Crossroads Mall

[baralheia]

I know everyone wants any stadium to be "downtown", or as close as possible. But wouldn't the Fairgrounds be a good place for it? HUGE mounts of parking. HUGE amounts of unused space. Maybe one reason I think this is because it seems all we've been doing is taking things OUT of the Fairgrounds. SO much so, that it just seems like a big parking lot now.

Agreed. Put it in the southwest corner of the Fairgrounds, right up against I-44 between Reno and the railroad so it's highly visible. There's plenty of undeveloped land there for the stadium plus new paved parking, and those parking lots could also be used for the fair and other events. The southern part of Delmar Gardens Ave might need to be rerouted or closed to make this work, but it seems like a win-win to locate this stadium there.

[April in the Plaza]

the only way OKC would get the NFL is the same way OKC got the NBA (okc was never getting an expansion franchise) a local Billionaire buys a team and moves it here .. and if that happened the City / county/ state would 100% help build a stadium ..

Would also add that raw seating numbers, like in basketball, don’t mean as much as they did several years ago. No one would expect OKC to build a 75,000 seat football stadium

[unfundedrick]

What is this thread about again?

[HOT ROD]

the only way OKC would get the NFL is the same way OKC got the NBA (okc was never getting an expansion franchise) a local Billionaire buys a team and moves it here .. and if that happened the City / county/ state would 100% help build a stadium ..

which is what I said, but apparently I'm sniffing glue. ...

[Laramie]

NFL is a moving target. Sure we are similar to Jacksonville in a few demographics.

We would need four crucial things to support NFL:

1. Ownership,
2. Corporate base
3. Market support (Population/TV viewership),
4. Stadium

A feasibility study would quickly show that OKC doesn't meet any of that criteria to support NFL (Would love to have an NFL team).

We need to solidify the NBA in OKC. A new NBA spec arena is our next objective, IMO we will achieve that goal.

[BoulderSooner]

NFL is a moving target. Sure we are similar to Jacksonville in a few demographics.

We would need four crucial things to support NFL:

1. Ownership,
2. Corporate base
3. Market support (Population/TV viewership),
4. Stadium

A feasibility study would quickly show that OKC doesn't meet any of that criteria to support NFL (Would love to have an NFL team).

We need to solidify the NBA in OKC. A new NBA spec arena is our next objective, IMO we will achieve that goal.

the NFL works in just about any city in the United States .. it would work in OKC .. currently it also wont happen

[Swake]

What is this thread about again?

To be fair, the NFL is far more interesting than a dead empty mall.

[unfundedrick]

To be fair, the NFL is far more interesting than a dead empty mall.

True, but that should be covered in another thread where people would actually know what they might be reading about before looking at it.0

[Laramie]

My observation of Crossroads Mall's demise was attributed to a lot of things from the high profile of gangs, they chose to use the mall
as their stage--started the death spiral. Crime and theft left its decay on this once vibrant mall.

The Mall needed renovations and new shops, tenants disappeared one after another. Then, the larger anchor tenants slowly disappeared.

Such a sad ending for Crossroads Mall.

[citywokchinesefood]

which is what I said, but apparently I'm sniffing glue. ...

Glue or paint, I am not an expert on the difference.

[HOT ROD]

could have fooled me.

[Jesseda]

Looks like crossroads mall is having issues , now the football team isn't going there and multiple tenants are demanding refunds and saying they got scammed and the mall is not opening anytime soon etc. The crossroads convention Facebook page is now bashing the football league and also if your type crossroads convention on Facebook you will see tenants complaining about the management and saying how there is a criminal history behind the management and demanding refunds. So it looks like the mall is done before it even opened

[jn1780]

Yeah, apparently they were doing business with the fake wranglers. A Chinese owner will probably pull the plug now.

The whole deal sounds fishy. The 'property manager' has an ambiguously defined business relationship with the owner. Sounds like an episode of joe exotic.

[amocore]

Tear it down and re zone the area for Residential or mix uses.

[citywokchinesefood]

Tear it down and re zone the area for Residential or mix uses.

This would honestly be for the best. I don't think anything meaningful will come out of this property in our lifetime otherwise.

[jn1780]

What's the status on the supermarket / Sam's club like store? If that is stalled than there is very little hope of success. There is no credibility at this point. I wouldn't want to sign into any kind of lease with an opening date that keeps getting pushed back. They misled store owners about the state of the mall. It obviously wasn't up to code to open otherwise why not open the doors? I feel bad for anyone who spent money to build out their store thinking the mall was going to actually open last October.

[Laramie]

Nothing is wrong with Crossroads Mall other than it needs good ownership and management.

[gjl]

Aren't there charter schools occupying some of the buildings there and Bob Howard Parts?

[jn1780]

Nothing is wrong with Crossroads Mall other than it needs good ownership and management.

I guess good owners and managers don't feel it's a good risk.

[Pete]

Aren't there charter schools occupying some of the buildings there and Bob Howard Parts?

Santa Fe charter schools occupy two of the old department stores (on the east and north sides).

The new Utah-based owner owns the remainder, including the west and south department stores and the mall itself.

He had proposed an Asian grocery warehouse and food court for the west department store (formerly JC Penney).

A local couple heavily involved in the cannabis industry (Carrie and Wallace Lawrence) is working to convert the south store (former Dillards) into a convention center. They are also the people working with the owner to rent out the mall spaces.


The best I can tell:

1. The Lawrences have been supervising the cleanup of the mall itself and serving as leasing directors. They have acquired a bunch of deposits from local businesses and there is restlessness because the mall reopening keeps getting delayed. They had originally hoped to open last November, then it was shifted to February. It doesn't seem like they have a firm open date.

2. Some of the businesses are now demanding their deposits back. The owner of Ragin Cajun (Latrice McMillian) is one and she has been posting all types of info to the R.C. Facebook page claiming the Lawrences are scammers. However, it does appear that Ragin Cajun did ultimately get their deposit back. Still, there is an on-going online feud between McMillian and the Lawrences.

3. The person that claimed to be representing the OKC Wranglers for the new outdoor stadium in the Crossroads parking lot appears to be a fraud. I don't know the status of the team in general, but it appears they will not be building the stadium at Crossroads. Carrie Lawrence claims that this guy (Joe McClendon) was charging people for a team tryout but has been merely pocketing the money.

4. The mall owner has started work on the Asian Friendship Arch on the north side of the property. I was told they were starting soon on the Penney's space but need to get down there and see if anything is happening. They filed for their building permits and operate a similar store in Utah.

[the michigander]

The charter school should have taken the rest of the property the could have built a auditorium in one win and a gymnasium and a pool in the other wing.

[jn1780]

Doesn't seem like the owner ultimately care what happens with the rest of the mall space. They have their vision of the Asian grocery warehouse with everything else just being 'filler' space.

[CatholicSooner]

Looks like crossroads mall is having issues , now the football team isn't going there and multiple tenants are demanding refunds and saying they got scammed and the mall is not opening anytime soon etc. The crossroads convention Facebook page is now bashing the football league and also if your type crossroads convention on Facebook you will see tenants complaining about the management and saying how there is a criminal history behind the management and demanding refunds. So it looks like the mall is done before it even opened

I'm not sure why but when I saw an interview of the lady running the mall, I got some odd vibes.

[gjl]

My post about some of the buildings being occupied was directed to the suggestion to tear it down and rezone it for residential.

[barrettd]

Santa Fe charter schools occupy two of the old department stores (on the east and north sides).

The new Utah-based owner owns the remainder, including the west and south department stores and the mall itself.

He had proposed an Asian grocery warehouse and food court for the west department store (formerly JC Penney).

A local couple heavily involved in the cannabis industry (Carrie and Wallace Lawrence) is working to convert the south store (former Dillards) into a convention center. They are also the people working with the owner to rent out the mall spaces.


The best I can tell:

1. The Lawrences have been supervising the cleanup of the mall itself and serving as leasing directors. They have acquired a bunch of deposits from local businesses and there is restlessness because the mall reopening keeps getting delayed. They had originally hoped to open last November, then it was shifted to February. It doesn't seem like they have a firm open date.

2. Some of the businesses are now demanding their deposits back. The owner of Ragin Cajun (Latrice McMillian) is one and she has been posting all types of info to the R.C. Facebook page claiming the Lawrences are scammers. However, it does appear that Ragin Cajun did ultimately get their deposit back. Still, there is an on-going online feud between McMillian and the Lawrences.

3. The person that claimed to be representing the OKC Wranglers for the new outdoor stadium in the Crossroads parking lot appears to be a fraud. I don't know the status of the team in general, but it appears they will not be building the stadium at Crossroads. Carrie Lawrence claims that this guy (Joe McClendon) was charging people for a team tryout but has been merely pocketing the money.

4. The mall owner has started work on the Asian Friendship Arch on the north side of the property. I was told they were starting soon on the Penney's space but need to get down there and see if anything is happening. They filed for their building permits and operate a similar store in Utah.

Are the people in this story the same Carrie and Wallace Lawrence? If so, I'd also be worried if I were invested in their business.

https://www.news9.com/story/5e3500e1...t-scammer-away