Tulsa Business Staff
4/10/2009
The City of Glenpool broke ground last month on the 57,000-SF, $12 million Glenpool Municipal Complex and Conference Center, located in the quickly-expanding Southwest Crossroads, southwest of US Highway 75 and 121st Street.The complex is only one recent construction start of projects, both planned and completed, in the new entertainment/retail/hospitality corridor, which the city is aggressively promoting. “[We are] not content with just waiting for development to magically appear in Glenpool,” Glenpool Mayor J. Shayne Buchanan said at the ceremony. “We know our citizens deserve a vision that looks to create opportunity... [which] is why we have taken such an active role in the development process.” Working with Tapp Development from Edmond, Alaback Design Associates of Tulsa, and Spear-McCaleb Engineering from Oklahoma City, Wilbanks & Associates, Inc. provided all the master planning and land planning for the development, which will include a series of lakes, fountains, lighted walking trails, extensive landscaping, benches and gazebos. The conference center will be flanked to both the north and south by 90-room hotels, a Hilton Home 2 and a Holiday Inn Express, both of which are slated to see completion coinciding with that of the conference center. There is also additional retail, entertainment and business park development planned for the site, following the already completed Walmart Super Center, American Heritage Bank, Santa Fe Cattle Company and Sonic restaurants and the 10,000-SF Utica Park Clinic. Strong and Growing The success of Southwest Crossroads may come as a surprise to those unfamiliar with the roughly 8,000-person city. But according to economic data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the city and its purchasing pool have recently experienced rapid growth and are poised for additional substantial growth in the next half decade. The Glenpool trade area, which covers a tremendous amount of land south and west of the city, grew over 12 percent between 2000 and 2008, bringing the estimated total population to 94,964. The area is projected to grow an additional six percent in the next five years, which will bring the estimated population in 2013 to 100,703 persons. The report also asserted that Glenpool is retaining young adults, one of the biggest indicators of sustained growth, with 18 percent of the population aged 21 to 34. Another 21 percent of the population is aged 35 to 49, and adults over 50 comprise 31 percent of the total population. Housing starts in the area also indicate growth. Between 2007 and 2008, $36.8 million in new home building permits were added to the city, despite a national economic crisis and real estate slump. Opportunity Knocks A significant opportunity gap exists in the Glenpool trade area, even with the recent retail additions to the site. Census Bureau numbers estimated a total retail opportunity gap of nearly $538 million. Of the almost half-billion dollar opportunity, electronics ($24 million), restaurants ($26 million), grocery needs ($44 million), clothing ($51 million) and building materials and garden equipment ($91 million) make up significant portions, much of which is currently lost to the Tulsa Hills retail development north of Glenpool on Hwy 75, which contains, among others, Lowes, Best Buy, Target, Belk, Bed Bath and Beyond and J.C. Penny stores. Southwest Crossroads position just off Hwy 75, with high visibility from the major thoroughfare, makes it prime for retailers looking to take advantage of those numbers. Site developer James Tapp, president of Tapp Development, said leasing activity in 16,500-SF retail strip center located on site just west of the Walmart is strong, including four new signed letters of intent the week before last month’s ground breaking.
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