Creek Nation Successful - And Only - Bidder On Jenks Riverwalk Crossing

The Muscogee Creek Nation purchased Jenks Riverwalk Crossing on Tuesday morning in a Tulsa County Sheriff's foreclosed property auction. Chief George Tiger was the successful - and only - bidder at $11,500,000.

Tiger told News On 6 that the Creek Nation held an emergency meeting Monday night to approve the purchase and bid amount. They must post 10 percent of the purchase price by 1 p.m. Wednesday, he said.

"We're very excited about the purchase," Chief Tiger said. "It was kind of a whirlwind effort, if you will."

The Riverwalk Crossing property includes upscale restaurants, retail shops and a movie theater. Tiger said the Nation has planned to diversify their holdings, and the location is convenient to their Riverside casino. 

Chief Tiger says the tribe will not bring gaming or a smokeshop to Riverwalk.

They plan to hire a management firm and use the full resources of the Creek Nation to improve the shopping center, Tiger said.

Deputy Ed Pierce of the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office said that the property was the first lot up at auction Tuesday morning.

2/23/2011 Related Story: Riverwalk Crossing In Jenks Faces Foreclosure

"We probably sold it at about 10:01," Pierce said. "Took all of five seconds to do it."

The plaintiff, representing American National Bank of Texas, opened the bidding at $11,334,000.

Chief George Tiger was the only bidder at $11,500,000, Pierce said.

When the property went into foreclosure in 2011, the Jenks Chamber of Commerce blamed the struggling economy.