UTICA SQUARE
East 21st Street South and South Utica Avenue
Tulsa, Oklahoma
One of the first suburban shopping centers on the Great Plains, Tulsa's UTICA SQUARE was built on 25.6 acres, lying 1.2 miles southeast of the downtown district. The cluster complex was developed by Tom Nix and Dale Carter, of Tulsa, and designed by the McCune & McCune firm.
UTICA SQUARE was formally dedicated on May 22, 1952. An invocation was delivered by Reverend Guy Tetirick. Jack Cheairs, Junior (President of the Utica Square Merchants Association) served as Master of Ceremonies. A speech was given by C.M. Warren (Mayor of Tulsa). Developer Don Nix presented a symbolic set of keys to Mr. Cheairs and a ceremonial ribbon was cut by Mrs. C.M. Warren. The three-day dedication included music by Honey Hudgens & Her Orchestra.
The first phase of the Utica Square Medical Center was completed in 1954. The initial 3-level structure encompassed 60,000 square feet. It was expanded with an 8-story office tower in 1964. Tulsa-based Vandevers opened a 2-level (50,000 square foot) location at UTICA SQUARE on February 1, 1957. Another Tulsa mercantile, Miss Jackson's, moved from the center city into a 2-level (33,000 square foot) UTICA SQUARE store on August 29, 1965. Meanwhile, in June 1964, Tulsa's Helmerich & Payne, a petroleum company, had acquired the shopping complex.
Tulsa's suburban expansion toward the southeast brought new shopping options. SOUTHLAND CENTER and SOUTHROADS MALL {2.9 miles southeast, in Tulsa}, opened in 1965 and 1967, respectively. These were followed by WOODLAND HILLS MALL {5.5 miles southeast, also in Tulsa} in 1976.
Vandever's was sold to Oklahoma City-based John A. Brown in 1970, with the UTICA SQUARE store being rebranded. In August 1984, Dillard's acquired the John. A. Brown enterprise. The UTICA SQUARE Brown's received a Dillard's brand in September of the same year. Houston-based Sakowitz operated a (10,000 square foot) boutique-type store in the complex, which was in business between September 1984 and August 1985. A 2-level (65,000 square foot) Saks Fifth Avenue made its debut on September 12, 1986.
By the dawn of the 21st century, nearly all of the original tenants at UTICA SQUARE had closed. The list of stores had shifted substantially upscale. In addition to Saks, there was now Pavilion, Ann Taylor, White House / Black Market, Restoration Hardware and Talbots.
Dillard's, shuttered in January 2002, was replaced by Pottery Barn Kids and American Eagle Outfitters. The Medical Center structure was vacated and imploded in March 2002. Two freestanding restaurants, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and P. F. Chang's China Bistro, were built on its space. Miss Jackson's went dark in January 2016. The building, and the adjacent Petty's Fine Foods, were demolished in April of the same year.
In the 2020s, Tulsa's original suburban shopping hub encompassed around 400,000 leasable square feet and housed fifty-eight stores and services. The complex had established several annual events, including Summer's Fifth Night (in May), Art In The Square (in October) and Lights On! (in November and December).
Sources:
The New York Times
The Tulsa Daily World
http://www.hpinc.com / Helmerich & Payne Properties
Tulsa County property tax assessor website
http://www.missjacksons.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
Comment post by Daniel Brunson
