Mountain of a Mall
By Dean Anderson
OKCBusiness
Dirt is being moved at a dizzying pace on a vast, 585-acre piece of land east of Interstate 35 in north Norman and amid the geological landmark known as “Mt. Williams”.
Soon, the large-scale excavation will lend way to a shopping and entertainment district off Robinson Street and Tecumseh Road.
Initially halted while the Norman City Council mulled over whether to explore a tax-increment financing district, pre-construction now has begun in earnest as space is being cleared for the first resident – SuperTarget.
The land is owned by the University of Oklahoma Foundation, which has not responded to repeated requests by OKCBusiness for information on the project, and the tract is proposed for upscale shopping and dining facilities and possibly executive homes.
Norman City Council member Bob Thompson said, “I’ve actually seen an updated version of their plans and the plans are really impressive. The plans I saw are a real impressive development. It looks like they’re trying to make a very extraordinary retail and multi-use shopping area.”
Thompson said while many in Norman have protested leveling “Mt. Williams”, or what remains of a steep hill and naval station from World War II, he has been told the mount soon will be flattened.
While that likely will come as sad news to many, Don Wood, director of the Norman Economic Development Coalition, predicts the retail development will be monumental to Norman’s economy.
“This is probably the single most important thing that’s going on in Norman, Oklahoma, today,” Wood said. “The 585-acre site has the potential to have a huge economic development and lifestyle impact on Norman, probably like nothing we’ve ever seen in the past.”
The creation of a special tax-district for the tract is under way. Earlier in the year, the city council created a citizens group to study the possibility and, when it reported back, the group endorsed the idea.
Following a review, the council found it could create such a district without voter approval.
Thompson was the lone dissenting vote when the council voted to move ahead and create a council review committee, though he admitted support among the council for the project is “substantial”. And while he said he is unsure that public money should be used to help finance the project, he stressed that he believe the development would be a plus for Norman.
“I think the business and real estate community have been lobbied very heavily and quite successfully by the proponents of the TIF,” Thompson said. “As far as the average, resident citizen, I still don’t have people calling me up saying, ‘You’ve got to do the TIF. It’s a great thing.’
There’s still a widespread perception of it as a subsidizing business. In my mind, that’s a legitimate question that ought to be asked of the broader public, if we want to take on the role as a government body of subsidizing business in order to produce more revenue,” he said. “If the public wants us to do that, I’m happy to do that.”
To satisfy a completion deadline of October 2006, construction has to begin on the SuperTarget, finance district in place or not, Thompson said.
The new SuperTarget itself already proposes to boost Norman’s economy, Wood said.
“Having a SuperTarget will be wonderful,” he said. “Having it done in an architectural style that’s probably the best that’s ever been done for any SuperTarget in the nation will set a good pattern and standard.”
As for the other businesses committed to or being recruited for the retail development, Thompson said the council is waiting for the OU Foundation to make its final presentation on the project.
No renderings or other project descriptions yet have been made available and phone calls were not retuned from OU Foundation attorney Harold Heiple seeking comment.
However, Wood seemed well-versed on the project and indicated boosting the project with TIF funds would allow development costs to be recouped over a 20-year span.
“I am and complete and total believer in TIFs,” Wood said. “Anyone who has seen what has happened with the investment of public funds into Bricktown and has seen the transformation of Bricktown, I don’t understand how anyone could oppose the expenditure of public funds that creates an area and creates a magnet.”
OKCBusiness
Dirt is being moved at a dizzying pace on a vast, 585-acre piece of land east of Interstate 35 in north Norman and amid the geological landmark known as “Mt. Williams”.
Soon, the large-scale excavation will lend way to a shopping and entertainment district off Robinson Street and Tecumseh Road.
Initially halted while the Norman City Council mulled over whether to explore a tax-increment financing district, pre-construction now has begun in earnest as space is being cleared for the first resident – SuperTarget.
The land is owned by the University of Oklahoma Foundation, which has not responded to repeated requests by OKCBusiness for information on the project, and the tract is proposed for upscale shopping and dining facilities and possibly executive homes.
Norman City Council member Bob Thompson said, “I’ve actually seen an updated version of their plans and the plans are really impressive. The plans I saw are a real impressive development. It looks like they’re trying to make a very extraordinary retail and multi-use shopping area.”
Thompson said while many in Norman have protested leveling “Mt. Williams”, or what remains of a steep hill and naval station from World War II, he has been told the mount soon will be flattened.
While that likely will come as sad news to many, Don Wood, director of the Norman Economic Development Coalition, predicts the retail development will be monumental to Norman’s economy.
“This is probably the single most important thing that’s going on in Norman, Oklahoma, today,” Wood said. “The 585-acre site has the potential to have a huge economic development and lifestyle impact on Norman, probably like nothing we’ve ever seen in the past.”
The creation of a special tax-district for the tract is under way. Earlier in the year, the city council created a citizens group to study the possibility and, when it reported back, the group endorsed the idea.
Following a review, the council found it could create such a district without voter approval.
Thompson was the lone dissenting vote when the council voted to move ahead and create a council review committee, though he admitted support among the council for the project is “substantial”. And while he said he is unsure that public money should be used to help finance the project, he stressed that he believe the development would be a plus for Norman.
“I think the business and real estate community have been lobbied very heavily and quite successfully by the proponents of the TIF,” Thompson said. “As far as the average, resident citizen, I still don’t have people calling me up saying, ‘You’ve got to do the TIF. It’s a great thing.’
There’s still a widespread perception of it as a subsidizing business. In my mind, that’s a legitimate question that ought to be asked of the broader public, if we want to take on the role as a government body of subsidizing business in order to produce more revenue,” he said. “If the public wants us to do that, I’m happy to do that.”
To satisfy a completion deadline of October 2006, construction has to begin on the SuperTarget, finance district in place or not, Thompson said.
The new SuperTarget itself already proposes to boost Norman’s economy, Wood said.
“Having a SuperTarget will be wonderful,” he said. “Having it done in an architectural style that’s probably the best that’s ever been done for any SuperTarget in the nation will set a good pattern and standard.”
As for the other businesses committed to or being recruited for the retail development, Thompson said the council is waiting for the OU Foundation to make its final presentation on the project.
No renderings or other project descriptions yet have been made available and phone calls were not retuned from OU Foundation attorney Harold Heiple seeking comment.
However, Wood seemed well-versed on the project and indicated boosting the project with TIF funds would allow development costs to be recouped over a 20-year span.
“I am and complete and total believer in TIFs,” Wood said. “Anyone who has seen what has happened with the investment of public funds into Bricktown and has seen the transformation of Bricktown, I don’t understand how anyone could oppose the expenditure of public funds that creates an area and creates a magnet.”
