Sand Springs development concerns

Thursday, June 17th 2004, 4:58 pm

By: News On 6

Sand Springs unveils a plan to revitalize one of the oldest parts of the city. They want to turn a neighborhood of older homes and abandoned factories into a bustling shopping and restaurant district.

The Keystone Corridor Redevelopment Plan targets 94 acres from second and Adams Street to Morrow Road on the south and State Highway 97 on the west. News on 6 Anchor Scott Thompson says the area slated for redevelopment used to be one of the largest industrial parks in the southwest.

Now most of industries are long-gone and Sand Springs wants to turn a blighted neighborhood into a booming retail district. It's a plan that's been discussed for years, but often sidelined because there wasn't enough money. With the approval of Vision 2025, Sand Springs received $14.5-million to jump start the project. The first phase would clear about 26 acres.

About 58 properties are vacant in this area, but there are also three churches and more than 18 occupied homes. The city dreams of replacing this neighborhood with major retailers like Loweâ€™s or Home Depot.

City planners estimate about 177 people would have to move. And many of those folks aren't happy about that prospect.