Plans For Riverwalk In Jenks Could Include Outlet Stores

Plans for RiverWalk Crossing could include an outlet mall and a gallery for Indian art.

Those are a couple of the possibilities mentioned by the Creek Nation, the new owners of the Jenks shopping center.

04/17/2012 Related Story: Creek Nation Successful - And Only - Bidder On Jenks Riverwalk Crossing

They put down their first payment on RiverWalk Wednesday - $350,000 in cash. The Creek Nation believes it can make RiverWalk Crossing into the shopping destination it was intended to be.

Chief George Tiger says the tribe plans to hire a management firm to land new tenants - and one possibility is a high end outlet mall. Tiger says the tribe believes they can make it successful - though the original developer failed.

"But I feel aggressiveness can overcome a lot of things," Chief Tiger said.

Riverwalk has sat almost empty while everything around it has blossomed. New stores are under construction just around the corner - while storefronts sit empty at RiverWalk. It was the dream of developer Jerry Gordon, but it ended up in a foreclosure sale 6 years after it opened.

Jim Blaketer – owner of Las Cabos - is one of the original tenants.

"Sometimes they put in shops that you could drive past 5 of them from your house on the way to get here, and that's just not going to work," Blaketer said.

The Creek Nation isn't sure how long it will take to put the land in trust - but when that happens, property and sales taxes will end. But Tiger says the tribe has other ways to support the surrounding community.

"I can assure you that in many communities we have been able to help in the way of education and fire departments and police departments, and that will continue," Chief Tiger said.

At Los Cabos - the most successful tenant left - the owner welcomes the new owners and the new possibilities - which he hopes will be an outlet mall.

"I think an upscale outlet mall would be perfect," Blaketer said. "It would draw all of northeast Oklahoma to it."

The Creek Nation doesn't have a timeline yet of how quickly they can get new management on site. They say it has been less than a week since they first thought of buying the property.