Oklahoma City cotton mill faces partial demolition

The Oklahoma City’s Riverfront Design Committee approved partial demolition of a former cotton mill to redevelop the space, a report by The Oklahoman says. Demolition is expected to take around five months.

The 37-acre property was previously owned by the Producers Cooperative Mill, which used the space for a century before moving operations to Altus. Broker Don Hayes and Bob Stearns with Sooner Development is marketing the space to attract either investors or buyers.

According to the report, the cotton mill is the largest single-owned property in downtown Oklahoma City and Sooner Development is one of the most active retail developers in the area. Originally, Hayes and Stearns had a contract with another party, but it fell through earlier this year. Now, they decided clearing the property would make it the most profitable.

Clint Whitworth, who represents the cotton mill, approved of the mill’s demolition in its entirety, but committee members were concerned about the space’s history. After some discussion, the parties agreed to keep the century-old production building for possible incorporation into the site’s future development.