Jenks Development Moves West
By EMILY RAMSEY
Managing Editor
GATEWAY GROUNDBREAKING: In April, at the ground-breaking ceremony for Gateway Mortgage Group, Jenks Mayor Lonnie Sims announced that the area at U.S. Highway 75 and Main Street will now be known as the Gateway District. Gateway Mortgage Group is constructing a four-story, 85,000-square-foot building that will serve as its company headquarters; 42,500 square feet of the building will be available for lease. The city hopes to attract restaurant, office and retail tenants as well as possibly a hotel in the future. Pictured from left are Paul Gunderson of Remington Piper Construction, County Commissioner Karen Keith, Gateway CEO Kevin Stitt, Congressman Jim Bridenstine and Jenks Mayor Lonnie Sims.
EMILY RAMSEY for GTR Newspapers
While the majority of recent commercial development in the city of Jenks has taken place on its eastern end, that is beginning to change.
Jenks is beginning to see development along the U.S. Highway 75 corridor, starting with the April 1 groundbreaking of the headquarters of Gateway Mortgage Group, which will be located at Highway 75 and Main Street.
City officials have hopes of adding Jenks to the already booming development districts along the highway, including Tulsa Hills and The Walk at Tulsa Hills to its south and Glenpool’s growth along 121st Street, where, recently, Starbucks was added to the growing list of retailers along that stretch of development.
“A lot of population density is happening on the western side,” says Jenks Mayor Lonnie Sims. “People are starting to recognize the economic development of the west side of Tulsa.”
Jenks officials coined the Main Street and Highway 75 corridor as the Gateway District and expect the construction of Gateway’s headquarters to spur further development.
The company’s four-story, 85,000-square-foot building will include 42,500 square feet available for lease. The city hopes to attract restaurant, office and retail tenants as well as possibly a hotel in the future.
“This is an exciting development for Jenks,” said County Commissioner Karen Keith at the ground-breaking ceremony. “I am thrilled to see economic growth in Jenks and Tulsa County as it is good for the school and brings sales tax revenues to the city and county.”
The Gateway District is three miles from Tulsa Hills and Riverwalk Crossing. There are currently five parcels of land with a total of 14 acres available.
Founded in 2000, Tulsa-based Gateway Mortgage Group was named one of The Oklahoman’s top workplaces in 2014 and 2013. The company specializes in originations, servicing, subservicing and correspondent lending and currently services more than $5.0 billion in residential mortgages.
The project is expected to be completed by spring 2016.
The city created an $11-million (Tax Increment Financing) for the area at Main Street and Highway 75. The city also created a $32-million district for the property north of 121st Street.
“When you look at all of the development out there (121st Street), it’s all on the south side,” which belongs to the city of Glenpool, Sims says. The north side of 121st Street belongs to the city of Jenks but lacks infrastructure. Sims hopes the incentives of that district will draw developers.
There are also plans for Main Street, or 91st Street, to be expanded from two to four lanes by 2017, and, in the future, Sims hopes to see 101st Street connected from where it currently ends, just west of Elwood Avenue, and where it picks back up, to the west of Highway 75.
“I think people were so surprised with the opportunities in west Tulsa with Tulsa Hills,” says Sims. “And that area is only going to continue to explode.”
The Walk at Tulsa Hills is continuing to add retailers to its development, which sits at 81st Street and Highway 75.
Outdoor specialty store Gander Mountain opened its first Oklahoma location at The Walk in March. The 45,600-square-foot building offers a wide selection of gear and accessories for hunting, fishing, camping, boating and archery and men’s and women’s active performance apparel. The store also features an on-site Gander Mountain Firearms Super Center, which provides firearms as well as safety, security, education and training.
Other confirmed retailers coming to The Walk include a movie theater, Mathis Brothers Sleep Center, Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, and Chuy’s Mexican restaurant.
Opening on the west side of Highway 75 on April 21 was Main Event Entertainment, 7830 S. Santa Fe Ave.
The Dallas-based company, founded in 1998, offers various entertainment and food choices, including bowling, laser tag, high ropes adventure courses, billiards, and interactive and virtual video games.
Updated 04-25-2015
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