Wasn't sure where to post this but I came across it and wanted to post it because it hits the nail on the head.
A Downtown ontheRange: Buyer's Remorse in OKC
The article was printed in 2010 so OKC has covered some ground since then. OKC now has Whole Foods, Anthropolgie, Coach, Fossil and is about to have Von Maur and Trader Joe's. That said, OKC still has more ground to cover against cities its size or even a little smaller. I fully agree with the author of the blog that says the primary reason is the lack of good retail space. The usual excuse of the lack of concentrated wealth may hold weight vs Tulsa but against places like Birmingham, Alabama, it doesn't hold up. Looking back, just as OKC was finally starting to be on the radar of these national retailers and shopping centers were being proposed, 2008 hit and put a stop to most progress. If OKC ever gets a lifestyle center, even a small one, I think the retail situation here will improve dramatically.
From what I've seen of the Chisolm Creek development, if done right and not scaled way down like these things have the habit of doing, it could be that shopping center.
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