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Jenks officials approve shared-parking and PUD materials for Inspiration Hall food hall near Oklahoma Aquarium
Summary
The Jenks Aquarium Authority and City Council approved shared-parking agreements and PUD documents tied to the planned Inspiration Hall food hall north of the Oklahoma Aquarium, while one required lease that needs a supermajority will return to the JAA on Sept. 30. Staff noted parking plans remain conceptual and dependent on Corps and utility easements.
The Jenks Aquarium Authority and the Jenks City Council voted to approve shared-parking agreements and portions of a planned-unit development (PUD) for Inspiration Hall, a proposed food hall north of the Oklahoma Aquarium and south of the Holiday Inn.
Marce, a city staff presenter, told trustees and council members the project traces to a 2021 economic-development resolution (No. 7 41) intended to encourage uses complementary to the aquarium that boost sales tax, jobs and riverfront visitation. She described a conceptual parking plan that leases land across Aquarium Place and identified a triangular parcel set aside for future parking. "This parcel is north of the existing property that has our Jenks, the Oklahoma Aquarium, and it is south of the Holiday Inn," Marce said while reviewing packet exhibits.
Why it matters: the PUD and leases aim to open a food-and-entertainment destination next to a major local attraction, which proponents say will increase visitorship and sales tax. Council members and trustees repeatedly framed the project as a long-running effort that has progressed through design, covenants and interagency coordination.
Key facts: the agreements include an amended economic-development contract and two parking leases. Staff stressed parking calculations are conceptual because the site is constrained by Corps of Engineers levee easements and power-line setbacks, and final parking counts will require further engineering and coordination. Marce told the board the specific lease that grants parking on another parcel requires a supermajority (six votes) and will be taken to a special JAA meeting on Sept. 30 to secure those signatures.
Developer Robert Butler, who said leases are in place and a building permit will be submitted in the coming weeks, told council members the group is "ready to go." Trustees and council members moved and voted to approve the shared-parking agreement and related PUD items as presented; recorded votes on the council and JAA showed unanimous recorded yes votes among members present for those motions.
Context and conditions: Marce and staff repeatedly called the parking diagrams conceptual and said final counts will depend on negotiations with the Corps, PSO utility easements and onsite constraints. The PUD is described in the packet as tightly scoped to food uses (up to approx. 10 restaurant concepts and one sit-down restaurant with accessory entertainment). The record notes private-plat covenants were amended with written sign-offs from the aquarium authority and OAF where required.
Next steps: the remaining lease that needs a supermajority will return to the JAA on Sept. 30, and staff indicated building-permit applications are expected once documents are fully signed.
Quotes from the meeting
"The incentive was to develop an appropriate use that was complimentary to the aquarium and would benefit the city by increasing sales tax and jobs," Marce said when reading the earlier resolution language.
"We are ready to go," Butler said, asking the council if there were questions and noting the team expects to file for a building permit in the coming weeks.
Ending: Council and the Aquarium Authority approved the present agreements with the caveats and remaining signature requirements noted; the lease requiring a supermajority will return to the JAA for final action on Sept. 30.
