REI

[wunderkind]

I feel two ways about this. I'm thrilled. Really thrilled, shop there whenever traveling. Woulda been nice in the preferred location. So, not sure how you'd count this post.

[SoonerDustin]

I took a look at that thread, too. Some of those posters are BITTER for no reason .Anyway, probably a lost cause in trying to promote anything positive about OKC. Glad we're finally getting an REI. Had no idea we had close to 50,000 members here in OK alone. Impressive.

Yeah, the Butthurt in that thread and others is epic. My favorite was one poster saying that OKC struggles to keep up with Memphis, Louisville, Jacksonville, and a few others I can't remember, in the downtown area. The same guy said that the only thing we have better in OKC is the Thunder. LOL!!!

[PhiAlpha]

Yeah, the Butthurt in that thread and others is epic. My favorite was one poster saying that OKC struggles to keep up with Memphis, Louisville, Jacksonville, and a few others I can't remember, in the downtown area. The same guy said that the only thing we have better in OKC is the Thunder. LOL!!!

Yeah I spend a ton of time in both cities and the posters on that site may be some of the most delusional people I’ve ever seen when it comes to comparing the two. Tulsa is great, but it’s definitely not on the level that some of them think it is and OKC is much better than the 1990s version of it they seem to be stuck in.

[bluedogok]

Is that a typical size for an REI? I expected something with more square footage.

They have store sizes all over the map. The Flagship stores are the large ones, the one here in Denver had a lot of incentives for them to go into that store. They recently moved the South Denver store from the Park Meadows Mall area up I-25 a few miles to a vacant Sports Authority store north of Arapahoe Road. They needed to, the old store was very cramped. They did a major renovation on the storefront.

[Pete]

Work has started.

Another tenant is taking part of the same former Babies R Us space; this plan shows Party City but another says 5 Below, so not sure which it is.

[sgt. pepper]

I thought it was going to be a small store in the beginning, now it looks like it will be a really small store? I wonder what the final square footage is compared to their normal store size? I
am just very happy we are getting a REI....very excited about this!

[Pete]

It will be 23,000 square feet.

Typical size for REI is 24,000SF.

[Zorba]

Makes sense, I was thinking that was going to be a pretty big location for them.

[Pete]

[SoonerQueen]

What are they putting in east of the Walmart in the shopping center? It is blocked off for redoing the building. Anyone know what is going in?

[zefferoni]

REI and I think another store: https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=40095

[Robert_M]

Interior work is out for bid with the tentative construction schedule of 7/8/19 to 10/4/19 so a possible opening of mid to late October.

[Pete]

[OKCisOK4me]

Regardless of footage, you can order anything from their online app and then have it shipped to any location, so even if what you want to purchase is not in the brick and mortar store, it will arrive at the brick and mortar store. I'm all about this option as I'm not a fan of their shipping through USPS and the possibility for porch pirates.

What is the timeframe for grand opening again? This location is not yet on their website. I figured they'd at least have an 'OKC - Spring 2020' or something like that.

[Pete]

You would think they would want to be open before the holiday shopping season but they don't seem to be in any hurry.

[Robert_M]

This was the rough information from the construction company when bidding and should only be used as an estimate. I believe the shell work was under a separate contract which might be why the start date is listed as July.

Project Schedule: Start: 07/08/2019 Finish: 10/21/2019

[Pete]

^

Thanks. You'll know they'll make a big push to be open by the holidays.

[HOT ROD]

I am still bitter about the completely missed opportunity this area had with Belle Isle Lake. Just imagine if the lake still existed in its glory and had retail and residential surrounding it.

I really hate that they filled it in and we have this commercial village REI is going into. Happy about REI but still bitter about the loss of Belle Isle ....

[thunderbird]

Hearing from corporate that they are currently eyeing a November grand opening. Will be starting search for a GM any week now so if you’re interested or know someone who is I’d start inquiring.

[foodiefan]

I am still bitter about the completely missed opportunity this area had with Belle Isle Lake. Just imagine if the lake still existed in its glory and had retail and residential surrounding it.

I really hate that they filled it in and we have this commercial village REI is going into. Happy about REI but still bitter about the loss of Belle Isle ....

+1

[bchris02]

I am still bitter about the completely missed opportunity this area had with Belle Isle Lake. Just imagine if the lake still existed in its glory and had retail and residential surrounding it.

I really hate that they filled it in and we have this commercial village REI is going into. Happy about REI but still bitter about the loss of Belle Isle ....

I agree. I remember watching the power plant demolition on the news when it happened. If I remember correctly, an actual upscale shopping center centered around Belle Isle Lake was originally proposed, but in typical bait-and-switch fashion it was downgraded to the Wal-Mart strip center that was eventually built.

[bombermwc]

Well like any commercial development, you can only have what leases your space. If Walmart and the random make up of what's there is that will lease, then that's what you have. It's in the wrong area for upscale in terms of something like Classen Curve. It's 50 years too late for that.

It would have required a WHOLE LOTTA CASH to make something work with the water there. Water features dont pay rent and it was just an echo of what the lake used to be back in the amusement park days. Lots of concrete drainage changes killed that off (and Penn Square is partially to blame). And there wasn't the space available to have structure and parking with the water. I think a lot of near by residents are not sad to see the mosquito problems gone from that stagnant water.

No, it's not exciting as a development and there's nothing particularly special that leases the space anywhere in there either. But that's sort of the point right? Nothing special has leased the space. It's just a strip mall. It serves its purpose though and it's been able to keep enough demand that even some larger spaces filled up pretty dang fast. So in terms of how healthy the development is, i'd say it's very healthy.

[jn1780]

I agree. I remember watching the power plant demolition on the news when it happened. If I remember correctly, an actual upscale shopping center centered around Belle Isle Lake was originally proposed, but in typical bait-and-switch fashion it was downgraded to the Wal-Mart strip center that was eventually built.

That was 20 years ago, things were a lot different in OKC back then. If the power plant could have avoided demolition for 15 more years, maybe things would have been different.

[Pete]

Aiming for an early November opening.

[BDP]

It's in the wrong area for upscale in terms of something like Classen Curve.

Classen Curve is 0.3 miles from Belle Isle.