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Sep 21, 2023

Developers working on major project in Edmond say they’re done

The project, called Uncommon Ground, was set to mimic Tulsa’s The Gathering

The project, called Uncommon Ground, was set to mimic Tulsa's The Gathering Place

The project, called Uncommon Ground, was set to mimic Tulsa's The Gathering Place

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The project, called Uncommon Ground, was set to mimic Tulsa's The Gathering Place

Developers working on a major project in Edmond said they’re done.

The project, called Uncommon Ground, was set to mimic Tulsa's The Gathering Place, but those in charge of the park said due to a lack of support from the city, it's over. The park was under construction on Second Street and Coltrane Avenue.

The park would’ve been 62 acres and was a $61 million gift to Edmond from the French Family Charitable Foundation. The family said after delays and obstacles, they feel there's not enough support from the city to make the dream a reality.

"We’re done. It's final. We’re over. It's done," said Randel Shadid, spokesperson for Uncommon Ground.

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There is no chance of making this dream a reality. Instead, the plot of land will remain unfinished piles of dirt, half-built bridges and crushed dreams after the developers of the project said there was no support from city staff.

"We know the City Council loves this project and supports this project. Obviously city management didn't get that message," Shadid said.

They said a series of ongoing issues led to the decision, such as hours of questions and doubts in City Council meetings.

"We kept getting pushback from the staff and no sense of we share your vision for this project," Shadid said.

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Those involved blamed Edmond's city manager, but Scot Rigby told KOCO 5 in a statement that he supports the park. The city's Mayor Darrell Davis said he thought they were moving in the right direction after the city of Edmond approved plans and requests at their council meeting, but the developers said the project was a gift and wasn't worth the hurdles and hassle.

"If we were doing it to make money, we’d have to put up with it. We were doing it to give it to the city, and we don't have to put up with that. We don't need it to make a living," Shadid said.

The city's mayor said he's hopeful they can work something out. The developers said that's not happening, and they haven't decided if they’ll sell the land to a new developer who may want to pick up where they left off.

"Very high level of disappointment. Hal and I are both sad that it's not going to be, and there's agitation too 'cause we never dreamed that we would get a management crew that doesn't want this for the city of Edmond," Shadid said.

Many residents are also upset about the decision. They said they want to start petitions and find ways to make it possible.

They plan to bring those thoughts to City Council next week.

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