Crossroads Mall

[Pete]

I've learned the plan is to have a large restaurant and other businesses on the ground floor of the former JC Penney building and that a large Asian supermarket would be on the second level (ground level if you approach from the north/northwest -- the Friendship Gate would be just outside).


I had mentioned a cannabis grow facility which I have since deleted from the article because it sparked a furor.

There is a pending building permit application that shows it going into the same building as the elementary school (former John A. Brown) but it appears that was an error they made when filing. They are actually planning to build it in the former Dillard's which is owned by the purchaser of the mall, along with JC Penney.

After our story came out, I was contacted by the State Dept. of Education and the President of Santa Fe South Schools, both concerned about this grow facility. I've provided them with all the research I conducted. Very interesting, to say the least.

[David]

Hmm, feel like we went down this path before........

Also, I love how there is pot being grown literally beneath the feet of elementary school students. Not saying there is anything wrong with that. Its just funny. How far we have come.

Lol, I think you spoke too soon.

[HOT ROD]

very weird that a grow facility could ever think to be allowed at a school zone let alone a school. Dont we also restrict Alcohol in the same manner?

very nice on the Asian development; sounds like it very well might be HMart as they do have a collection of restaurants and shoppes integrated in or just outside of most of them. I personally think it will do well and wont canibalize from the Asian district as the audience and experience is slightly different. However, if you ask me the best location for HMart would be at Belle Isle, just north of the Asian District but outside enough. Perhaps OKC can support multiple locations like other metros?

[Plutonic Panda]

I fail to see the issue of the grow facility near the school

[David]

I fail to see the issue of the grow facility near the school

Residual moral panic about weed and kids. There may be specific Oklahoma code reasons that make this particular incident a problem, but in the end it all boils down to protecting kids from reefer madness.

[Soonerman]

Perhaps maybe it's going to be a Zion Market, They converted an old Sears store in Lewisville Texas in to a Zion Market. So maybe they'll do the same to Penney's.
https://zionmarket.com/new-location?store=lv

[Soonerman]

Residual moral panic about weed and kids. There may be specific Oklahoma code reasons that make this particular incident a problem, but in the end it all boils down to protecting kids from reefer madness.

Oh no not that evil Cannabis!!!

[HOT ROD]

we regulate alcohol production, consumption, distribution, and sale away from Children and most household residential areas. We also stipulate DUI enforcement for alcohol throughout the nation. Therefore, since weed is a controlled substance NOW like alcohol in society then similar controls should be placed - including not having a grow op near a school.

whether you use or not, drink or not - we should not have these activities near children and certainly not near public funded education.

[shartel_ave]

we regulate alcohol production, consumption, distribution, and sale away from Children and most household residential areas. We also stipulate DUI enforcement for alcohol throughout the nation. Therefore, since weed is a controlled substance NOW like alcohol in society then similar controls should be placed - including not having a grow op near a school.

whether you use or not, drink or not - we should not have these activities near children and certainly not near public funded education.

how about not having a non public school near a grow facility.

[chssooner]

how about not having a non public school near a grow facility.

Which was there first?

[Dob Hooligan]

I believe the state of Oklahoma has a hands off policy regarding marijuana. After it was legalized by popular vote, they decided there wasn’t enough specific framework in the law to approve lots of regulation at the beginning. I think they decided to leave it alone for 3 years and then regulate reactively.

[Pete]

By law, dispensaries cannot be within 1,000 feet of a school.

It seems they are more permissible when it comes to grow facilities.

[TheTravellers]

By law, dispensaries cannot be within 1,000 feet of a school.

It seems they are more permissible when it comes to grow facilities.

Which makes sense, because the public can't buy directly from grow facilities.

[warreng88]

I was just talking to my wife about this last night. If this were the old Shepherd Mall and this exact thing were being proposed, it would make sense due to the location and connection with the asian community 1.5 miles east of there. but, as others have stated, it just doesn't make sense. I feel like this will do ok for six months after it opens, the newness will die out and the same thing will happen. Others have been saying and I think the same way that this would be a great location for the soccer stadium. It will never happen as they have their sights set around DT, but I wouldnt be opposed to it.

[SouthSide]

I think many people don't realize there is a growing Asian community south of the river. The city's consultants advised it would be better to keep everything in close proximity so I don't see Crossroads being a contender for the soccer stadium.

[Scott5114]

Which makes sense, because the public can't buy directly from grow facilities.

Also, because a grow facility is mostly full of immature plants that can't be consumed. Successful grows tend to sell off finished product to dispensaries fairly quickly, so there's not a whole lot of inventory sitting around that someone could get into. And grows have plenty of incentive to keep non-employees out of the facility (like any other business, you don't want random outsiders tampering with your product or taking it without paying for it).

[Pete]

^

Large grow facilities -- this one included -- have a bunch of fully processed weed. This one will have a dry room, cut room, etc. I've been in a few and you'd be surprised by the quantity of finished product -- way more than a dispensary.

Also, tons of cash come in and out of these places. Like most grows, this has a large safe room and cash room.


You can't blame the schools for not wanting this so close.

BTW, the landlord is the new owner from Utah, the same guy that is developing the Asian Plaza. I'm sure he just wants to get paid.


Now that the state is a few years into the cannabis thing, look for legislators to try and start putting much more regulation around a lot of things that were never fully anticipated. I know this is going to be a big push in the near future; lots of people working on new bills.

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^^

It needs to just be made recreational and done with it. What’s the difference of a kid seeing a dispensary near a school versus driving by one one the way to school?

[Pete]

^^^^

It needs to just be made recreational and done with it. What’s the difference of a kid seeing a dispensary near a school versus driving by one one the way to school?

Access.

Same reason they don't allow liquor stores and full bars near schools.

[HOT ROD]

exactly Pete.

exactly the same reason we don't have distillaries near schools and neighborhoods, same should apply to grow facilities. There's PLENTLY of land in the OKC metro area for existing and new indistrial space to be built for grow facilities.

I can appreciate the adaptive reuse idea for Crossroads but there was a school there first and therefore should have prevented an opening of a grow facility in the first place (common sense). On this one I agree with lawmakers and hope they put in some restrictions; not kill it but regulate/enforce it just in the same way alcohol is.

[Pete]

Based on filed permits, it looks like the supermarket to be on the 2nd level of the old JC Penney building will be R&F Mart.

There is one by the same owner in Salt Lake City and it's kind of like a Costco for Asian products:

[Plutonic Panda]

This is cool but they really need to work on making the area around it more attractive. I wish the south OKC chamber of commerce would lobby for that. All of the business owner should really get together and put together a master plan for the mall.

[catch22]

The whole thing needs to come down. Build a dense-ish mixed-use area centered around the future train station along the commuter rail line.

Master plan this thing.

[Plutonic Panda]

Yeah ideally that’s what would happen.

[citywokchinesefood]

The whole thing needs to come down. Build a dense-ish mixed-use area centered around the future train station along the commuter rail line.

Master plan this thing.

I think it is more realistic to convert a lot of the unused parking lot space to apartment complexes and smaller commercial units. It would be cool to burn it to the ground and start fresh I don't think we will see that in the next 20 years. The only hope would be a developer like the upcoming OAK development across from Penn Square Mall to take over the property. Even then this would be an even bigger project.