Tulsa World: IHOP first to build in Sand Springs' Keystone Corridor development

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IHOP first to build in Sand Springs' Keystone Corridor development

Construction on an IHOP restaurant in Sand Springs is expected to begin in January. Tulsa World file

By MANNY GAMALLO World Staff Writer
Published: 11/26/2009 8:03 PM
Last Modified: 11/26/2009 8:50 PM

SAND SPRINGS — Construction on an IHOP restaurant is expected to start in January, with its completion no later than June, city officials said Wednesday.

The full-menu restaurant, known for its award-winning pancakes, will be located along Oklahoma 97 at Pecan Street.

The site is between the McDonald’s restaurant and the O’Reilly Auto Parts store, just south of the Sand Springs Expressway.

The restaurant will employ about 60 people and will have regular hours during the week. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, it will be open 24 hours.

It will be owned and operated by franchisee Rima Hakim of Texas, who owns several IHOPs in Oklahoma and Texas.

Mayor Bob Walker called IHOP’s decision to build in the city “a fantastic announcement” and said many hours of work have gone into making it happen.

IHOP’s announcement marks the first construction work to get under way within the city’s Keystone Corridor commercial development area. The new restaurant will be in the northwest corner of the corridor.

Six years ago, Tulsa County voters approved $14.5 million in Vision 2025 funds to buy 180 properties in the Keystone Corridor.

During the ensuing three years, city officials used the money to buy and raze blighted properties in the project area.

The area is bounded on the east and west by Main Street and Oklahoma 97 and on the north and south by the Sand Springs Expressway and Morrow Road.

When developed, the 30-acre shopping area will be called River City Crossing.

City officials had hoped to have construction well under way in the area by now, including a 120,000-square-foot Lowe’s home-improvement store.

The $40 million Lowe’s was to have been the “anchor” store for the project area, luring in several other retailers and restaurants.

But those plans went awry when the nation’s economy went into a tailspin.

After that, Lowe’s announced late last year that it was delaying its plans for Sand Springs for at least a year, possibly into 2011.

Since then, the project area has languished.

Things are starting to happen there, however.

Over the last weekend, engineers were taking soil samples and surveying the area.

City Manager Doug Enevoldsen called the soil sampling a “precursor,” the first step before building foundations are put in place.

He expects to see some commercial construction in the corridor beginning in the middle of next year.

“All phases of the Keystone Corridor initiative have been significant in scope, and we have certainly had challenges along the way — most notably the national economic downturn,” Enevoldsen said.

“However, there are good things happening, and IHOP is a dynamic part of the redevelopment effort and an exciting addition to our community’s dining opportunities.”

When the shopping plaza is completed, it is expected to generate around $1.75 million in annual sales taxes for the city.

By MANNY GAMALLO World Staff Writer

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Reader comments for this story have been moved to the most updated version of the story, now under the headline "Restaurant marks start of Sand Springs development," which was published on 11/27/2009. So far, 18 comments have been made.