By James Tyree
The Oklahoman
 

NORMAN — When it comes to economic development in Norman, east is no longer least.

Sure, West Norman has the Interstate 35 corridor, Campus Corner has the University of Oklahoma and downtown is flush with tradition. But what east Norman is beginning to have, according to commercial Realtor Judy Hatfield, is an upswing in population and business growth.

 "Heisman is full and Alameda Square is full after they've added Quizno's and others," Hatfield said of shopping centers on E Alameda Street. "Look at all the housing in Norman and more is being built on the east side than on the west side. And when you have demand, people will come along and supply that demand."

Hatfield said the widening of 24th Avenue has paved the way to new ventures, from a Sonic Restaurant and First Bank to the Summit Lakes residential development. New business construction has and continues to happen on Alameda Street and along 12th Avenue.

But the biggest development in east Norman is aptly named East Village. The large project at Lindsey Street and 12th Avenue will seem like a village, with each of its three buildings having more than 18,000 square feet for retail businesses, in addition to residential town homes and condominiums. The four-story buildings will be fronted by a CVS Pharmacy store, which is not part of East Village, on the corner.

Norman resident Hunter Miller, who is teaming with country music star Toby Keith on the development, said the first building is scheduled to open in February. The entire property should be developed by early 2008.

Federal Cash Advance, Maggie Moo's ice cream store and Thunderbird Liquor were the first businesses to sign leases for the first building. Miller said of the residences among all three buildings. 73 of 96 condos and 17 of 43 town homes have been sold.

The second floor of buildings will be rented apartments; the third and fourth floors will be two-story condos. The town homes will be built behind the four-floor buildings.

Hatfield said this type residential/commercial mixed-use development is new to this country, and Miller thinks the time is right to introduce it to Norman.

"It hasn't been done in Norman and it's a great concept," Miller said. "...It's urban living with an Oklahoma flair to it, and I'm real excited."

Miller said he and Keith chose the east Norman site because "I've just seen all the growth there and thought it was a great corner near the university."
 
"What an opportunity to put something nice on the east side of Norman," he said. "(A business surge) is coming. It's happening on Alameda and down on Highway 9, and we're in the cross part. I think it was perfect timing, a perfect product mix."

Sanjay Patel agrees, which is why he decided to build a Best Western hotel on S Classen Boulevard, just north of SH 9. He bought eight acres on which to build the hotel with 65 rooms — mostly suites — and to have two restaurants and a strip mall.

Patel expects the hotel to be completed by June and to begin construction on two restaurants and a strip mall early next year.

He said southeast Norman makes sense because land is cheaper and the area has a void in hotels, shops and restaurants just begging to be filled. Patel figures the Best Western will be filled by people visiting for football games, graduation ceremonies, summer baseball leagues, visiting relatives, and year-round by travelers on SH 9.

More Noble and eastside residents, including those at the new Crimson Park apartments near Patel's venture, also will contribute to stores and restaurants in southeast Norman.

"You've got Highway 9 where there is more and more traffic, plus you've got Noble, Norman and people going to Newcastle. ... The traffic is amazing, but people drive through there because there's nothing over there." 

"Developers should look at this side of town," Patel said later, "because once it starts, it's not going to stop."

Copyright 2006, The Oklahoma Publishing Company