Impending Hobby Lobby move to leave vacancy

The relocation of a north Oklahoma City Hobby Lobby will leave a retail vacancy near Quail Springs Mall, but the owner of the property is hopeful the building won’t remain empty for long.

The 55,000-squarefoot store at 2201 NW 138 is owned by JAH Realty, and Hobby Lobby is part of a long-term lease at the location, according to JAH Realty President Jeff Norman. Hobby Lobby’s move did not come as a surprise.

“We had known for several months that Hobby Lobby was considering an opportunity to take (that building),” Norman said.

Hobby Lobby Communications Coordinator Bob Miller said the company tentatively plans to open in its new location in September. But Hobby Lobby has a long-term lease with JAH Realty, so there is no short-term deadline for the company to vacate the building, Norman said.

Norman says his company is receiving calls about the property, ahead of Hobby Lobby’s impending departure.

“There is no large (vacant) building in that area," Norman said. "We are the only large building without having to do a build.”

The process to sign a tenant is lengthy for a retail property of this size, Norman said. The timeline is further complicated due to the fact Norman is uncertain when his building will become leasable.

Hobby Lobby has rented the space for more than a decade, Norman said.

“They’ve been there almost 20 years,” Norman said. “We have good relationships with them and enjoy doing business with them.”

[PHOTO BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN] The Hobby Lobby store at 2201 NW 138 in Oklahoma City will be relocating this year. The move will cause a vacancy in the 55,000-square-foot building, a vacancy the owner hopes to fill swiftly.