MAJESTIC CENTER: Retail growth in Owasso is impressing all economic experts. The above center, already a local landmark, is located at 9500 N. 129 E. Ave., near the intersection of Highway 169 and North 129th East Avenue.

Owasso, Bixby, Broken Arrow and Jenks are all experiencing tremendous growth. Owasso has grown to a population of approximately 25,000, according to Eric Wiles, Owassos Director of Community Development. To what can we attribute Owassos growth? Wiles says there are three main reasons for the increase. Owassos location is the first reason. It has access to the river port, the airport, and the Cherokee Industrial Park as well as downtown Tulsa. The second reason, according to Wiles, is the best school system in the state. And he cites the citys strong ecclesiastical foundation with many good churches in the community as the third reason.

Wiles said the highest growth rate was in the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s. Most of the new residents are young families that come from Tulsa looking for good schools and a better quality of life. Last year 529 new homes were built in Owasso. The average cost for a new home was around $200,000. Large commercial areas add to the citys appeal and revenue. According to Rickey Hayes, Economic Development, the area retail stores draw people from as far away as Kansas, with about 7 percent of the shopping dollars coming in from out of state. The new commercial area, Smiths Farms, will add to that revenue as well as other new retail stores in the planning stages along Highway 169 outside of the Smiths Farm area. The new Smith Farm facility will include a Super Target as well as shops for clothes, crafts and pets. There will be a bank, a fitness center and scores of restaurants. The retail impact to the city from its retailers is from $3 to $4 million in taxes and retailers see sales of approximately $100 million a year.

Many Owasso residents drive to work on Highway 169 and Wiles credits the construction on that roadway as a result of Owassos growth. Traffic going south on 169 in the morning and coming north in the afternoon is increasing. says Wiles. How are the schools handling the growth in student population? According to Hayes and Wiles, Owasso has built new facilities to accommodate the influx of students and is planning more for the next three or four years. Presently, there are 14 buildings in the school system including the Performing Arts Center.

Owasso schools have a new superintendent, Dr. Clark Ogilvie, who has come up with a comprehensive capital improvement strategy to keep up with the growth of the student population according to Wiles. The school administration was surprised this year with the number of new students they had and the amount of growth they were experiencing. The schools are actually growing at a higher rate than the city. says Wiles.