Skiatook Developments

[dsjeffries]

In November 2012, the residents of Skiatook were finally given the chance to vote on change its form of government from Town Board of Trustee to City Council-Manager. For years, the folks on the town council kept development at bay. They simply didn't want to grow in number of residents, jobs, restaurants or retail. They liked things the way they were, thank you very much.

Since the change of governing type, Skiatook has begun growing again, and development has picked up noticeably. It's a drop in the bucket compared to Broken Arrow or Owasso, but it's been pretty dramatic for a small town. In addition to the new retail and restaurants, the City Council has made it a priority to clean up the older, neglected areas of town. Owners are cleaning up their properties and fixing problems with their houses. They also just finished a nice welcome sign and landscaping on the east side of town (at Highways 11 & 20) to match the look of its Central Park. And the old First National Bank Building in downtown has just been nominated for the National Register of Historic Places.

Here's a list of things that have opened up since the change in government:
• Tractor Supply Co. - Opened 2013
• Hibbett Sports - Opened May 2013
• Factory Connection - Opened 2013
• US Cellular - Opened 2013
• Osage Casino & Hotel - Opened in December 2013. Also features the Fiery Grille Restaurant. The hotel has 33 hotel rooms on 3 floors, plus a pool, fitness center and convention space. The Casino has 78,000 square feet of gaming space. A convenience store/gas station was also opened at this site.
• Tulsa Federal Credit Union - Moved into new building in November 2014.
• Cornerstone Ace Hardware - Opened January 2015.
• Taco Bell - Opened in December 2014
• Taco Bueno - Set to open April 7
• RCB Bank - Demolished current location this week; rebuilding bigger branch at same location. Set to open in July or August.
• Warehouse Market - Construction beginning in the next month on the 50,000 sf building at the NE corner of Rogers & Lenapah. Skiatook has needed a second grocery store since the Wal-Mart Supercenter opened and put Super H out of business. The City says the new Warehouse Market will be "architecturally pleasing", but I doubt it. I'd rather have a Reasor's, but just getting a second grocery store will help immensely. This store will be more than double the size of the grocery section at Wal-Mart, which is perpetually out of stock of most items.
• Casey's General Store - Construction beginning soon at Rogers & Osage

The Mayor has also said they're in talks with several more national retailers who want to build in Skiatook.

Several local and regional businesses have popped up, as well. Some of the ones that come to my mind first are:
Luigi's Italian Restaurant
Bulldog 100 Wood-Fired Pizza
Planx Steak & Seafood
Prairie House Candles
Love Subs
Dawg House Donuts

CrossTimbers continues to grow, with the 10,600 square foot Skiatook Springs Event Center nearing completion. Tulsa World reported in January that, "the public-private CrossTimbers development has spawned at least $2 million in property taxes since its inception nearly 10 years ago, according to [the] Osage County Assessor."

Skiatook Public Schools has grown, as well, adding new classrooms at practically every existing school building, and a new 2nd Grade Center was just completed and is now in use. It will be expanded with future bond money to include 3rd grade classrooms. This will help alleviate the crowding at Marrs Elementary, which served Pre-K-2.

A new Community Health Center is under construction at Osage & Oak, on the grounds of the former Central Elementary (which, in 1918, was the original high school building).

Ohio-based Worthington Industries moved into the old John Zink factory and has been on a hiring spree.

The Overlook at Skiatook Lake was remodeled by a group including a non-profit called Partners for Heroes, Cross Timbers Marina and the Army Corps of Engineers. The project was undertaken to give returning vets a peaceful setting where they can re-connect with nature and recover from some of the effects of PTSD.

Not all of the development occurred simply because of the change--some would have happened anyway--but a big majority of it did. It's amazing what a change in leadership (and type of governance) can do.

[Conan71]

Is there any view that there may be some residential development along Hwy 20 between Skiatook and 75 or are people betting that will stay ranch land, at least along the highway?  Seems kind of ripe for bedroom community development.

[dsjeffries]

Is there any view that there may be some residential development along Hwy 20 between Skiatook and 75 or are people betting that will stay ranch land, at least along the highway?  Seems kind of ripe for bedroom community development.

There's already been a little residential development on the south side of Highway 20 just west of 75, and I expect there will be even more in the next few years. Right now they're building big houses (2700-3700 sf) on big, 1-5 acre lots. There's the Lantana Ranch subdivision, and The Falls is just getting started. I think the north side of Highway 20 will stay ranch land for a long time, with Star Lake Ranch's property taking up a big chunk of it. But if you head north from Highway 20 on Lewis, there are a lot of new houses in a couple new subdivisions (Breton Ridge & Redberry Hill). All those houses are large and expensive, too. My parents live just to the southwest of the new houses on Trenton, and we can see the rooftops from the front porch.

Further west of Trenton along Highway 20 will remain farmland until they solve the Bird Creek flooding problem. That is, if you consider it a 'problem' and not 'nature'. I don't know why people build in flood plains and then try to "correct" this "problem" by altering nature.

There are new housing developments between highway 75 and Skiatook along 126th St N, too. There's a big one adjacent to highway 75 (Cooper Landing), and a smaller one (Cooper Hill) a mile to the west.

[guido911]

What's the status of this guy....

[dsjeffries]

What's the status of this guy....

He's still around, still berating and brainwashing people. His church has spent a lot of money buying up the small houses surrounding the church, tearing them down and building McMansions in their place so their members don't have to look at poor people. It's sad to watch that happen to the neighborhood - usually, gentrification and pushing out poor people isn't something that churches are involved in. Not the case here, I'm afraid.

[guido911]

He's still around, still berating and brainwashing people. His church has spent a lot of money buying up the small houses surrounding the church, tearing them down and building McMansions in their place so their members don't have to look at poor people. It's sad to watch that happen to the neighborhood - usually, gentrification and pushing out poor people isn't something that churches are involved in. Not the case here, I'm afraid.

Just embarrassing.

[heironymouspasparagus]

...spent a lot of money buying up the small houses ..... , tearing them down and building McMansions in their place...

It's sad to watch that happen to the neighborhood - usually, gentrification and pushing out poor people....   

Broken Arrow for many years.... in the old parts of town.