While Conan and my opinions generally don't jive on this subject, I do have to agree that I don't see a quality of life improvement for the surrounding areas. This is about increasing sales tax dollars in the Tulsa city limits. Rarely do any major retail centers improve anything for the neighbors except decrease loneliness.
An outlet mall will be built in the next 18 months in the Tulsa metro. A. ONE. Singular.
That outlet mall will be one of three announced:
They all add jobs. They will all add the same shopping. No one walks to an outlet mall, so location in the metro isn't that important, so we have to try and differentiate...
1) Turkey Mountain Location -
Positives:
In the City of Tulsa (for sales tax revenue)
Private Land Transaction
Not next to a rich neighborhood (there are plenty of neighbors, we just don't have to care because most are public housing)
Just off the highway
Negatives:
Needs major road widening of 61st, access from Tulsa Hills (new road), major interchange work from Hwy 75 as well as a possible access road along 75. ($50 mil in public funds?)
Major site overhaul needed, total elevation change is massive
Not along an interstate highway
Land is improperly zoned
Will encroach on land currently utilized as public park land (not TAKING park land)
Not best use of land
2) Cherokee Property -
Positives:
Private Land Transaction
Not next to a rich neighborhood
Just off the highway
No rezoning required
Easy Dirt Work
Not next to public park
Synergy with Cherokee Casino
Area roads recently improved for traffic flow
Negatives:
NOT in Tulsa, so no tax revenue (it IS in Catoosa, not sovereign tribal land, so they will pay taxes)
3) East Tulsa Mall (near I44/244 merger)
Positives:
Private Land Transactions
In Tulsa
No major roadwork needed
No rezoning required
No major earth works
No impact ion public parks
No nearby housing impact
Just off an interstate
Negatives:
Longer time frame
Less well-known developer (to me anyway)
- - -
One of those will be built. Only one. I don't give two damns about an outlet mall and will probably never go to it. I do care about quality of life, tax revenue, and best use of resources. I'd prefer the thing be in Tulsa, but other than wanting to get tax revenue, I can't think of a reason why the Turkey Mountain location makes sense. I don't want to sell out what is likely millions (tens of millions?) in subsidies to utilize a piece of property for an outlet mall when it could have better uses and it doesn't make sense for all the other reasons.
I can't rationalize that location.