Jenks Market Concept Passes Planning Commission

Full disclaimer we have no investment in the Jenks Market concept, but for the past three years since developers have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to bring this project to Jenks we've been a big advocate. And we are thankful for the developers that have believed in Jenks and proposed roughly five ideas to city leaders to bring in parking for the food hall, including building a garage, paving a lot, or sharing parking with the Oklahoma Aquarium, but haven't gotten anywhere, but they keep trying. Last night they proposed another set of renderings and modifications for the Jenks Planning Commission and it passed with flying colors, proving nothing moves unless it's pushed. As our followers know, we were even critical of the Aquarium during this time, and rightly so because they didn't want to share their parking with Jenks Market even though taxpayers have paid the price so that the Aquarium would bring in local businesses like the Jenks Market, and when developers did just that they wouldn't share, and that wasn't in line with the spirit of the deal to grow Jenks business.

The Axiom Group, LLC is developing this project, with KSQ Design as the architect. DCI Engineers is responsible for structural engineering, Precision Engineering Group handles MEP engineering, and Route 66 Engineering takes care of civil engineering.

What is Jenks Market? The proposed future location is 200 Aquarium Drive, Jenks, OK 74037.

Located North of The Oklahoma Aquarium

Initially, it was designed with a contemporary style featuring a ground floor with eight restaurant concepts and a test kitchen, a second floor with two full restaurant concepts, and a top floor for office or event space. However, the plan has shifted to a more traditional design, eliminating the office component and limiting the structure to a single-story footprint. The developers signed an agreement with the City of Jenks, which required a minimum of 15,000 square feet. This requirement was met, allowing collaboration with the Oklahoma Aquarium while accommodating parking constraints.

Jenks Market Traditional Design

The idea for the Jenks Market was influenced by four remarkable concepts: Meadow Gold, The Peabody, Public Market, and Fukutake House.

Following the Jenks Planning Commission's approval, this concept will advance to the next phase, and we will keep you updated. However, it's disappointing that Jenks missed out on more exciting food concepts and that this project had to be restricted in terms of the number and sizes of dining establishments due to the Oklahoma Aquarium Authority. Nonetheless, this represents progress, and we will accept it. The Aquarium, along with the Mayor and council members, most of whom serve on the Jenks Aquarium board, need to stop playing politics and genuinely welcome local developers with innovative ideas. They shouldn't make developers wait for years simply because the Aquarium is unwilling to share parking spaces—an issue that could have been easily resolved with the right leadership.

Although this is off topic, it highlights the current state of the Aquarium culture. We believe it defies logic to remove discounted Aquarium passes from Jenks residents, especially after they have invested their money, time, effort, and support into the Aquarium. It's a slap in the face to the citizens of Jenks, and we think that if you live in Jenks, you should get in for free because you've already paid for it!