Norman City Council approved the purchase of Griffin Soccer Complex and discussed redevelopment plans for the Griffin Memorial Hospital campus Tuesday.
Griffin Soccer Complex purchase
The news: Council approved the purchase of Griffin Soccer Complex, which sits north of Griffin Memorial Hospital, from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
The city agreed to pay $3.3 million for the 160-acre complex on which generations of Norman children have participated in youth sports leagues. With prior lease payments credited toward the purchase, the cost falls to roughly $2.8 million. According to a staff report, the land will be bought with Norman Forward funds.
While the city has leased the property since 1983, the original lease was for $1 per year. In 2019, a new lease was negotiated after Norman Forward’s adoption in anticipation of the city’s purchase of the property, with lease payments of $80,000 annually.
Anthony Purinton, assistant city attorney, said the purchase is expected to close in 30 days.
What they’re saying: Ward 1 resident John Scamehorn said he is skeptical of the purchase.
“$3 million is a lot of money and I urge you to treat it as if it’s your own,” Scamehorn said.
Ward 5 Councilmember Michael Nash said that if a developer purchased the land Norman would no longer have the soccer fields at the park.
“You have to think about the economic stimulation that happens whenever we have these big soccer games,” Nash said. “It’s an area that we can’t afford to lose.”
Mayor Stephen Tyler Holman said Norman voters approved the idea of purchasing the sports complex in 2015 with the Norman Forward initiative.
“It’s been 10 years, at least since Norman Forward, that we’ve been working to try to purchase this property,” Holman said. “We may not have another opportunity to purchase this property.”
The vote: Council approved the purchase unanimously.
Griffin Memorial Hospital land concepts
The news: Council heard a presentation and discussed potential development ideas for Griffin Memorial Hospital at its conference meeting.
At the northwest corner of Main Street and 12th Avenue NE, Griffin Memorial Hospital has served as the state's primary psychiatric hospital since 1915. The hospital currently holds 120 beds and employs over 350 staff.
In 2023, the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services announced plans to replace Griffin Memorial Hospital with a new facility on Oklahoma State University’s Oklahoma City campus. News 9 reported in May that the state will no longer build a new facility and will renovate an existing property in Oklahoma City instead.
The presentation addressed how redeveloping the area could accommodate a large portion of Norman’s projected residential growth. The AIM Norman housing plan, which the council approved in June, projects a need for about 23,000 additional housing units between 2025 and 2045.
The presentation showed various high-demand housing types that could be considered in the space. The AIM Norman housing plan identified a significant demand for various types of “intermediate density.”
According to the presentation, the city would like to see Hope Hall, American Legion Memorial Chapel, Central Kitchen and several of the hospital’s original buildings preserved.
The presentation indicated that redeveloping the hospital campus would most likely be funded by a tax increment financing district, or TIF, with a preliminary estimated total cost of $450 million to $600 million.
“It’s almost inevitable that a project like this is going to use tax increment financing,” Marty Shukert, urban planner at RDG Planning and Design, said.
According to the presentation, additional funds would likely be required, including municipal bonds, grants, private donations and interim loans.
What they’re saying: Shukert presented five potential concepts. He said redeveloping the campus would create a “bridge” connecting east and west Norman.
“There really is a geographic split, and then seeing (the) way that the city works and (with) the layout of various things, we can understand why that's the case,” Shukert said.
• Concept 1: Estimated residential yield of 1,785 units with medium density and multifamily housing. Reuse American Legion Memorial Chapel as an arts center and Hope Hall as housing and studio space, and build a pedestrian and bike crossing connecting with Griffin Soccer Complex.
• Concept 2: Estimated residential yield of 1,672 units. Feature residential units above retail around a town square development, a multi-use public space and steps that provide access to building level and rise above a public plaza.
• Concept 3: Estimated residential yield of 1,843 units. Feature a history center, emphasize surface-parked walk-up buildings, and likely reuse historic administration buildings for residential use.
• Concept 4: Estimated residential yield of 1,660 units. Feature a small-scale street combining commercial and residential uses, and expand features from Concept 1 to include Hope Hall and American Legion Memorial Chapel.
• Concept 5: Estimated residential yield of 1,392 units. Feature a three-story mixed use building and walk-up buildings with centralized parking.
Holman said Le Monde International School, which currently sits on the Griffin Memorial Hospital property, has expressed interest in remaining at the location.
This story was edited by Ana Barboza and Natalie Armour.
