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Owasso renews contract with economic development consulting firm



OWASSO — In hopes of the city's landing an undisclosed "substantial retail prospect," the City Council on Tuesday night renewed a one-year contract with an economic development consulting firm.

The panel approved the contract for Owasso-based Retail Attractions, led by the municipality's former economic developer, Rickey Hayes.

The city hired Retail Attractions in August 2012 after a "substantial retail prospect with a large customer base" approached Owasso through that firm, saying it would consider the suburb as a location for its business only if it retained Retail Attractions.

Chelsea Levo, Owasso's director of economic development, spoke Tuesday in favor of renewing Retail Attractions' contract, saying it was a "calculated investment" that could produce an excellent return for Owasso in terms of sales tax and additional shopping opportunities.

The contract will be appropriated in the economic development portion of the hotel tax fund in the fiscal year 2013-14 budget.

Vice Mayor Chris Kelley said it would be a "disservice to stop the process as far as we're into it."

Hayes was Owasso's economic development director for six years before founding Retail Attractions in 2007, when he said the city started concentrating on job creation instead of retail development.

While Hayes was on staff, Owasso landed about 4 million square feet of commercial development and saw two hospitals open. The retail jewel was the $55 million Smith Farm Marketplace, which opened in fall 2005.

With Retail Attractions, Hayes has partnered with such Oklahoma municipalities as Muskogee, Skiatook, Miami, Glenpool and Enid.

"Owasso, like a lot of other cities, is recognizing that an independent, third-party contractor can do things for a lot less money than staff," he said.

"If somebody else can handle that in the private sector, it comes across as a more business-friendly or a more efficient way of doing things. And there's nobody in the world that knows this market better than me."

Rhett Morgan 918-581-8395