dismiss and rejected a claim by Oklahomans for Responsible Economic Development (ORED) that the city violated the Open Meetings Act at a Sept. 3, 2024, City Council meeting. Tupper found the two public meetings held for the district complied with the law, according to the OU Daily.

ORED and 44 individual plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in June 2026, alleging the council's approval of two tax increment finance districts for the project violated the Oklahoma Constitution and state law, the Norman Transcript reported. The group sought an injunction to block bond sales, arena construction and the use of taxpayer dollars to repay the bonds.

Both of ORED's motions were denied: one to temporarily halt construction and another for summary judgment on its claim that the city violated the Local Development Act.

Norman City Attorney Rick Knighton told the OU Daily he believed the court carefully weighed the facts and governing law in reaching its decision.

ORED attorney Rob Norman said the group plans to evaluate its options. "We felt we got a fair shake out of the judge. … He gave it thorough consideration and that's all we can ask," he told the OU Daily.

The ruling removes a legal obstacle for the 269-acre mixed-use development near Interstate 35 and Rock Creek Road. The project is anchored by an 8,000-seat arena for OU basketball and gymnastics and includes hotels, restaurants, retail and more than 1,000 residential units. Developers broke ground in May 2026, according to the Journal Record.

ORED lost an earlier challenge in February 2026, when the Oklahoma Supreme Court rejected its appeal over an attempted citywide referendum that would have repealed the TIF districts.

The next confirmed project milestone is an Oct. 31 bond sale by the Cleveland County Recreational and Entertainment Facilities Authority, which plans to issue up to $230 million to finance the public portion of the project, the Journal Record reported. Those bonds would be repaid through tax increment financing over 25 years or until $600 million is raised.