Ikea and Costco in BA?

[Oil Capital]

Ikea is coming to Kansas City, so now we have two within 250 miles.

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/09/27/3836143/ikea-to-announce-plans-store.html

And just to further cement the notion that we're not getting one:http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/print-edition/2012/07/20/ikea-may-be-coming-to-merriam-village.html?page=all

Agreed they won't be coming to Tulsa any time soon.  But the 2 Million cutoff apparently refers to Consolidated Statistical Area populations, not metropolitan area populations.  There is an Ikea in Charlotte, NC, metropolitan population 1,758,038.

[carltonplace]

Agreed they won't be coming to Tulsa any time soon.  But the 2 Million cutoff apparently refers to Consolidated Statistical Area populations, not metropolitan area populations.  There is an Ikea in Charlotte, NC, metropolitan population 1,758,038.

Wow, Charlotte is just like us but conservative.

[DTowner]

Update on rumors of Costco coming to Tulsa area in the Tulsa World.  Interesting what this might do to efforts to change liquor laws.

Costco move into Tulsa remains just rumor

By Staff Reports and The Oklahoman
Published: 1/15/2013  2:27 AM
Last Modified: 1/15/2013  7:05 AM

Reports of Costco coming to Tulsa appear to be premature.

A deal reportedly is in the works for a Costco Wholesale Warehouse store to be built southwest of 101st Street and Memorial Drive. However, no agreement has been signed, according to commercial realty insiders.

Jared Andresen, managing director of the Grubb & Ellis/Levy Beffort office in Tulsa, said that while neither he nor his office are involved with Costco, he had heard that the company hasn't come close to any finalized agreement with any local landowners.

But he said he had heard the company is very interested.

"From what I understand, that is going to happen with or without a change in liquor laws," Andresen said.

Various officials had assumed that laws preventing the sale of alcohol beyond low-point beer in grocery stores would prevent the retailer from locating in Oklahoma. However, Costco Wholesale Corp. does operate stores in states with similar restrictions on grocery store alcohol sales, such as Maryland.

Costco, based in Issaquah, Wash., had no comment. Chairman and co-founder Jeff Brotman, who handles media inquiries, was unavailable, said Jennifer Spadafora, executive assistant. She said in an email: "Our corporate policy is to not comment on specific markets."

The eventual location of one of the popular membership warehouse clubs in Oklahoma is a foregone conclusion among commercial property development experts.

Costco is among a list of big-name retailers that are "kicking the tires and searching for locations" here - others include Cabella's, Nordstrom Rack, Von Maur and Ruth's Chris - according to Price Edwards & Co.

"While Costco is one of the more exciting retailers on the ... list, it appears that they may be passing on Oklahoma City for now," Price Edwards said in its just-released 2012 Year-End Retail Market Summary. "They've secured a site on South Memorial in Tulsa for their first Oklahoma store and may see how that store does first."

Some Costco fans also assume a deal is done or inevitable. There is a Facebook page titled Bring Costco to Tulsa.

"Costco is planning to build in Tulsa. Higher numbers on this page will hopefully compel them to build in Tulsa sooner," the page founder said in a post on Christmas Day.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?subjectid=53&articleid=20130115_53_E1_Report221472

[Teatownclown]

106th and Memorial, but at this time there is no firm deal.

Tire kicking Sam's. I give this a 50/50 chance at this point.

I am really surprised to see a hearsay story based on a FB page as a TW headline.

I think they've given up on OKChitty.

[DTowner]

At least they put the word "rumor" in the headline.  I thought the most interesting part was about OKC being left out for now.  Then again, as of now, so are we.

[Hoss]

At least they put the word "rumor" in the headline.  I thought the most interesting part was about OKC being left out for now.  Then again, as of now, so are we.

Makes me wonder if this will be a 'mini' Costco, much like Dave and Busters did in Tulsa when they passed initially on the OKC market.  Just to test the waters.

But I wouldn't hold my breath, unless Costco has capitulated to the liquor reform.  I'd be a little disappointed if they did.

Wake up, Oklah...errr.....ABLE.

[heironymouspasparagus]

I cannot imagine in any reality based scenario how market for one type of product would make a retail store of that scale forgo putting a store here if the rest of the economics pointed to a viable result.  That would be incredibly stupid, and I haven't really seen anything stupid out of Costco yet.  It could happen, but hasn't yet.

When they think they can do the business level at the margins they determine is necessary, they will be here quickly.  Liquor or not.

[Red Arrow]

Update on rumors of Costco coming to Tulsa area in the Tulsa World.  Interesting what this might do to efforts to change liquor laws.
A deal reportedly is in the works for a Costco Wholesale Warehouse store to be built southwest of 101st Street and Memorial Drive.

Just what I wanted  ....  more traffic on Memorial.  Put it somewhere else.

[Ibanez]

Just what I wanted  ....  more traffic on Memorial.  Put it somewhere else.

There's a big empty development at 121st & Memorial...

[Red Arrow]

There's a big empty development at 121st & Memorial...

That's even worse.   Ack!

That's also some low ground there.  I wouldn't build there with your money.

[Gaspar]

That's even worse.   Ack!

That's also some low ground there.  I wouldn't build there with your money.

500 year.

[rdj]

At least they put the word "rumor" in the headline.  I thought the most interesting part was about OKC being left out for now.  Then again, as of now, so are we.

That article was published in The Oklahoman the day before.  It was entirely written by The Oklahoman's staff.

[dioscorides]

Something to finally back up the rumors:

Costco looking for Tulsa location

By ROBERT EVATT World Business Writer | 0 comments

Costco, Gander Mountain and Container Store are among the brands that are actively looking to establish their first locations in the Tulsa area, said Ben Ganzkow of CB Richard Ellis/Oklahoma.

Ganzkow, speaking at the annual Tulsa Trends conference put on by the Tulsa branch of national commercial real estate organization NAIOP, cited the brands as part of his presentation on retail real estate.

Past rumors suggested Costco would come to the 101st Street and Memorial Drive area, though Jared Andresen, managing director of the Newmark Grubb/Levy Strange Beffort office in Tulsa, said in January that the company had yet to finalize a location.

When asked whether the company has plans for the Tulsa area, a Costco representative provided a standard quote from Jeff Brotman, co-founder and chairman: "Our policy is to not comment on specific markets."

Ganzkow said he expects vacancies to continue to gradually drop from its current level of 12.68 percent thanks to an improving economy and relatively little new constructio.

"We're really putting a dent in our inventory," he said.

The two major new retail projects under development include the Vineyard on Memorial, due to be finished by the end of this year at 106th Street and Memorial Drive, and Yale Village, which has just wrapped up construction at Yale Avenue and 91st Street and will be the home of a new Whole Foods.

He did note several big box stores are getting new tenants, including Conn's at a former Sports Authority near 71st Street and U.S. 169, Natural Grocers moving into a former Linens & Things near 71st and Mingo Road, Andrews Lighting at the former 71st Street location of Circuit City, and Tile Shop in the former 41st Street location of Circuit City.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/retail/costco-looking-for-tulsa-location/article_7676a9de-3ce1-11e3-b8ea-0019bb30f31a.html

[Ibanez]

I've heard multiple times recently that the development, though not much of one with a Jiffy Lube, two banks and a failed steakhouse, on the NW corner of Memorial and 121st is a location that Cabella's has shown an interest in. Also heard that one of the hospital systems, no idea which one, had looked at the land on the other, South, side of 121st for a hospital.

[sgrizzle]

Andrews Lighting at the former 71st Street location of Circuit City

Andrews lighting already built a new location on Garnett, moved, then the building went through a major remodel and it reopened as an Ashley Furniture Home Store.