Mortenson, a US builder and energy infrastructure provider, has acquired Nor-Cal Controls, a controls systems provider specialising in energy management for solar, battery storage and microgrid applications. Financial terms were not disclosed. Nor-Cal Controls designs open-architecture control systems that manage how energy assets interface with electrical grids to store, dispatch and manage power. The acquisition aims to strengthen Mortenson's ability to deliver complex energy projects by combining advanced controls expertise with its existing engineering, procurement and construction capabilities. Nor-Cal Controls will maintain its existing customer relationships and partnerships, with the same teams and leadership remaining in place. The deal reflects Mortenson's strategy to expand capabilities as renewable energy development accelerates and infrastructure becomes more complex.

Flintco-Mortenson JV breaks ground on $900M Oklahoma City NBA arena. Mar 30 2026. The reigning NBA champions have tipped off work on their new home. Major project stakeholders attended the Thursday groundbreaking of the Continental Coliseum, the future $900 million arena for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Of the cost, $850 million will come from Oklahoma City residents and consumers, according to the Oklahoma City Free Press. The money will come through penny sales tax extensions and funds from Metropolitan Area Projects, a capital improvement plan for the city paid for by temporary tax increases. The Thunder's ownership group will contribute the remaining $50 million. A joint venture of Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Flintco and Minneapolis-based Mortenson will serve as the construction team on the project, according to an announcement from the city. Manica Architecture is the design architect, and TVS is the architect of record for the arena. The JV was first hired in 2025. Mortenson is a giant in stadium construction. It's worked on venues including the $1.4 billion Chase Center in San Francisco - home of the NBA's Golden State Warriors - and the $1.97 billion Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where the NFL's Raiders play their home games. "Continental Coliseum represents an extraordinary investment in Oklahoma City's future," said Logan Gerken, vice president and general manager for Mortenson Sports and Entertainment, in the release. "We are proud to be building Oklahoma City's new landmark arena that will be a world-class gathering space and the most energetic game day in the NBA." Flintco previously constructed the Paycom Center, the Thunder's current home, as well as Devon Tower, a 50-story skyscraper in downtown Oklahoma City. "Breaking ground on this arena is a proud moment for Oklahoma City," Dave Kollmann, Flintco's central region president, said in the announcement. "As a company founded in Oklahoma, it's especially meaningful to help build a world-class home for the Thunder that reflects the energy, pride, and passion of this community." The Continental Coliseum will sit on the former site of the Myriad Convention Center, which was demolished as of Feb. 12. The exterior of the venue will feature a 360-degree glass curtain wall, allowing panoramic views from interior concourses. The new project targets a late summer 2028 completion date, with a contractual obligation to open no later than June 2029. * Monument Fire District, NV5, OZ Architecture, and Flintco have broken ground on Monument Fire Station #3 - a new 20,000-square-foot facility that expands the district's capacity... * Link to groundbreaking photos and video Link to Continental Coliseum website Oklahoma City leaders and Oklahoma City Thunder representatives broke ground today... * Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology students forged invaluable connections for their future careers during the Spring 2026 Career Fair...

Oklahoma City, Thunder break ground on Continental Coliseum. Ground has been broken on Continental Coliseum, the newly-named arena that will anchor NBA franchise the Thunder's presence in Oklahoma City through at least 2053 and which represents the most ambitious public project in the city's history. The groundbreaking ceremony held yesterday (Thursday) came just 48 hours after it was announced that Continental Resources, a producer of oil and natural gas, had acquired naming rights to the venue under a 15-year deal. Continental Coliseum is being built on the site of a former arena and convention centre that stood from 1972 to 2026. It will replace the Thunder's current home, Paycom Center, which will be 26 years old when the new venue opens in 2028. The Thunder will continue to play at Paycom Center until the new facility opens. The project is targeting a late summer 2028 completion date, with a contractual obligation to open no later than June 2029. Once the team moves into the new facility, the Thunder's 25-year commitment to remain in Oklahoma City begins. Delivering on big league city status The first renderings of Continental Coliseum were released in July, with the downtown venue set to feature a 360-degree glass curtain wall. In March last year, Oklahoma City Council appointed locally-based Flintco, along with Mortenson, as the construction team to deliver the new arena. Manica Architecture was appointed as the design architect, and TVS the architect of record, back in October 2024. The City will own and be responsible for maintaining and operating the new arena, whose budget has been set at $900m (£676.6m/€781.8m). The new arena will be publicly funded to the tune of $850m through a 72-month, one-cent sales tax starting when the MAPS 4 tax ends. The arena will also be paid for with $78m in MAPS 4 funding, with the Thunder's ownership group, PBC Sports and Entertainment (PBCS&E), contributing just $50m. CAA Icon was appointed in September 2024 to provide professional consulting services for the design and construction of a new arena after the Council in May approved a development agreement. The agreement between the City and PBCS&E came after voters approved funding for the new arena in December 2023. Speaking yesterday, Oklahoma City Mayor, David Holt, said: "This moment speaks to our aspirations as a city. Not only are we making the statement that we wish to remain a big league city, the scale and beauty of this project also makes an aesthetic statement that will resonate for generations. This is the city's most ambitious public project in our history." Thunder chairman, Clay Bennett, added: "In 2026, we're building a modern American downtown. What an incredible opportunity and special gift. This belongs to every citizen who voted yes to make this possible. This is your day. This is your building, and we are forever grateful." 'One-of-one' design The conceptual design seeks to introduce a modern, transparent and highly functional new landmark for downtown Oklahoma City. The exterior features a 360-degree glass curtain wall, offering panoramic views from all interior concourses, emphasising transparency and connection. The west-facing main entrance, aligned with the adjacent Myriad Botanical Gardens and reflecting Oklahoma sunsets, features Thunder Alley - a fan activation zone at street level designed within the building's footprint. An elevated main entrance, situated on a grand podium, intends to create an inspiring sense of arrival and opens to the main concourse. The interior concept prioritises basketball, with optimised sight lines and a seating design that seeks to foster an energetic, loud and intimate experience. David Manica, owner and president of Manica Architecture, said: "This one-of-one design will elevate the fan experience and position Oklahoma City among the NBA's premier arenas and destination cities. Unlike anything built to date, it establishes a new global standard for the arenas of tomorrow."