JENKS, Okla. — The City of Jenks can add one more thing to its economic development resume as it will soon be adding a new food hall and entertainment venue. It will be called Jenks Market, and it will be located next to the Oklahoma Aquarium.
Simon Property Group is slated to open Tulsa Premium Outlets in 2024. In six months, Frisbie Lombardi Real Estate plans to cut the ribbon on Jenks Market. Jenks is clearly seeing an economic boom.
Developers say Jenks Market will be 12,000 square feet to start, with an additional 18,000 square feet, if needed. It will have outdoor seating, and overlook a giant jumbotron for movies and live music.
It's exciting news for out of towner's, like Carlos Garcia.
“I think it will help improve people gathering around," Garcia said.
Bryan Wilks is especially excited. He co-founded The Ten District. It’s a data driven non-profit that recruits businesses to Jenks. Wilks reached out to Lombardi and told them the data overwhelmingly shows that Jenks residents want more family friendly entertainment.
“I think everyone wants the new, while maintaining the sense of a quaint downtown," Wilks said.
With the traffic downtown Jenks currently bring in, 2 News asked Tony Lombardi - the developer of Jenks Market - how he plans to keep it manageable.
“We've had several conversations with the city of Jenks about parking," Lombardi said. "They have approved additional parking for the area that is now grassed in front of the aquarium.”
Lombardi is also proposing to the city to use a hop on, hop off transportation system. Lombardi says they'd pay for and charge customers a maintenance fee, similar to Circuit, if approved. He says many bigger cities have a similar service.
Wilks encourages residents and visitors to not forget about parking options in back of downtown businesses to help alleviate potential parking issues.
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