Riverwalk development in Moore

[Patrick]

I recently went down to Moore and was impressed with hoe this great shopping development has grown. It looks a lot like the strip mall up on Memorial, only this fits in better, because it's a true suburb. Anyways, here's an update.

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"Limited vacancy: New hotel, restaurant and two other potential deals could all but fill up RiverWalk in Moore

By Shelly Hickman

writers@okcbusiness.com

Building a hotel in south Moore may have been regarded as something of a gamble five years ago when Ron Wilhite was in the beginning stages of RiverWalk.

Now, with such names as Kohl’s, Gordman’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Applebee’s and IHOP doing business in the development along I-35 -- and with 100,000 vehicles passing by that development every day, it seems a foregone conclusion a hotel venture would be a success.

Wilhite said a full-service hotel would break ground at RiverWalk within the next four to five weeks, but that he wasn’t at liberty to say who would own it.

He did say it was “reportedly going to be a LaQuinta” and owned by Oklahoma businessmen with experience running hotels.

It will be located at the entrance of the interstate from the RiverWalk development and directly across from American Bank.

“They should be starting within the next few weeks,” he said. “It will be a five-story hotel. There probably won’t be a dining room because of IHOP and some of the other restaurants close to it, but I’m not sure if they’ve decided that yet.”

Wilhite said the hotel should include about 80 rooms, meeting rooms and a swimming pool.

“We’ve always wanted a hotel on the property. With the accessibility to the interstate, we always thought that it would be a very good location,” he said. “It will really do well.”

A hotel won’t be the only entity breaking ground at RiverWalk in the coming weeks. The Ryan’s restaurant group will be constructing a restaurant under its Fire Mountain brand there, as well.

The 10,000 square foot eatery will face I-35 next to Russell Stover Candies, Wilhite said, and should be open for business by late spring or early summer of 2005.

Officials at Ryan’s Greer, S.C., headquarters could not be reached for comment. The company operates a Fire Mountain restaurant at 6500 S.W. 3rd in Oklahoma City, and also has restaurants in Ardmore, Lawton and Tulsa.

Wilhite said he is negotiating two more contracts for the RiverWalk development but declined to share with whom. He did say one contract involves 2.75 acres facing I-35 and the other is for 15 acres south of Gordmans.

“I will say the 15-acre will be a retail center and the purchaser on the frontage road might do a combination of retail and some restaurant,” he said.

If Wilhite closes those two deals, he will have less than four acres of land left in the 120-acre RiverWalk development.

While it has taken about five years to get to this point in the project, he said this last phase “has gone pretty fast and just goes to show Moore needed commercial facilities.”

The developer, who also developed part of the retail corridor south of Sooner Fashion Mall and south of Main Street on the Ed Noble Parkway in Norman, said he imagined it wouldn’t be much longer before his work RiverWalk was completed.

He hinted he already had his hands in the beginning stages of another project but he wouldn’t confirm the nature of the project or where it would be located.

“I have to kind of keep that to myself right now,” Wilhite said, indicating his new project might take off in about six months. “I love developing commercial land, though.”

[BG918]

Norman evidently had a Riverwalk plan as well, but it looks like they abandoned the whole project. Does anyone know anymore information about it? It's right off I-35 by Don Pablo's and Chili's next to Ed Noble Pkwy. Someone told me once that they planned to build a large lake there that would have fountains in the middle and even boats surrounded by shops and restaurants. All that is there now is a big pit where they started digging the lake and a bunch of orange construction fencing.

[Patrick]

Last thing I heard, it's still in the works, only on a lesser scale. But, of course, anything could change.

[BricktownGuy]

who is responsible for that Norman Riverwalk plan???? what firm?

[mranderson]

I think it is Ron Wilhite who owns his own company. The signs for the Moore delevopment, if still in place, should give you his number and other contact info if that is where you are heading.

[BricktownGuy]

Can anyone backup mranderson's posting since he is not too sure?? lol

[mranderson]

Ron developed the area next to the former Wal-Mart off Main which is now a Sam's Club. A strip center known as Redbud Plaza. If the name of the development to which you refer is "riverwalk," and the one in Moore IS "Riverwalk," and was developed by Ron (I know Moore was for a fact), then logic says he did both. That is why I refered to Moore to gain Ron's information.

[BricktownGuy]

sorry, I was referring to the area.. that BG918 was talking about and I quote BG918:

"It's right off I-35 by Don Pablo's and Chili's next to Ed Noble Pkwy. Someone told me once that they planned to build a large lake there that would have fountains in the middle and even boats surrounded by shops and restaurants."

Does anyone know who the developer of this area is?? Ron Wilhite?

[BricktownGuy]

Does anyone know if Integris Health still plans to build on the 40 or so acres it bought from Riverwalk Commerical Park/1935 LLC? (Ron Wilhite)

[Patrick]

I doubt it, now that the Shuster Group announced that they were building Moore Medical Center.

[BricktownGuy]

yeah... the Schuster Group is building Moore Medical Center, I hear its should be open by Summer 2005.

[Patrick]

I posted the article about this in the Health Forum some time ago, in case anyone wants to read it.

Here's the crosslink: http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=937

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

I have an aunt in Moore I see every other day, and will until she passes th heaven.

The crap on the other side of 35 is going to be torn down. An unspecified texas developer will fix that side up, Texas strip mall style, lol.

I think Integris (my employer) has not dismissed any original plans. Any Integris hospital would be far superior to any other hospital, and Moore/West Moore/ Broad Moore/ Draper could use plenty more (no pun intended) hospitals.

That walmart is among the nation's top 5% busiest, I think.

This thing is not even half way finished.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

I just got back from this area, and saw what was going on:

There is a little road that disects the shopping center, and the land is tilled on both sides of this. I am going to say that to the right they are going to begin building the La Quinta. I don't know what is on the left, between Kohl's and Ihop. Since the Ihop was built, a Buffalo Wild wings and a candy shop have been built. They are now buildng the Fire Mountain on the highway feeder road.

[metro]

thus the article above

[BricktownGuy]

SoonerandRiceGrad....

I was curious....what do you do at Integris??

[jenncole]

I think Integris (my employer) has not dismissed any original plans. Any Integris hospital would be far superior to any other hospital.

My father has worked at Integris for 14 years. He says Integris had plans to have a hospital in place in Moore in the start of 2006.

Here we are at the beginning of 2005 and doesn't look like there is any construction started yet.

We have many great metro hospitals... Integris, St. Anthony's, Bone and Joint Hospital (Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner) and maybe sometime soon... Moore Medical Center.

Simply cause Integris has the most number of hospitals in the state or the most number of doctors, does not necessarily mean they are "far superior to any other hospital."

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

I have only heard of a short meating with TAParchitecture. I will have to email them because it is only a rumor. I bet it is still on, the new Moore hospital has what, 40 rooms? I think this will be closer to a full fledged hospital, and should be an exact replica of Canadian Valley. On TAPs webpage they have nothing however, I just checked and nothing on Integris' webpage either. Integris' webpage's staff section has been down for awhile, some problem with the domain.

My guess: Somewhere around 150-200 rooms. Integris has owned that land forever, so I wouldn't be taken aback, if you will if they postpone the finishing date once more.