REI

[HangryHippo]

Too bad the old power plant isn't still there....would've made a lot cooler REI than the Babies R Us space.

This.

[corwin1968]

Is that a typical size for an REI? I expected something with more square footage.

[Dustin]

Was not expecting them to land in Bell Isle Station...

[poe]

Great news! Hopefully the store design will be somewhat unique compared to the other stores in the center.

[Pete]

Was not expecting them to land in Bell Isle Station...

I think they got sick of waiting for the center at 63rd & Grand.

They were definitely planning to go in there originally.

[HangryHippo]

I think they got sick of waiting for the center at 63rd & Grand.

Join the club!

[OKCisOK4me]

Horrible location. Right next to Wal-Mart. By god I hope they go somewhere else or at least do a beautification project to the already existing exterior.

Other than that. Bout dang time! 2020 can't get here fast enough.

[mugofbeer]

Horrible location. Right next to Wal-Mart. By god I hope they go somewhere else or at least do a beautification project to the already existing exterior.

Other than that. Bout dang time! 2020 can't get here fast enough.

Like wal Mart or not, it will generate business for REI though they do seem to serve different demographics.

[sgt. pepper]

I thought the first Oklahoma location was announced it was going to be in Tulsa? Is that store still in the works?

[Pete]

I thought the first Oklahoma location was announced it was going to be in Tulsa? Is that store still in the works?

There has been a lawsuit for years over that Tulsa store and I believe it is still hung up.

[sgt. pepper]

Thanx Pete, I will say that I am one of the people that is always complaining or ranting about what Tulsa has that OKC dose not.,,,,but I will admit, with stores like Costco, Trader Joes, The Container Store, I fly, now REI!...I may have to retract And if the rumors of IKEA looking at OKC is true...WOW, that would be way over the top for OKC. Good times indeed. Tulsa is a beautiful city, good times for both places.

[Pete]

This is the current list of Tulsa vs. OKC retail:

http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=37659

[Plutonic Panda]

I had the pleasure of reading the IKEA Coming to OKC thread on Tulsanow and I must say, LOL! Boy that sure set off nerves. Here I thought I had an inferiority complex about OKC VS. Tulsa in some regards, I feel a little better about myself after having read that thread. A good shout to a select few posters here who defended OKC and gave them some facts. I thought about creating a profile there just to respond to that thread and ultimately decided against it.

[Plutonic Panda]

http://journalrecord.com/2018/11/13/...coming-to-okc/

[Rover]

Like wal Mart or not, it will generate business for REI though they do seem to serve different demographics.

Is close to Wal Mart, but also close to Nordstrom’s Outlet, maybe closer to their demographics. Also, this is about a 10 minute walk from where they were considering before on Grand. WalMart is way more the outlier for the entire area than is REI.

[midtownokcer]

I had the pleasure of reading the IKEA Coming to OKC thread on Tulsanow and I must say, LOL! Boy that sure set off nerves. Here I thought I had an inferiority complex about OKC VS. Tulsa in some regards, I feel a little better about myself after having read that thread. A good shout to a select few posters here who defended OKC and gave them some facts. I thought about creating a profile there just to respond to that thread and ultimately decided against it.

I took a look at that thread, too. Some of those posters are BITTER for no reason .Anyway, probably a lost cause in trying to promote anything positive about OKC. Glad we're finally getting an REI. Had no idea we had close to 50,000 members here in OK alone. Impressive.

[BG918]

There has been a lawsuit for years over that Tulsa store and I believe it is still hung up.

Still held up. Meanwhile there is an empty Gander Mountain at Tulsa Hills they could move into if they wanted.

From the TW:

The Tulsa Public Facilities Authority voted in 2015 to sell a portion of Helmerich Park to a Dallas developer. REI was to have been the anchor tenant of the approximately nine-acre development.

Since the day the sale was approved, however, a group of Tulsans has been fighting to stop it. The plaintiffs, which include former Mayor Terry Young, have argued that the city does not have the legal right to sell park land for commercial development.

The case has made it all the way to the state Supreme Court.

Young told the Tulsa World on Tuesday that the plaintiffs and the city have submitted their written arguments to the court and that a decision may not come until early next year.

Young said the plaintiffs’ position has not changed.

“We would like to see all of Helmerich Park as a park,” Young said. “That is it in a nutshell.”

The city of Tulsa did not respond to a Tulsa World request for comment.

The developer of the Helmerich Park site, Don Bouvier of UCR Development, said Tuesday that he would still love to build the project as it was originally planned.

“It would be a positive economic benefit for that area and the city of Tulsa as a whole,” said Bouvier. “But as of now, we are in a time-out awaiting the outcome of the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling.”

[David]

Replacement for the closed Babies'R'Us in Belle Isle?

Hey hey, looks like my guess was on the money. It did seem like the obvious second choice in the general area once the first didn't work out.

[chuck5815]

Is REI to Bass Pro essentially Costco to Sam's Club?

Is that what this is about?

[PhiAlpha]

Is REI to Bass Pro essentially Costco to Sam's Club?

Is that what this is about?

Not even close. Basspro and Cabelas have more of a hunting and fishing focus. REI is more for hiking, biking, river sports, climbing, backpacking, and camping. Basspro has some of that stuff but not near the selection that REI does. It’s like a huge version of Backwoods or The Summit in Edmond.

[bchris02]

Is REI to Bass Pro essentially Costco to Sam's Club?

Is that what this is about?

I would say that better describes Cabela's. REI is a completely different type of store. I'd say REI is more similar to a North Face store or a Lewis and Clark.

[Cam]

Man, it's a bummer that people hung them up so long on the Grand location that they finally gave up on trying to make that work.

[bchris02]

Man, it's a bummer that people hung them up so long on the Grand location that they finally gave up on trying to make that work.

I agree. I would have really liked to see this anchor the proposed lifestyle center that would have tied Nichols Hills Plaza with Classen Curve. However, it's nice that OKC is getting this. I'll be interested to see what they do with the former Babies R' Us space.

[shawnw]

would have liked to have seen it go in at the original location but this will be just as well. biggest annoyance is that now the plaintiffs will consider this a victory (them not building in the original spot).

[jonny d]

Over/under on number of posts complaining about REI not going in the original location, rather than being thrilled they are finally coming to OKC?