I dont kno if this has been posted about yet. I was driving down memorial after work the other day and noticed a sign saying "Quail Springs Crossing Coming Soon!" I did a little research and found this site Retail Endeavors Group :: Quail Springs Crossing (http://www.retailendeavorsgroup.com/quailsprings/index.html)

Its supposed to be an 800,000 sq ft. retail center on the south side of memorial just east of penn.

This is interesting because there is goig to be a large development just north of Quail Springs Mall that will include retail, office space and condo/loft living as well. I sure hope that area can support both of these developments.

I hope that corner can handle the traffic. It's already terrrible, and I find myself avoiding the whole area.

I hope that corner can handle the traffic. It's already terrrible, and I find myself avoiding the whole area.
I completely agree and hopefully they will get the dedicated turnarounds completed fairly quickly to help with that.

I think there is more info on this project posted somewhere on this site.

warreng, I agree it will be interesting to see how well suburbia supports all these developments. Keep in mind there is also another similar project to this going up on Memorial, just right off Hefner Parkway on the SE corner, it has already started development. I personally think since we're so underserved with retail that we should be able to support these. For OKC's sake, I do hope we get retailers we've currently been unable to get.

I think there is more info on this project posted somewhere on this site.

I don't think so. I've never heard of this project here or at OKmet. I like the area around the pond, and the offices around the lake. Other than that it looks pretty generic but sounds like they have lined up some good tenants that aren't in this market (Dick's Sporting Goods, Ashley Furniture, Gold's Gym). I'd be especially excited about Dick's because it is so much better than Academy.

This is the first time I've heard of this development. I like the fact that "THE MAIN EVENT" is coming. My parents live in the metroplex and they rave about the one in Grapevine. I never thought we'd get one of those. Hopefully, the growth of north OKC and Edmond will justify all of these new developments and they will all be successful.:)

The restaurant pads around the water feature will hopefully upgrade this cities patio friendly restaurants, as of now there arent many. It does show a Chuy's and Bellini's as two restaurants that are apparently on board.

anyone know if this has broken ground yet or not, I know the sign has been up for quite sometime.

I am of two minds on this development. On the one hand, it looks fairly bland and I will have the same questions as everyone else about whether the Quail Springs area can handle both this one and the one north of the mall. On the other hand, I like the 8-story hotel. And, I am glad to see this at Memorial and Western as opposed to, say, Memorial and Council. Anything that pushes the north-side center of gravity a little bit eastward is marginally better sprawl-wise. We'll see if all these centers actually get built.

Wow.. So I guess memorial is the retail and dining hub of OKC. they might have to en.d up adding another lane on both sides for traffic...

I hope that corner can handle the traffic. It's already terrrible, and I find myself avoiding the whole area.

Worst intersection in the city of which I am aware.

I am of two minds on this development. On the one hand, it looks fairly bland and I will have the same questions as everyone else about whether the Quail Springs area can handle both this one and the one north of the mall. On the other hand, I like the 8-story hotel. And, I am glad to see this at Memorial and Western as opposed to, say, Memorial and Council. Anything that pushes the north-side center of gravity a little bit eastward is marginally better sprawl-wise. We'll see if all these centers actually get built.

Not happening. There are two mixed-use centers about to be unveiled for Memorial Road out west at MacArthur and Council.

Why would those happen as opposed to this one?

I would imagine this one is a little further ahead based solely on the list of tenants that are shown on their website. It appears it is enough to get construction started, imo.

Worst intersection in the city of which I am aware.


I'm in this area a few times a day... during the holidays it's pretty horrific.. the rest of the time, it's not bad at all.

Of course, I come from the Bay Area of California so it takes a lot of traffic to negatively influence my thinking! This is nothing.

No.... lol

I meant that the gravity shifting is not happening, not that this project is not happening..

Oh.

Sounded like the kind of thing that usually comes from your crystal ball... ;)

Retail Endeavors Group :: Quail Springs Crossing (http://www.quailspringscrossing.com)

http://mysite.verizon.net/res17zef/qscrossing.jpg

http://mysite.verizon.net/res17zef/qscrossing2.jpg

Memorial at Western retail hub planned
By Richard Mize
Real Estate Editor

Quail Springs Crossing, a major retail-restaurant-entertainment center planned for Western Avenue at Memorial Road, will make the Quail Springs area "the largest shopping destination in Oklahoma City,” the developer said.

About 800,000 square feet of retail stores are planned, the developer said.

About 500,000 square feet of Class A office buildings and a planned hotel would extend the Memorial Road commercial corridor a mile east from its heartbeat, Quail Springs Mall and Quail Springs Office Park farther west, the developer said.

Developer keeping quiet
Retail Endeavors Group, based in Austin, Texas, would not comment, even though a detailed marketing brochure is online, at Retail Endeavors Group :: Quail Springs Crossing (http://www.quailspringscrossing.com) — and local representatives have stuck a big sign in the ground, announcing the project, on the southwest corner of Western and Memorial.

Oklahoma City's NAI Sullivan Group is listed online — and on the sign — as local reps, but principal Bob Sullivan said the owner was six weeks away from talking publicly.

The brochure lists Ashley Furniture, Gold's Gym, Main Event Entertainment and Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q as early tenants.

Quail Springs Crossing will be on the hard southwest corner of Western and Memorial Road/Kilpatrick Turnpike. Adjacent to the west will be the Offices at Highland Park, and west of that will be the Shops at Highland Park, on the hard northeast corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and an extended Highland Park Boulevard, south of the Wal-Mart Supercenter and Sam's Club fronting Pennsylvania.

"Our center will bring the largest concentration of retail, restaurant and entertainment to Quail Springs and a new destination for Oklahoma City,” Retail Endeavors Group said in the online brochure.

The 171,362 households, population of 405,833 and average household income of $63,403 within 10 miles will make the project successful, the developer suggested in the brochure.

Northside retail stress?
However, the area is showing some stress with some shopping centers dealing with vacancies from increased competition in recent years, especially along May Avenue from Northwest Expressway to the Kilpatrick Turnpike, according to analysis by Price Edwards & Co.

Retail competition is keen in north Oklahoma City, the realty firm reported in its 2007 year-end retail market summary.

North of Quail Springs Mall, a mixed-used project, an "open-air lifestyle community” called Quail Springs Village, complete with an IMAX theater, is under way by developer Larry Owsley.

South of Quail Springs but in the same trade area, Belle Isle Station Shopping Center "is leading a development rush to the area east of Penn Square (Mall),” Price Edwards said.

"Chesapeake Land Co., the major land owner in the area, has announced that a mixed-use development — office and retail — called Classen Curve between Grand (Boulevard) and NW 56 Street will be its first development of leased property,” Price Edwards said.

Price Edwards also pointed out that Chesapeake Land Co., an arm of natural gas giant Chesapeake Energy Corp., is working with planners to redevelop Chesapeake-owned Nichols Hills Plaza.

"When this redevelopment gets under way, there will be lots of excitement as Chesapeake has announced that it wants to bring tenants to this property that have not located in Oklahoma City before,” Price Edwards said.

Submarket still healthy
With 40 shopping centers totaling 6.2 million square feet, plus 13 freestanding retail stores totaling 715,810 square feet, the area "remains a very healthy submarket,” the firm reported, although the year-end occupancy of 93.8 percent was slightly lower than at the end of 2006.

In a retail submarket already showing some stress fractures, and with credit still tight — and with the developer remaining mum — news of the development raises some questions, said Carl Edwards, co-managing partner and a retail specialist with Price Edwards.

"Will they be able to get the financing to close on the land and build the retail project? That will depend on the tenants they've got,” Edwards said, noting that local lenders now require that major retail project be mostly preleased before extending credit. That's "one of the reasons Oklahoma City is not overbuilt,” he said.

However, demand for retail space along Memorial and the turnpike is strong, he said.

If you look closely at the PDF file on their website, you'll see the following tenants on the site plan:

Main Event (http://www.maineventusa.net/)
Dick's Sporting Goods
Cavender's Boot City
Rudy's
Chuy's
Toys r Us / Babies r Us
Bed Bath & Beyond
TJ Maxx
Which Wich
Bellini's
Jo Ann Fabrics
Famous Footwear
Lane Bryant
Ashley Furniture

I'll be ecstatic if the Main Event comes to this location. The others don't really excite me but I'm not much of a shopper anyway.

I just hope they aren't biting off more than they chew... the economy here might not be rosy forever.

A little worrisome in my opinion.

So... it will have basically all the same retail tenants you can find in any major U.S. strip mall.

After all the hype about the Norman retail center, I was pretty disappointed to see basically the same old lineup, give or take a few, down there as well. Best Buy... or was it Circuit City? Bed, Bath & Beyond... or was it Linens and things? Office depot... Office max, Martinez tires.

Welcome to Main Event Plano (http://www.maineventusa.net/newsite/broadband/plano/index.html)

This the nature of today's retail. Every single city seems to have the exact same big-box discount stores all strung together in these 'power centers'.

I was just on the Big Island of Hawaii and they had a Costo, Wal-Mart and all that other stuff.

All this comes at the expense of local, unique retailers. People gripe about Wal-Mart but they are a very small part of this overall trend. The simple truth is that people want inexpensive stuff and thus you get these massive strip centers set in the middle of a sea of parking.

I also question how much of this OKC can support. Seems like the growth of these places is way out of proportion with population increases.

Wow so I guess they are going to build one of these things on all the avenues that run north/south through memorial. Is this shopping for the tourists or perm. residents, that will eventually make this the most congested street in OKC a title I think it already holds.

You are right, Memorial could be a major traffic pain even with the new turnarounds.

The nice thing about this is you can always take the Kilpatrick and bypass the congestion that way.

This center will be closer to Western on the south side of Memorial in the huge field between Penn & Western (driving east, past Sam's club and the 'Rock' Church).

The other conjested area is a bit west of this one. ( In front of Sam's Club - the corner of Texas Roadhouse and Wendys )

Yes, I agree with questioning these new super developments .. I fear we are overbuilding big time and won't be able to support the new retail.

I fear we are overbuilding big time and won't be able to support the new retail.

The problem is we already support several of these stores (or their identical twin) in many other parts of the metro. Why can't anybody bring in new retailers that we don't have many times over in this area?

Because they have to want to come here. You cant make a retailer come. Dick's Sporting Goods is new to OKC. I am sure almost every developer tries to get someone that we don't have.

What or who are exactly all these diverse retailers we are missing out on? I realize there are probably many out there that we don't have, but I'm not sure what we are missing. I pretty much see the same all the same retailers in other cities.

So we should stop development waiting for the sky to fall?

:congrats: :
Because they have to want to come here. You cant make a retailer come. Dick's Sporting Goods is new to OKC. I am sure almost every developer tries to get someone that we don't have.

What or who are exactly all these diverse retailers we are missing out on? I realize there are probably many out there that we don't have, but I'm sure what we missing. I pretty much see the same all the same retailers in other cities.

So we should stop development waiting for the sky to fall?

I agree wholeheartedly with those that fear we are simply providing new retail space for a lot of the same stores that currently exist. But these would not all be getting financing, particularly these days, if there wasn't some solid thinking about what the market could support. It seems to me that the more upscale retailers, if they are doing their due diligence and are ready to enter the OKC market, could be waiting for the center under construction due north of Quail Springs, which seems like it is going to be more substantial. Or any really high-end ones could be waiting for whatever comes of Nichols Hills Plaza/Classen Curve.

If I were REI, for example, or Crate & Barrel, or Urban Outfitters, or Brooks Brothers or a restuarant like Maggiano's or McCormick & Schmick or anybody like that, I would want to be in a nicer environment than what I see here. It will be interesting to see if either the Nichols Hills development or the one north of Quail Springs will have the space as well as the drawing power for a high-end "anchor" such as a Nordstrom or Saks. That would truly be a step forward for Oklahoma City.

You are right, Memorial could be a major traffic pain even with the new turnarounds.

The nice thing about this is you can always take the Kilpatrick and bypass the congestion that way.

This center will be closer to Western on the south side of Memorial in the huge field between Penn & Western (driving east, past Sam's club and the 'Rock' Church).

The other conjested area is a bit west of this one. ( In front of Sam's Club - the corner of Texas Roadhouse and Wendys )

Yes, I agree with questioning these new super developments .. I fear we are overbuilding big time and won't be able to support the new retail.

first, there's nothing nice about having to avoid a section from bad city planning. the whole area north & south of memorial from the hefner parkway to 1/2 mile east of quail is a cluster of bad judgement from a city planning perspective. much like trying to park downtown, memorial is gridlock just getting worse.

do we even have anyone that coordinates city planning or is it just highest bidder with no requirements? there should be city-wide development requirements so that x number of trees are reforested, x number of parking per square foot of retail, x number of turn-arounds. anyone on this know? there's major problems downtown already with parking. i won't even go to Harkins for this reason alone & i'm moving to midtown.

FYI, it's very easy to get shopping centers financed. As compared to other types of commercial construction, it's relatively inexpensive because you are generally just dealing with a shell and parking lots. Tenants almost always pay for their own build-out. I used to be a commercial RE broker in OKC that dealt with retail properties and I was constantly amazed by the projects that got financed.

And that is also evidenced by the large number of existing centers in and around OKC that are now or have been vacant for long periods of time. I could name a dozen large-scale retail projects that completely failed in the last couple of decades.

Secondly, even if this particular development succeeds, it is likely to do so at detriment to other centers around town. Very similar to the northwest side neighborhoods that have largely been abandoned for the QS/Edmond area.

Besides newer retail projects that have failed or floundered, you have scores of older places that are either empty or used for flea markets or the like.


When you have development out of proportion of population growth, you are always going to be robbing Peter to pay Paul. It's a very irresponsible way to approach planning, especially since properties like this are actually within city limits.

It's what you get when you build freeways in the middle of cow pastures.

Move this a mile to the east where the BNSF tracks cross Memorial at Broadway Extn. and you have a future Transit-Oriented Development when commuter rail starts. That would be the SMART thing to do, especially since it looks like this development is pretty dense and includes both retai/restaurants and office space, plus a hotel....

Quail Springs Crossing could anchor the future Memorial Rd. station on the Edmond-Norman (gray) line and could be expanded to include more residential
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v316/bg918/OKCTRANSIT.jpg

A year ago construction financing could be secured with about 10% equity for high quality projects. Now it is more like 30% and that is only for very high quality (meaning national credit tenants) project. And a good part of that 30% had better be cash.

Long term financing is harder to get as well and very much dependent upon the quality of the tenants.

The retailers that are still in the market require very significant tenant improvement allowances now - sometimes 2 or 3 times as much as required just two or three years ago.

Nearly all major retailers have scaled back expansion plans.

Fortunately Oklahoma is much better than many areas for commercial development.

..

Oh.

Sounded like the kind of thing that usually comes from your crystal ball... ;)

That would be unfortunate, because my crystal ball is usually correct. I actually like the office portion of this.

I always get so excited when I hear about more great chain store retail in the burbs . . . traffic problem . . . not a problem . . . and all that great high quality storm water runoff . . . how fun. As BG pointed out, there are ways to do current century development, but it's not likely in OKC. Cost me over $70 to fill my tank this AM . . . glad my commute is measured in blocks. There are some good neighborhoods out in that area and with better planning, people could have actually been able to get around on foot or bicycle a little bit . . . . you know, things like pedestrian bridges over busy streets . . . walking and bike paths . . . some trees. Maybe later.

first, there's nothing nice about having to avoid a section from bad city planning. the whole area north & south of memorial from the hefner parkway to 1/2 mile east of quail is a cluster of bad judgement from a city planning perspective. much like trying to park downtown, memorial is gridlock just getting worse.

do we even have anyone that coordinates city planning or is it just highest bidder with no requirements? there should be city-wide development requirements so that x number of trees are reforested, x number of parking per square foot of retail, x number of turn-arounds. anyone on this know? there's major problems downtown already with parking. i won't even go to Harkins for this reason alone & i'm moving to midtown.

Amen. How 'bout some smart growth? I'm tired of large developments being built with a major setback from the road and then smaller businesses popping up in the parking lots of the bigger development. Why not make developments that are more pleasing to the eye? How about making these developments with better layouts with foresight and design that make logical sense?

I still don't see any problem downtown when it comes to parking. Its just that people are not willing to park a couple of blocks away from their destination, maybe thats why our city is so fat. =P

All of these new shopping centers leave older ones vacant. For example, on I-240 and Penn. That new shopping center called I-240 Penn Plaza. All it accomplished was taking stores from neighboring retail centers. Michael's, Payless, Circuit City, and PetsMart all left their respective centers to this one, which just leaves huge ugly, empty shopping centers. The city needs to do something to fix that problem. It bugs the crap out of me.

I always get so excited when I hear about more great chain store retail in the burbs . . . traffic problem . . . not a problem . . . and all that great high quality storm water runoff . . . how fun. As BG pointed out, there are ways to do current century development, but it's not likely in OKC. Cost me over $70 to fill my tank this AM . . . glad my commute is measured in blocks. There are some good neighborhoods out in that area and with better planning, people could have actually been able to get around on foot or bicycle a little bit . . . . you know, things like pedestrian bridges over busy streets . . . walking and bike paths . . . some trees. Maybe later.

Very good points. Part of the urban life means walking and short distance transportation. And now with gas prices the way they are - that's an attractive thing.

Its a shame they are building this there with that big empty shopping center on the north side of Memorial...

Today's big boxes often become tomorrow's thrift stores. Civic leaders have a hard time seeing too far into the future. They are often blinded by the short-term perceived gains.

I'm sorry, but all I see is a sea of asphalt and nothing really unique, both in the rendering and in the plan.

As do I. The only suburban shopping center I'm excited about is the one being built just north of Quail Springs Mall. The Village at Quail Springs, or Quail Springs Village. Something like that...

Memorial Road has already become a pretty big eyesore. Barren plain with tons of huge, dull retail buildings in a sea of asphalt dotted by chain restaurants. Not much landscaping or architecture to be found anywhere.

It reminds me a lot of NW Expressway west of McArthur, as there was a similar building boom in the 80's. Take a drive through there now and it looks pretty darn seedy, and only 20 years later.

I'm sorry, but all I see is a sea of asphalt and nothing really unique, both in the rendering and in the plan.

I think the excitement here is more linked to some of the tenants (Main Event, Dick's Sporting Goods) than the design. Although the office portion surrounding a lake is pretty cool.

This is all well and good but the city NEEDS to make memorial 3 lanes each way with dedicated turn in lanes for this place BEFORE it gets built.

I moved out of OKC in 2005 when I graduated from OU and now live in Tulsa. Tulsa' straffic is a mess compared with OKC's but OKC's streets department isn't keeping up with population increases on the northern sides of the metro.

Memorial and Penn is a nightmare down there, not as bad as 71st street in Tulsa but its pretty bad.

Memorial Road has already become a pretty big eyesore. Barren plain with tons of huge, dull retail buildings in a sea of asphalt dotted by chain restaurants. Not much landscaping or architecture to be found anywhere.

It reminds me a lot of NW Expressway west of McArthur, as there was a similar building boom in the 80's. Take a drive through there now and it looks pretty darn seedy, and only 20 years later.

I dont recall much vacancy in that area last time I was in the city....

Also a problem with looking "seedy" Has a lot to do with the sprawl of Oklahoma city.

Main event is ok. we used to go to one in New Mexico. Enjoyed it for the most part. I think i would prefer a Dave and Busters tho.

I still don't see any problem downtown when it comes to parking. Its just that people are not willing to park a couple of blocks away from their destination, maybe thats why our city is so fat.

It is especially funny to see people drive around a parking lot for twenty minutes trying to get that spot that is right by the door of the athletic club they are going to in order to 'exercise'...

It reminds me a lot of NW Expressway west of McArthur, as there was a similar building boom in the 80's. Take a drive through there now and it looks pretty darn seedy, and only 20 years later.

I remember how excited everyone was about that area in the 80's. All the new buildings and houses going up at there. It makes me really sad to drive out that way now.

I heard this whole property was already up for sale again.

Where do these developers come from?

None of them ever plan for the traffic issues caused by these mega developments. Norman is experiencing the same problem, with the UNP. the traffic in Norman has gotten outta control and we just keep getting more and more car lots and retail shopping centers. Then they will tear up the roads to fix / widen them after they put in these things.

Heck I could city plan better than this. but I guess its all about making mega millions. But the city does appreciate the taxes people spend.