Residents Hope New Muskogee Shopping Center Will Boost Economy

A new shopping center is going up in Muskogee. According to developers, the retail plaza is already 64 percent full and boasts some popular retailers.

It comes on the heels of some other new developments in town, like the new QuikTrip.

The city says its goal is to keep people in town for their shopping.

Crews cleared land off Shawnee and Sixth Streets in Muskogee on Sunday afternoon.

The city says the land will be home to the Three Rivers Shopping Plaza and feature a Dick's Sporting Goods, TJ Maxx, Ulta and several other popular retailers.

Mom of three Stephanie Ward and her family moved to Muskogee five years ago.

She said she's excited to see new stores moving in.

"I'm glad to see it,” she said. “I'm glad to see that everything is improving overall in town."

And the location is already an attraction for shoppers, with a busy shopping center right across the street.

"For the last three or four years in Muskogee we've seen tremendous growth in the city so we're really excited,” resident Oscar Ray said.

It's tremendous growth, despite some loss in recent years, like the closing of the Sears at Arrowhead Mall back in 2014.

"Of course that's a big hole, and trying to get people back into that, that's a little challenge but of course, you know, everything is cyclical," Ray said.

Residents hope this new development, among others, will fill that hole in the city's needs and keep the community shopping local.

“It just seems like it's getting easier and easier to go get things in town, and they're bringing more businesses in and they're bringing in more and more development,” Ray said. “I'm glad to see them doing it… I mean, more business in Muskogee would be great, period."