Finally, New Retail in UNP!

[G.Walker]

I was driving through UNP on my lunch break today and noticed new store being built adjacent to left side of KOHLS, not sure what it is though? Anybody know?

[Mr T]

Well, the Transcript sez there will be a Dollar Tree and a Discount Tire. I am underwhelmed.

[ChargerAg]

I would be excited about a discount tire. A dollar tree not so much

[Soonerman]

Dollar Tree seriously?

[rcjunkie]

I guess in Oklahoma, Dollar Tree and Discount Tire are considered "upscale shopping".

[Kerry]

Here in Jax we have a Dollar Tree in the St. Johns Town Center but it is closer to the Target than it is to the 'upsale' stores. As for discount tire, you would be hard pressed to argure that anything with the word 'discount' in the name as being upscale. At least try to get a Pep Boys out of the deal if you need to have an auto service provider.

[rcjunkie]

Here in Jax we have a Dollar Tree in the St. Johns Town Center but it is closer to the Target than it is to the 'upsale' stores. As for discount tire, you would be hard pressed to argure that anything with the word 'discount' in the name as being upscale. At least try to get a Pep Boys out of the deal if you need to have an auto service provider.

Norman could use a tire store/auto parts/auto repair shop on the West side of town, but this area is not the appropriate place. There's even talk that Bob Moore is interested in moving his Cadillac Dealership to this area, which I also find inappropriate.

[dmoor82]

None of this to ME is good news,but development is development!I guess?

[flintysooner]

Considering the fact that retail development has never yet emerged from the recession and further that we are already well into a second leg of a new recession any new development is a testament to how much better things are here in Oklahoma.

[king183]

Well, the Transcript sez there will be a Dollar Tree and a Discount Tire. I am underwhelmed.

Please tell me this is a joke. This project is becoming more of a disaster each day.

[Soonerman]

I figure Macy's would open in UNP when the lifestyle center comes about.

[rcjunkie]

Please tell me this is a joke. This project is becoming more of a disaster each day.

This is not a joke, it was in the Norman Transcript and Norman Metro Section of the Daily Oklahoman last week.

[rcjunkie]

I figure Macy's would open in UNP when the lifestyle center comes about.

Macy's, as well as several other name stores, however, according to a recent article, the Lifestyle Center is on hold for probably a few years, which means that it most likely won't happen.

[flintysooner]

Any new development has to be done by a retailer who can build out of its own cash or is so financially sound that either the developer or the tenant can secure financing. In the latter case someone is still going to have to put in at least 40% cash equity. That leaves almost no practical candidates right now.

And that does not take into account the deteriorating capacity of consumers to support a retail appetite which soon will be made much, much worse.

Retailers especially will be forced to hunker down in survival mode.

However our local situation is so much better than most of the country that we have a good shot at getting what few opportunities might become available.

Pretty dismal prospects all the same.

[Soonerman]

Macy's, as well as several other name stores, however, according to a recent article, the Lifestyle Center is on hold for probably a few years, which means that it most likely won't happen.

If it doesn't thats a shame because Macy's would be a very nice add in Norman especially if it's a full line Macy's store with furniture.

[dismayed]

Back when the Macy's in Crossroads Mall closed I had heard that Macy's was definitely going to open up in UNP at some point. The Crossroads location was the only one in the southern half of the metro area, and was the only one that had furniture sales. From the rumors I heard it seemed to me like it was a done deal at the time, but now with all the time that has passed and the state of the economy... who knows.

[Soonerman]

If legacy park ever gets off the ground Do any of you think that Dick's Sporting Goods would open up there with Academy being right there?

[Spartan]

I don't think Academy was ever originally intended to go in there. Academy is kind of the Dollar Tree of sports stores, and I think these developers are panicking to keep their project alive and have settled from crap, although aside from Target and the hotel it honestly never really got above crap to begin with. Especially considering that we're financing it with the TIF. This project is likely doomed now that they replaced Dick's (which was originally planned) with Academy, replaced other tenants that bailed with Dollar Tree and Discount Tire, and other garbage.

[acumpton]

Wow, have you ever shopped at an Academy before?

[rcjunkie]

Wow, have you ever shopped at an Academy before?

It's obvious the he/she hasn't, The Academy and Dicks carry the same, identical product lines. I've shopped both stores and always find the prices at the Academy to be lower.

[Soonerman]

It's obvious the he/she hasn't, The Academy and Dicks carry the same, identical product lines. I've shopped both stores and always find the prices at the Academy to be lower.

Yes that is true. Not to mention the Norman Academy stays pretty busy. So they must be doing something right.

[Spartan]

Academy is the Wal-Mart of big box sporting goods stores. Dick's or Gander Mountain or Scheel's would be your Target equivalent. Then REI would be your Nordstrom's equivalent. And then of course everyone knows Bass Pro and Cabela's, Cabela's being the top of the totem pole.

I have shopped at all of these stores. I despite and hate Academy, and that's all you really get around OKC except for the Bass Pro, which is more of an outdoors place and less of a sporting goods place.

Swapping Dick's for Academy is like swapping Target for Wal-Mart, or probably a better example would be swapping Costco (which is far superior and which OK has none of) for Wal-Mart or Sam's Club.

I'm guess that is 3 people defending what a far cry this project has become from what was originally promised to tax payers..

[abrcr99]

Wow, I don't post often at all, but seriously? Comparing DICKS's Sporting Goods to Academy?? That's like comparing JC Penny and Nordstroms. From what I have seen DICK's is usually an anchor store in Life Style Centers and Urban Retail Centers that have retail but don't have the usual retail anchors of a Dillards, Macy's etc. UNP has turned into a joke, and they really shouldn't have BS'ed Norman about all this "high retail" crap. I think Norman knew it wasn't going to get "high retail" like Nordstroms, AX, Crate and Barrell, etc. But with hearing things like Dick's Sporting Goods I bet they had some nice expectations. I bet you can't find a DICK's in a retail center that doesn't have Bebe, Restoration Hardware, Urban Outfitters, Anthroplogie, and other nice retail surrounding it.

I am not from Norman but I was going to OU when all this was happening and while it obviously wasn't going to as urban as they made it sound, it did sound pretty cool for Norman considering all they have is that crappy Sooner Mall. Norman got dooped by these people and I have no idea what that area will ever look like. They should stop the TIF for this load of crap.

At least in Tulsa when they were building Tulsa HIlls they branded it for what it was. There was never any jazz about some fancy new retail center courting IKEA, Costco and Dicks sporting goods. Just another run of the mill shopping center for an area of town that needed run of the mill shopping.

I am not even from Norman or Oklahoma but, OU was my home and it makes me sick to think about what this was supposed to be and what it has turned out to be.

[dismayed]

I don't understand how Norman or the metro for that matter can't support an A|X, Urban Outfitters, Crate & Barrel, and so on. I find the whole thing quite sad.

So I have noticed that in all of these newspaper articles the same name, Stanton Nelson, keeps popping up. Supposedly he's a partner or one of the developers of UNP.

When I Google that name, the only thing that keeps turning up time and again is a guy by that name who graduated from OU and is now an executive for local Graymark Healthcare. Is this person one and the same? It is curious that there is not an architect or designer who is serving as a public face for the UNP development. Actually, seeing that and seeing that "University Town Center" is managing the whole thing makes me wonder who on earth is really running the show, if anyone of note. That might help explain what has become a rather odd development.

[ljbab728]

I am not from Norman but I was going to OU when all this was happening and while it obviously wasn't going to as urban as they made it sound, it did sound pretty cool for Norman considering all they have is that crappy Sooner Mall.

I grew up in Norman and remember what shopping options were available well before "that crappy Sooner Mall" was built. I'm not arguing with your other points but Sooner Mall was a major change in shopping habits for Norman. We always went to OKC for shopping when I was a child.