University North Park

[Easy180]

That is correct. It's all about tax dollars.

Was just a joke fellas

[metro]

University Town Center readies for Christmas

By Trisha Evans
Business Writer

NORMAN — Residents here won't have to go far to find items on their friends' and families' wish lists this Christmas.
The city's newest shopping center, University Town Center, is filling up with tenants as retailers prepare to open in time for Santa.

More than a dozen stores are hoping to open their doors in time for holiday shopping, said developer Brad Goodwin.

"Their goal is, as for all retailers, is to be open by Christmas,” Goodwin said. "In the next 30 to 60 days that whole area is really going to open up.”

Kohl's and T.J. Maxx opened earlier this month.

Dress Barn, Maurices, Rack Room Shoes, Petco, Circuit City and Office Depot are expected to open before Christmas. Most will open by the end of November, he said.

To the north of SuperTarget, several smaller stores — T-Mobile, Sally Beauty Supply, Sports Clips, Motherhood, Great Clips and AT&T Wireless — also are expected to open by the end of November, Goodwin said.

"We're really surprised to be ahead of schedule,” he said.

Other businesses scheduled to open soon include: Vintage Stock, Citi Financial, Allure Nail Salon, a hair salon for children called Snip-its, and Westies Shoes.

"Most everything you see is already leased,” Goodwin said.

Athletic Village will open in February, and Qdoba Mexican Grill will open in May.

However, the development is far from finished. University Town Center's master plan calls for 2.5 million square feet of new retail space, and the shopping center is only in the first of six phases, said Stanton Nelson, partner and spokesman for the University Town Center LLC.

"I think the exciting part for us is we're starting to work on the lifestyle center portion of the development,” Nelson said. "When you look at what's going to separate this project from any other is the lifestyle center.”

Nelson said the shopping center will be the first pure lifestyle center in the state, and he compared it to The Plaza in Kansas City.

"It's an outdoor pedestrian mall, basically,” Nelson said. "It will have a real Main Street feel.”

He said there are still a couple steps before construction can begin on Legacy Park, an 8- to -10-acre public park that's part of the project. A water feature, more than an acre large, will create an appealing site for restaurants around the water, Nelson said.

The first restaurant, Pei Wei, is expected to open sometime near the end of the year. Goodwin said Cheddar's, Mimi's and Logan's Steakhouse have signed contracts, but construction for those hasn't started yet.

The City of Norman estimates it will derive $1.25 million in tax revenue from the center for fiscal year 2007, which began July 1.





Work continues Tuesday on University Town Center, NW 24 near Robinson and Interstate 35 in Norman. by STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN

[Superhyper]

Like the Plaza? That would exciting, I do love the Plaza. Somehow I don't see us getting that level of retailers though. Clothing places like Standard Style and Armani Exchange would be amazing, but they've been hesitant to move out here so far.

[BG918]

^ My guess is it would be retailers similar to what is already present in Quail Creek and Penn Square, maybe a couple new ones to Oklahoma. I doubt it's anything TOO upscale. I think if you were an upscale retailer you would want something more unique, like Campus Corner. I'd much rather see those types of stores there or in downtown rather than in UNP.

I could definitely see this destroying Sooner Mall though if their stores bail for the new lifestyle center. Their site plan shows space for three department stores, one of which could be a new Dillard's. Losing Dillard's would be a big blow to that mall. I'd rather Norman have one "mall" though and that would be UNP. Redevelop the Sooner Mall site and concentrate more upscale and/or local retail in areas like Brookhaven, downtown/Main, and Campus Corner.

[Town Crier]

Guess so venture...Just thought it weird they would put another that close is all

No more strange than 2 Super Wal Marts within 3 miles of each other.

[dismayed]

I'm surprised how negative folks are on this project. There are big names working it... let's hold out, I think it's really going to happen.

Norman doesn't have a Macy's, so hopefully it will be going into UNP. Other than that, there are several department stores that are common in the region but not in OKC, such as Sak's, Mervyn's, and Nordstrom. Hopefully we will get one or all of them.

[oudirtypop]

I dont disagree with what you mentioned, except with mervyns. There isn't one of those anywhere within 500 miles of here if not further. That place sucks anyway.

For the sake of my checkbook, i hope saks or nordstroms doesnt come here. my wife will have a hey day

[jbrown84]

Here's one that they have in Wichita that is very upscale and very out of place in their dumpy mall.

http://www.vonmaur.com/Default.aspx?PageID=48

[dismayed]

There used to be a Mervyn's in Tulsa. Not sure if it is still there.

Checked their website, looks like it went out of business.

There's also one in Austin, TX.

[Superhyper]

The Mervyn's in Tulsa is now an empty shell of a buildings. Not that anyone is terribly sad about that.

[pottstonya]

I think this will be a nice area but I hope the shops on Ed Noble survive, not to mention the mall....

[BFizzy]

This link contains TIF information and renderings of the Embassy Suites and Legacy Park:

http://www.ci.norman.ok.us/pdf_files...rthParkTIF.pdf

[Superhyper]

Just an update: University Park was dead useful on Black Friday. If only circuit city had been open, I could've done all my shopping in one place!

[venture]

I'm with Hyper...I did quite a bit of my Black Friday shopping at UNP. Kohl's was busy, but not overly packed. All the other stores flowed pretty well also. It is going to be so nice once everything is completed and more stores are in there. It will definitely be my primary shopping stop - no more need to drive to the City.

I think the stores at Ed Noble should be okay. There aren't going to be any duplicate stores at UNP. I definitely think Sooner Mall may see an impact though. However, there is a trend to get away from the old standard mall designs. I personally would not be hurt to see the mall close and land redeveloped into a business park.

[BG918]

Yeah I also would like to see the stores inside Sooner Mall just get absorbed by the lifestyle center portion of UNP. Then raze the mall and build a combination of office buildings and new dense residential. Build the more upscale and local/regional retail in downtown or Campus Corner. Norman then has two major retail zones: UNP by I-35 and central Norman along Main and Boyd.

[jbrown84]

Interestingly, I heard from a source that American Eagle plans to have a store in the lifestyle center in addition to Sooner Mall, which is one of it's highest volume stores in Oklahoma.

[Superhyper]

Really? That seems like a bit of overkill. Maybe it'll lead to other clothing stores moving in through. Preferably better ones.....

[SpectralMourning]

Really? That seems like a bit of overkill. Maybe it'll lead to other clothing stores moving in through. Preferably better ones.....

I like AE, though it may be a bit expensive sometimes, but not as much as others. It's still nice either way.

[jbrown84]

It's really no different than Bath & Body having a store in Quail Springs and one across Memorial in front of Old Navy.

[jirwin1981]

does anyone know the timeline for the phase that will include the water feature with the restaurants and boutique shopping area?

[Dekoung]

And does anyone know specifically what"upscale" stores and restaurants are signed up? I keep hearing stores like Nordstroms, Saks etc. Give me a break. The demographics in this region do not justify putting in that type of store. There is no Nordstroms in OK and I would think OKC would be the priority over University Park. The only Saks in OK is Tulsa and it has been rumored for years they would like to pull out after their long term lease is up. If Saks is not happy in Tulsa they would not be happy in Norman. So what upscale stores do you all realistically think might come here?

[ouguy23]

And does anyone know specifically what"upscale" stores and restaurants are signed up? I keep hearing stores like Nordstroms, Saks etc. Give me a break. The demographics in this region do not justify putting in that type of store. There is no Nordstroms in OK and I would think OKC would be the priority over University Park. The only Saks in OK is Tulsa and it has been rumored for years they would like to pull out after their long term lease is up. If Saks is not happy in Tulsa they would not be happy in Norman. So what upscale stores do you all realistically think might come here?

Wow, you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?!!! No need to be a Debbie Downer dude, lol.

[venture]

LOL. I think some people forget all those nice college kids with their parent's credit card. They aren't paying for that new BMW or Land Rover they are driving around themselves.

Also...if a brand doesn't have any locations in about 150 miles - that will help UNP's cause. I think the one big thing we are waiting on, at least the upscale retailers are waiting on, is to see how much foot traffic there will be. When we get into the mode where you see people walking from store to store and the parking lots getting full - then we'll see the big guys jump on.

Of course it wouldn't hurt if retailers in Sooner Mall decided that they would move. Granted GGP would have a stink about it, but that plot of land would make a really nice business park.

[Turanacus]

this sounds great, maybe they'll put in some really really cool stores like Game Xchange, Gordman's, or Payless Shoes. I always thought this center was going to be upscale stores but it sucks ! ! ! same ol poop as everywhere else in okc.

[soonerkev]

Turnacus: The phase being built right now is not supposed to be upscale. The upscale portion will be located in the lifestyle center that will be built on the east side of 24th, adjacent to the new John Q Hammonds hotel.