CrossTimbers becoming Regional Draw

[dsjeffries]

Something huge for the area...

quote:CrossTimbers planning townhouses

By RHETT MORGAN World Staff Writer
10/13/2007

SKIATOOK -- A Skiatook Lake resort on Friday announced a $13 million townhouse project that will allow for public rental two-thirds of the year.

The Townhouses at CrossTimbers Harbor will sit on leased public land managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Owners of the units will be limited to a maximum stay of 120 days a year, prorated over 12 months.

"Getting lakeside living for folks who own units -- as well as for the general public that can rent these -- is a huge step forward, just like it was when we opened the restaurant and brought food service," CrossTimbers developer Ron Howell said.

"Now, we're finally getting into the lodging right on this lake."

The CrossTimbers marina opened in May 2005, and McGill's Lakeside Grill opened in March. Four months ago, the resort debuted a 4-1/2-mile public trail that features about 80 labeled trees at least 200 years old, including one dating to 1559.

Skiatook Lake is among 13 national Corps of Engineers lakes participating in the national Demonstra- tion Lake Program created under President Clinton in 1999, Howell said.

The program was introduced to build and foster public-private
partnerships to expand recreational services on federally managed lakes.

Phase one of the CrossTimbers townhouse project will consist of 27 one- to four-bedroom furnished units, with full lake views and walkout decks on each level.

Ranging in price from $215,000 to $440,000, plus furnishing packages, the units will feature a surrounding development that includes a community swimming pool, meeting room and fitness center.

Construction of the first phase could start in November, with completion slated for mid- to late summer 2008, Howell said. A 23-unit second phase would follow.

StateSource, a Tulsa firm led by Howell, received corps approval for CrossTimbers with the help of the Skiatook Economic Development Authority. The corps leased about 700 acres to the development authority for free, and the authority subleased the land to StateSource, also at no charge.

StateSource gives the development authority 1 percent of its sales-tax proceeds from CrossTimbers.

People from 10 states have bought property in the Estates at CrossTimbers, an 89-lot private subdivision. When the last of the lots are sold -- 11 remain -- the development will represent about $60 million in assessed value, making it "one of the largest tax contributors to local schools and county government in all of Osage County," Howell said.

He wants CrossTimbers to rival area resorts such as Big Cedar, which sits on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Mo.

"For basically the million people that live within an hour, the 2 million within two hours, we think that we're finally going to be that destination spot that they've had to travel to other states to enjoy in the past," Howell said.

This is an example of how something in ONE community can positively affect the regional draw (for those in BA & Owasso who voted against the river because nothing was in it for them)...

[inteller]

no really, because people are going to go walking among runty looking trees and say "man, these should be taken to the chip mill"

these is nothing majestic about the crosstimbers...the only hold sway with scientists and other geeks.

[Book of Three]

Ron Howell will run that project into the ground.  He's an idiot.  He'll get sued sooner or later by someone who gets fed up with his holier than thou attitude and run you over business practices.  

By the way, McGills isn't there anymore.  Sure didn't take Ron long to run McGill off did it.

Skiatook Lake is a gem though.

[Cubs]

quote: This is an example of how something in ONE community can positively affect the regional draw (for those in BA & Owasso who voted against the river because nothing was in it for them)...

Yeah ok, but did Skiatook tax the county so this could happen?? NO!!

[RecycleMichael]

Wow. That is some first post, Book of Three.

Ron has built quite a place up on Skiatook already that seems to be doing just fine.

What makes you say he will fail besides a restaurant failed on his property? Don't restaurants fail downtown, on Brookside, on 71st street? Does that mean those areas are failures too?

I have only met Ron Howell a few times, but I never got a sense he was an idiot.

[Breadburner]

McGills is confirmed....No longer there....

[Breadburner]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

Wow. That is some first post, Book of Three.

Ron has built quite a place up on Skiatook already that seems to be doing just fine.

What makes you say he will fail besides a restaurant failed on his property? Don't restaurants fail downtown, on Brookside, on 71st street? Does that mean those areas are failures too?

I have only met Ron Howell a few times, but I never got a sense he was an idiot.

McGills did not fail...And thats as far as I'm going with it......

[Book of Three]

Well, if McGills didn't fail, and McGills packed their bags, I wonder why?  Perhaps it has something to do with Ron Howell's business practices?...

Recyclemichael, the project is quite nice.  I don't dispute that.  However, if there is any way for a project on a FREE lease on northeast Oklahoma's prettiest lake to fail, what I am saying is that Ron will find a way to make it fail.

[Breadburner]

Ummm you and I are in agreement on the Mcgills thing.......[]

[TheArtist]

I found it hard to believe that a restaurant like Mc Gills could succeed at that location, at this time. Not enough traffic or draw there quite yet. Skiatook lake is still a relatively undiscovered gem. Its still not quite on peoples radar as a place to go. Another development or two like the Crosstimbers will be needed imo. Plus getting a few midrise condos, and or a nice retirement community, a nice resort hotel, etc. will really start to set the pace, kind of like what you have around Grand Lake. I like Skiatook better and it really is very close to Tulsa. What, isnt it like 101st and 111th st N?  Its on its way, just going to take a little more time and some more development to really take off.

[joe below]

Gee.... Somebody ought to tell the folks at McGills that they don't exist anymore. I have had nice steak dinners out there every weekend for the last 4 weeks (october 2007). The place seems to be doing well.  Maybe you might want to verify your "facts" before you post.

[dsjeffries]

quote:Originally posted by joe below

Gee.... Somebody ought to tell the folks at McGills that they don't exist anymore. I have had nice steak dinners out there every weekend for the last 4 weeks (october 2007). The place seems to be doing well.  Maybe you might want to verify your "facts" before you post.

[]Nice

[Breadburner]

quote:Originally posted by joe below

Gee.... Somebody ought to tell the folks at McGills that they don't exist anymore. I have had nice steak dinners out there every weekend for the last 4 weeks (october 2007). The place seems to be doing well.  Maybe you might want to verify your "facts" before you post.

A restraunt is there but it's no longer McGills.....Believe me they know....

[Conan71]

The marina is the nicest inland lake marina I've seen anywhere in the country.  I thought about putting my sailboat there, but the lake does not lend itself to larger sailboats with a deep draft.  Good for a Sunfish or Hobie, but that's it.  That and blackjack stumps sticking five ft. out of the water summer before last  pretty much killed that idea for me.

I know nothing about Howell, but do have a mole or two in the McGill's operation, I'll have to do some checking on what's up w/ the Crosstimbers location.  My initial 411 on that was McGill's was being "licensed".  Sort of what they've done at Cherokee Casino.  You don't run it the way Greg runs his, and you won't use his name for long.  He can be a hard-donkey, but he knows what it takes to make it in Tulsa's fickle hospitality market.

[spoonbill]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

The marina is the nicest inland lake marina I've seen anywhere in the country.  I thought about putting my sailboat there, but the lake does not lend itself to larger sailboats with a deep draft.  Good for a Sunfish or Hobie, but that's it.  That and blackjack stumps sticking five ft. out of the water summer before last  pretty much killed that idea for me.

I know nothing about Howell, but do have a mole or two in the McGill's operation, I'll have to do some checking on what's up w/ the Crosstimbers location.  My initial 411 on that was McGill's was being "licensed".  Sort of what they've done at Cherokee Casino.  You don't run it the way Greg runs his, and you won't use his name for long.  He can be a hard-donkey, but he knows what it takes to make it in Tulsa's fickle hospitality market.

Yeah, it's a nice lake.  Great for fishing, but dangerous!  I nearly killed myself one year in a bass boat when I hit a stump about an inch under water and fliped.  There are a lot of near misses on that lake.  Good bass fishing though.

Not all of the channels are marked and there is a lot of underwater forest.  Should be nice in about 50 years.