Sand Springs Has Hopes For Vacant Property

The City of Sand Springs hopes to land a big box store in a prime location the city just bought along Highway 97.

The City is after a home improvement store, but what might happen at the site is up in the air.

The city just closed on the $6 million-dollar-deal to buy the land.

Eighteen acres on the east side of the old steel plant now belongs to the city of Sand Springs.

The company that owns the larger property - OmniTrax - agreed to sell that large corner for retail development.

For the City, it was a rare chance to get a big piece of land in a good location.

"Honestly a big box like a lowe's, a Home Depot, a Menards, makes a lot of sense here. We have a high traffic county along Highway 97, along the Sand

Springs Expressway and great visibility, in the Tulsa metro we think this site has a lot of potential," said Grant Gerondale, City of Sand Springs.

The nearby River West property is suddenly booming - with a new Warren Clinic under construction, a new steakhouse and grocery store about to open - what amounts to a rising tide of business.

"Traffic flow has got to definitely help," said Jerry Carter with A-1 Equipment Rental. 

Just down the street, Carter said he's eager to see a home improvement store.

"Lost our local owned hardware store and lumber company a few years ago and that's been hard. People have to go to Tulsa for those needs and there's an opening for that," Carter said.

OmniTrax is cleaning up the land they've sold, and they'll keep some of the buildings from the old mill.

But after a decade of the property sitting idle, the sale has given Sand Springs a new chance to build something new.

"And we too want to bring in more restaurants, more retail and more diversity and we're very excited about it," Gerondale said. 

The next step after the cleanup is the city marketing the property.

They plan to go after a home improvement, but listen to any offers.