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The demo work inside the old Kmart facility at the corner of Frank Phillips Boulevard and U.S. Highway 75 is complete.

Jeremy Foraker, the president of Foraker Company, said they are approximately 80-percent complete with the build out for the Burke’s Outlet tenant and 40-percent complete with Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, Tuesday Morning and Dollar Tree.

Foraker said it is fun to take something that is under-utilized, undervalued and forgotten, and breathe new life into it. He said he is excited to take on this project, own a building in Bartlesville and work towards creating something that drives more revenue, jobs and activity for the community.

The work is expected to be complete around the end of July 2020. Foraker said he expects Ollie’s, Tuesday Morning and Dollar Tree to open in July. He said the Burke’s Outlet could open this September. They are still searching for a fifth tenant for the facility.

Crews have installed some of the new landscaping and delivery docks for two of the tenants.  Foraker said they are currently working on a new entrance to the shopping center and the structural work for the tenants’ storefronts.  He said they have the rest of the tenant build out to complete, parking lot repairs, storefront improvements and installation of the new tenant pylon signage.

The landscaping additions that you see outside the facility are a City of Bartlesville requirement.  Foraker added that the landscape adds a nice appearance to the property. He also said they will have close to 300 parking spaces in place for shoppers among the landscaping.

The biggest issues they have had regard structural improvements.  Foraker said they have had to make substantial structural changes to the building to accommodate multiple tenants.  He said they have also had to work through some slowdowns due to COVID-19 concerns.

"I really just want to thank the city staff and Bartlesville Development Authority for their assistance on this project.  It always makes a world of difference to work with staff that are eager to help," Foraker said.

Redevelopment of the old Kmart facility in Bartlesville became more of a reality at the conclusion of the Bartlesville Development Authority meeting at the end of September 2019.

The BDA decided unanimously to make a recommendation to the Bartlesville City Council to allocate $203,830 to Foraker Company for the redevelopment of the old Kmart. BDA President David Wood said the recommendation will go before the Council on Monday, Oct. 7th.

The Bartlesville City Council would go on to approve the BDA’s recommendation for the project. Construction would begin in January 2020.

You can find a graphic on what the area could look like below: