Editor's note: this article was updated on March 4 a 1:16 p.m. to more clearly reflect the funding structure for the University North Park entertainment district.
As Norman continues to grow, development pockets are popping up around the city, bringing everything from new housing options to national retailers.
Though growth is sprawling out across the city, south Norman holds a majority of upcoming developments including Sooner Village, a multipurpose development; the Armstrong Bank Consolidation Project, a retail development project; and Liberty Point, a recreational vehicle resort and adventure park.
West Norman will be the new home of the Bob Moore Farms North, a development that was welcomed by Norman City Council for its housing capacities. In north Norman, the controversial Rock Creek Entertainment District is set to be built in University North Park, though the development is being challenged by Norman residents.
Many of the new developments are designed to include places to live, work and find entertainment in the same general area, according to Scott Martin, president and CEO of the Norman Chamber of Commerce.
“When the news broke that (OU) was joining the (Southeastern Conference), people were like, ‘Just buckle in, it’s going to be a wild ride, and your community is going to flourish,’” Martin said. “I think people are hungry for places where they can do a lot of different things — a ‘live, work, play’ feel and environment.”
Martin said people want to invest in their quality of life and overall well-being within their community.
“This idea of being able to shop where you live, it's almost ‘Back to the Future,’ right?” Martin said. “I mean, that's kind of how community started, and I think it's a very attractive model that people are interested in.”
Sooner Village: Multipurpose development at Highway 9, Jenkins Avenue
Map of the proposed Sooner Village district provided in the application for the pre-development information meeting on Nov. 30.
In December, Norman City Council approved a preliminary plat and rezoning from industrial to mixed-use designation for Sooner Village, which would lie at the southeast corner of Highway 9 and Jenkins Avenue, across from the National Weather Center south of OU’s campus.
The preliminary site development plan shows nine different areas, including apartments, townhomes, duplexes, hotels and hospitality, multi-family housing, commercial properties, self-storage and warehouses.
Ward 7 Councilmember and Mayor-elect Stephen Tyler Holman said this development would bring in people who are looking for housing and work at OU or the National Weather Center.
“This could be both attractive for people that want to live close to campus and may work on campus and also the commercial and retail amenities that will hopefully come along with it,” Holman said.
During the December council meeting, Ward 6 resident Dan Munson expressed concern regarding the development’s proximity to Norman’s wastewater treatment plant on the west side of Highway 9 and Jenkins Avenue. Concerns ranged from noise to smell and chemicals exuded by the treatment plant.
“This equipment is essentially the same noise as a train horn. Wastewater plants smell terrible because they release gasses like hydrogen sulfide (and) methane,” Munson said at the meeting. “These chemicals could pose risk to residents in near proximity if there was a major chemical release.”
According to the application, the development would include over 11 acres of open space and the construction of four detention ponds to temporarily hold stormwater runoff.
Armstrong Bank Consolidation Project: Retail development at Classen Boulevard, Cedar Lane Road
In December, Norman City Council approved a preliminary plat and rezoning for the Armstrong Bank Consolidation Project, a 40-acre planned unit development site south of the Walmart Supercenter at Classen Boulevard and Cedar Lane Road. The applicants for the project are Royce Enterprises Inc. and Sooner Investment Development Co., according to the project plan.
The Armstrong Bank Consolidation Project is anticipated to have new Target and Lowe's locations at the heart of the development, according to Holman.
The space for the second Target location would be about 128,000 square feet, which is about 50,000 square feet smaller than the current Super Target on Robinson Street and 24th Avenue and closer in size to the Target in Moore. The space for the second Lowe's would be just over 64,000 square feet, about 85,000 square feet smaller than the location on Main Street and 24th Avenue Northwest.
The development will also feature an Armstrong Bank and space for other retailers and restaurants, none of which have a confirmed tenant yet. Holman said he is concerned that most of the tenants for this development project are corporate chains like Target and Lowe's and wouldn’t have ties with local businesses.
Unlike the other developments, the Armstrong Bank Consolidation Project’s preliminary development plan does not feature housing opportunities. Holman said the community is trying to move away from developments built to be accessible for cars.
“There’s not really any locally owned businesses that are going in, and it’s all very car-centric, suburban development,” Holman said. “We know that (for) a locally owned business, the dollars stay local a lot longer than if it is a corporate entity like that.”
Liberty Point: RV park at East Cedar Lane, Post Oak Road
A map of the Liberty Point RV resort, located east of Classen Boulevard and south of Cedar Lane Road.
Southeast of the Armstrong Bank Consolidation Project is the upcoming Liberty Point Adventure Park and RV resort. The resort will feature approximately 252 full-hookup sites and 44 cabins in the first phase. Wiggin Properties LLC plans to open the resort in time for the 2025 OU football season.
Other features planned for the development include an aerial adventure park with a rope course, an amphitheater, a dog park, playgrounds, bike rentals and mini golf.
According to Martin, other SEC cities like Fayetteville, Arkansas — home to the University of Arkansas — and Tuscaloosa, Alabama — with the University of Alabama — have RV parks designed for fans to stay at on game weekends.
“We saw that last year, Lloyd Noble was particularly full when Alabama came to town,” Martin said. “Norman only has a few RV parks. The biggest one is Lloyd Noble, but it’s not a full-service RV park, it’s just a parking lot. That’s why I think this luxury RV park proposed in Norman could not be happening at a better time.”
Kale Streeter, director of investments at Wiggin Properties, told OU Daily in February 2024 the development will have a “strong, natural feel.”
“The site has tons of trees, which is wonderful. We’re going to plan to keep as many trees as possible,” Streeter said. “In addition to that, we're going to keep strong borders, so that even though it's relatively close to the city, it will feel like a campground experience.”
Bob Moore Farms North: Housing development at Main Street, 36th Avenue Southwest
Land plan of the development proposed by Bob Moore Farm North LLC.
In West Norman, south of West Main Street and on the east side of 36th Avenue Southwest, Bob Moore Farms North is slated to go south of Sam’s Club. City council approved plans for the development in September.
According to the project plan, the development will be 41 acres, with over 14 acres of open space. According to a city staff report, the development will include 25,000 square feet of retail space and 642 multi-family housing units.
During the September meeting, Richard McKown, chair of the AIM Norman Housing Subcommittee, said the subcommittee is in favor of the project.
“This is a great project,” McKown said. “It creates a place people want to be. Activities, things to do, libraries, restaurants, all that's dependent on the concentration of people. We need this in Norman.”
In the open space, a detention pond will be built north of the existing one in the southeast corner of the property.
During the presentation of the project in September, Gunner Joyce, an attorney from Rieger Sadler Joyce LLC — the firm representing the project — said the city is in desperate need of housing and the development would provide more options.
“Something Norman desperately needs is housing,” Joyce said. “So that's what this applicant, the Moore family, has done.”
Martin said this development could help “breathe some new life” into the area surrounding the undeveloped land.
“We need a ton more housing options, and I really think this will provide that,” Martin said.
Rock Creek Entertainment District: Multipurpose development at University North Park
A preliminary plan for the proposed $1 billion entertainment district project development. The red represents the proposed arena and the orange is the mixed-use housing development. The light blue represents other entertainment, restaurants, retail, office, hospitality and conference locations. The dark blue is detention space, the spotted grey is a parking garage and the green represents green space.
In September 2023, Team Norman and city leaders announced plans for a $1.1 billion entertainment district at Rock Creek Road and 24th Avenue Northwest in University North Park. The development would be partially funded through a tax increment finance district.
City Finance Director Anthony Francisco confirmed to OU Daily on March 4 that $600 million is when the apportionment of tax money to developers for costs would end.Francisco said the difference between the $600 million and the $230 million is the interest cost over 25 years.
The interest cost is unknown until developers close on their loan offers to finance $230 million, Francisco told OU Daily in October. The total cost for taxpayers could be as low as $230 million over 25 years with interest, but will not exceed the $600 million mark.
In October, Francisco said this apportionment could go one of two ways, when $600 million has been paid, or when the amount of total debt service is paid.
In October, Norman residents filed a petition to send the entertainment district to a public vote after city council narrowly approved it in a 5-4 vote. The petition collected over 10,000 certified signatures but is currently being challenged in a Cleveland County court. A hearing is set for Feb. 19.
Oklahomans for Responsible Economic Development led the movement to petition. Cynthia Rogers, OU economics professor and founding member of ORED, said economics research shows public financing of sports arenas and stadiums do not create positive net benefits for the host cities.
“The claimed economic benefit of a public arena as a catalyst to stimulate the local economy is highly suspect,” Rogers said. “Such projects move activity around from areas that contribute taxes to city budgets to TIF areas where taxes go to pay for the project costs.”
The arena at the heart of this development would replace the Lloyd Noble Center as the new home for OU basketball and women’s gymnastics. While OU would be the anchor tenant for the arena, the university would only use about 28% of its availability, with the rest going to concerts and shows.
According to Martin, the motivation behind the entertainment district is “to create a true live, work, play environment.”
“As much of a destination as (the Lloyd Noble Center) may be for OU athletics, there’s nothing else to do around there,” Martin said. “The idea is to create a destination where people want to come beforehand and stay afterward.”
Martin said the entertainment district is designed to be a walkable shopping area for visitors but also be transformed by blocking the streets off to create a festival environment for game days.
“People enjoy community, and they want opportunities to invest where they live,” Martin said. “If you can hop on your bike or walk down the street to get a cup of coffee, what a great advantage that is.”
This story was edited by Peggy Dodd, Anusha Fathepure and Ana Barboza. Sophie Hemker, Avery Avery, Grace Rhodes and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
