Memorial Rd. Development
Tom Blanton really rubs me the wrong way. He's so focused on Memorial Rd. development and not very optomistic about downtown retail. Whatever. Glad he's not running the show downtown.
Again, that's my continued problem with Memrial Rd. development and urban sprawl. It's drawing away from interest in downtown. If the Memorial Rd. corridor didn't exist, we'd probably have PF Changs in Bricktown. Afterall, Bricktown was the 2nd choice, after Memorial Rd. For the comments Changs made in the recent year about our downtown restaurant market, I hope they fail in their current location. Sorry to be so blunt, but I'm just a downtown guy!
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"Strong growth foreseen for Memorial corridor
by Heidi R. Centrella
The Journal Record
1/14/2005
After more than 20 years in the making, businesses near and far are flooding the Memorial Road shopping stretch, creating the busiest retail district of the city and generating millions in revenues.
Approximately 3 million square feet of retail, restaurants and retail-related businesses make up the mile-and-a-half strip, generating annual sales revenues of roughly $800 million.
With recent openings such as Best Buy, Circuit City, PF Chang's China Bistro and Johnnie's Charcoal Express entering the area, it's no surprise even more businesses are under construction, including Bravo Cucina Italiana, Home Depot, Books-A-Million, Smokey Bones and Men's Wearhouse.
Real estate entrepreneur Tom Blanton said the building trend is far from over and credited factors such as strong demographics, higher household incomes, strong numbers from existing retailers and an excellent highway system bringing people from all parts of the metro area.
"It's the center of the growth and established neighborhoods in northwest Oklahoma City - the bulls-eye, if you will," Blanton said. "The word is out nationally with these retailers looking to expand that Quail Springs is a good area for strong sales."
Plans for the area have been on the books for more than 20 years, around the time Quail Springs Mall was built in the early '80s. But after the oil bust, everything came to a standstill in what is now considered the super regional retail location in Oklahoma City.
"Quail Springs was built out on a prairie, and the retail was supposed to follow," Blanton said. "Some did. But then the economic downturn of the mid-'80s came and Oklahoma City was off the radar screen, basically red-lined from retail."
In the early '90s, however, Memorial Road space around May and Pennsylvania started catching the eyes of both local and national retailers. It then evolved into the strong retail region it is known as today.
Blanton said because the Quail Springs area has experienced such rapid growth and success, it demands some of the highest rental rates and land prices in town. But this doesn't appear to discourage business owners.
"There are several other deals that are in the works that will bring additional retail and restaurants to the Quail Springs area," Blanton said. "Those announcements will be made sometime in 2005."
Matt Lokay has worked at various Best Buy stores for four years. He now is the general manager at the company's 2135 W. Memorial Road location, which, he said, is the best store he's worked in.
"It's a great location because of the amount of traffic this area pulls," Lokay said. "The sheer foot traffic we see in this store is incredible. We're busy all the time."
No one can answer which came first, the retail chicken or the residential egg to its north. But that begs the question: If they build it, will they come?
It is an issue the downtown area is struggling with today as it continues to feed off the MAPS-driven past 10 years.
While developers one by one have been adding their own element of luxury living to downtown Oklahoma City, retail growth still lags behind.
"Bricktown has made great strides with the Harkins theater and Bass Pro and the restaurants," Blanton said. "Can you look in a crystal ball and predict how much retail there will be? I don't know. I think there's a place, in due time, for downtown retail."
Blanton credited much of W. Memorial Road's retail success with the growth of west Edmond, Gaillardia and Quail Creek, the school system and office growth. But he also credited the city's roadways - the expansion of the Kilpatrick Turnpike, the four highways pumping in traffic, Broadway Extension and Lake Hefner Parkway.
Despite all the hullabaloo surrounding traffic problems in the area, Best Buy's Lokay said it hasn't been a problem with the store's four possible entrances.
Consumers continually flock to and support the northwest retail shopping mecca, Blanton said
"The city of Oklahoma City has done a good job without making any road improvements," Blanton said. "They are now paying attention to the situation at Quail Springs and, from my understanding, they are working on plans to improve the intersections to alleviate some of the congestion.
"The city has no choice," he said. "At some point in time they will have to make improvements to relieve some traffic pressure, because the people of Oklahoma City will keep coming."
Originally Posted by Floating_adrift
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