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Edmond council pauses action on Festival Marketplace lease after developer disputes default
Summary
The council continued consideration of remedies under the Festival Marketplace ground lease with LAP 7 Development to May 12 after weeks of back-and-forth over missed construction dates, notices of default and requests for a binding timeline and reporting requirements.
The Edmond City Council on April 28 agreed to continue consideration of remedies under the Festival Marketplace ground lease with LAP 7 Development until its May 12 meeting after residents, council members and the developer argued over missed construction deadlines and the city’s contractual options.
The council’s move follows two notices of default the city sent to the developer and a contested sequence of events about whether the developer met the lease’s construction-start deadlines. City Attorney Madeline Sawyer told the council the second notice was issued after the developer did not begin work within the amended time window.
Todd McInnis, an attorney representing LAP 7, urged the council not to terminate the lease immediately. “I would ask that nothing be done tonight, and that we have an opportunity at the very next opportunity to present a proposal for another amendment,” McInnis said, describing steps LAP 7 had taken and arguing that the city stood to gain sales-tax revenue and lease payments if the project moved forward.
Developer Brandon Lodge said the delays have cost him personally. “There is no more at risk I could possibly be,” Lodge said. “The city is not at risk at all and has not been delayed on anything, as far as this property is concerned.” He asked for time and additional, clear reporting requirements to show progress.
Several council members said they support downtown development but also stressed the need to enforce contracts. Councilmember Murdoch Nichols, who brought the item to the agenda, said she supported the city’s notice of default because the lease terms had been missed and the Farmers Market schedule is a public priority. Mayor Darryl A. Davis urged a constructive path forward and asked for a written update process from city staff and matching deliverables from the developer.
After extended discussion, council members voted to continue the item to the May 12 meeting and directed staff and the developer to work with the city attorney to prepare a proposed amendment that would include a schedule and reporting cadence for the council to review. If the council rejects a proposed amendment on May 12, the city may proceed with contractual remedies including termination.
Background and next steps: the city’s timeline in packet materials shows the lease was amended to require construction to start in late 2024; demolition of an on-site shed was completed December 26, 2024; the city issued a second notice of default in March 2025; the developer responded April 1 with a written explanation of the work he had completed and the constraints he faced. The council directed the developer and staff to confer with the city attorney, prepare a written deliverable schedule and return May 12 for an up-or-down vote on a proposed amendment.
The council’s action preserves the city’s contractual remedies while creating space for the developer to present a formal, time‑bound cure plan. The May 12 packet will disclose any proposed amendment and any supporting documentation the city attorney deems relevant.
