Bixby getting a convention center

A major turning point for the city of Bixby. A longtime developer has plans for the town's first convention center and hotel, as well as a major new shopping center. <br/><br/>News on 6 business

Tuesday, December 13th 2005, 6:42 pm

By: News On 6

A major turning point for the city of Bixby. A longtime developer has plans for the town's first convention center and hotel, as well as a major new shopping center.

News on 6 business reporter Steve Berg has more on the Bixby boom.

Welcome to Bixby, soon to become an even bigger Bixby. Tim Remy: "Bixby is the fastest growing suburb right now in the state of Oklahoma." Sherry and Tim Remy are mother and son in a Remy family that now has three generations working on developments in Bixby.

Tim Remy: "Our family has been in the real estate business for over 30 years. We've been real estate developers in the north Bixby area for over 10 years, Bixby has been very good for us." And they think they've got something good for Bixby.

Just to the south of their recently opened Palazzo Shopping Center is their new development, Regal Park. It will have 120,000 square feet of upscale commercial space, which is impressive in itself, but what will really set it apart is that it will include a 100,000 square foot convention center and a hotel, both firsts for Bixby.

Tim Remy: "That will be a multi-purpose building where we could have anything from an event of a concert, to a trade show, to a basketball game." Sherry Remy: â€œWe're talking with two different hotel chains at this time, for our pad site for a hotel chain."

There are still some signs here and there of the way Bixby used to be, but the never-ending stampede of traffic is where things are headed, and the Remys say customers have a never-ending appetite for new businesses. Sherry Remy: "Every time one of a family like our own decides they want to go out to dinner, they're asking this question, where are we going to go to? We have to drive clear back over to 71st Street or over to Riverwalk, but nothing right here."

As you could probably guess, they'll be looking to attract more restaurants, more fine-dining type restaurants. And they say they'll they be looking for more retail, possibly some names that have not been in Oklahoma before.

They expect to break ground in about 6 months and construction will take about two years.