The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

I'm sure they need the property for any expansion they feel is necessary?

Citation needed.

Well, they may as well shut down Utica Square.  After Russel Stovers moved out....why bother??

Oh, yeah - new chocolate place we gotta go check out.  Maybe it's worthwhile to keep it then. 

Facebook user #198345, Tulsa World comments

 :)

Lone Wolf Banh Mi on 11th street teamed up with Jimmy Johns!  since they could never expand into the neighborhood they had to go north and buy up TU!  It was such an armpit anyway!  I want my fries!  Exclamation mark!

/s

That might be the silliest thing I've heard on here since the last time Paul Tay announced his candidacy for Mayor.

This is the same poster that started the thread that OU bought Promenade.

Well you never know the Helmerichs might be really cash strapped these days since they let Petty's and Miss Jackson's go.  ;D

Something is definitely going on with the Helmerich's to allow the Miss Jackson's/Petty's sites to be empty for 2 years.  Not sure what they have planned but it's concerning.  My continual hope is that they decide to invest in a major overhaul of the shopping center as it's starting to look very outdated.  And at the same time add more mixed-use components such as condos/office above retail space, or even a small hotel.

"Rumors" stated they had a big client who required a new building but then backed out. Retail is pretty bad overall right now with many major retailers closing. I hope they got some sort of retainer/deposit. That is a huge shame. Pettys wanted to remain open. It is a bad look overall and could put at least some doubt in shop-owners' minds about desirability and judgement of management of Utica Square.

I agree that they should add more office space and add residential to make it mixed use. I believe it is essential that they must make Utica Square mixed use or it could eventually go under. If they own it all 100%, they can survive for a long time as retail continually declines, but their profits will keep dipping and rents will suffer greatly and eventually it could still not be profitable. If they have liens, it could be even more urgent to make it a more sustainable model.

Online shopping is unprecedented in the history of Utica Square: Internet sales and ability to buy and check prices of almost everything in a few seconds by virtually all shoppers is a huge shift from even 10 years ago. Add to that often-unbeatable low prices by Amazon and Walmart and all the other retail giants who are able to survive with bottom dollar prices. and the numbers show this is just the cusp of what is to come.

I believe Utica Square could be a much bigger "destination" than it is by adding mixed use buildings and creating more of a main-street feel in certain areas. If you're not going to shop or eat dinner, there's not a whole lot to do and after walking around for 5 minutes, it is boring. That sounds like a silly complaint for a shopping center, but if they want this place to thrive while retail is dying, they need to make this place a sort of theme park. Things like a small cinema, upscale bar, ice cream shop (they had one that closed. I wonder if really high rent had anything to do with that) and more day-to-day food places like a delicatessen would be great. An outdoor food court area would be neat. A premium pop-up shop style place for higher-end artisanal crafts/jewelry would be awesome also.

Mostly, it seems like it would be good to add residential and more office. I think living in Utica Square would be very desirable.

One thing about Utica Square and online shopping. There are several places at Utica Square which do have online shops but their items aren't sold on Walmart or Amazon.  So Best Buy for example has their own skus to confuse the market on things like Samsung TV's.  But overall I can get a Samsung TV from any of those places.  If I want to buy something from Pottery Barn my choices are Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Online, or somebody who bought something from Pottery Barn.

Even more reason then to redevelop that corner as small-retail or restaurant space on the ground floor with residences above.  Same could be done along 22nd Place and at the corner of 21st & Utica. 

First step would be take down the useless privacy fence around Miss Jacksons/Pettys and put the lawn to use.

Not true...

Ascension health is not buying Utica Square...