A University of Oklahoma study found broad potential in developing more than 230 acres of underutilized riverfront property in south Broken Arrow known as Aspen Landing. 

The Broken Arrow City Council unanimously approved the study that explored ways to improve the Indian Springs Sports Complex and the surrounding area at a special meeting on Aug. 15. The student designers who completed the Aspen Landing Study presented their findings to the Council following a unanimous vote by the Planning Commission on June 22.

"I love the idea, and I like keeping what we have there and adding the things you've suggested to make it even better," said Councilor Lisa Ford. "I can see that as a destination, and I don't like people having to go to Bixby or somewhere else to eat. Keeping them in Broken Arrow is very important."

Shawn Schaefer, Director of the Urban Design Studio for the Gibbs College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma, introduced three graduate students who worked on this project in collaboration with city employees and community stakeholders.

"The best way for them to learn how to be urban designers is to work with community partners on service projects like this," Schaefer said. "There's nothing better, and this was a great project for them; it had a lot of diverse stakeholders, and it is a very complex site."

According to the study, Aspen Landing could become a premier destination within the region.

"Thursday through Sunday, Indian Springs Sports Complex attracts 2,000-4,000 people, roughly 60,000-70,000 people per year," said City of Broken Arrow Placemaking Manager Farhad Daroga. "Most of the families, according to our surveys, are at the park for 90-100 minutes."

Indian Springs Sports Complex is a unique regional draw for sports facilities, but it doesn't offer people opportunities to arrive early or stay late.

"There aren't places to eat and very few places to sit down right now," Daroga added.

"Currently, when people come into town for a tournament, the nearest hotel is miles away. When people want to eat, if they need a break, they return after maybe an hour," said designer Tyler Duncan. "Our goal is to keep people here instead of having them drive to another city."

This study provides a framework for attracting new visitors and retaining the existing ones who attend athletic events by utilizing a park within a park concept. The urban designers recommended various attractions such as a boardwalk, a kayak launch, a nature center, carnival games, pier pools, a fishing pier, zip lines, tiki houses, a Ferris wheel, and improved parking for the entire complex.

"The area near the east baseball fields is prone to flooding, so we created a wetland area to utilize the lot to enhance nature there," said project designer Dylan Siers.

Improvements to the existing park include better river views, 11 additional soccer fields, walking trails between the fields and along the streams, signage, parking, soccer field re-arrangement, and varying the traffic layout. Other plans involve creating a multi-use trail system, and environmental conservation, thus creating a venue that will draw visitors and retain business.

The study also proposes space for restaurants, food trucks, an amphitheater, and a beer garden. Streetscape improvements to South Aspen Avenue will create a more pleasant environment for all modes of travel.

Daroga cautioned that the plan as it's written could have a significant cost.

The study provides several funding possibilities, such as the next Broken Arrow General Obligation Bond, park visiting fees, revenue generated from concerts at the proposed amphitheater, Community Development Block funds, grants from the National Recreation and Park Association, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality grants, and private philanthropy.

The university recommended conducting a citizen survey to gauge interest in the project's various facets. Spurgeon agreed and mentioned that a community survey is planned for later this year or early 2024.

"In connection with our initiative to talk about priorities within the community, specifically the next bond package, we're going to do a survey, and so we can certainly incorporate questions regarding this initiative in that survey, which I recommend we do," he said.

Cost estimates for the project have yet to be determined. And Spurgeon recommended getting estimates for the master plan to assess and prioritize how the city could complete the plan in phases.

"So, what I am trying to determine right now is how much the Council would be able to present to the voters for the next bond package to represent a no tax rate increase, keeping it at 16.5 mills the same, and then Council can make determinations on what propositions," Spurgeon said. "Once the city has obtained a master plan with all the project's tentative costs, then you can look at what you can do in a 10-year period."

Councilor Johnnie Parks agreed, saying, "That's how some of our bigger facilities have been built. That's the way this [Indian Springs] was built, a little bit at a time, as the city can afford it."

In September 2022, the City Council approved an agreement between the Broken Arrow Community Development Division and the University of Oklahoma. A nine-member steering committee met monthly and provided input for the study.

The committee included—Daroga, Jill Ferenc- former Interim Director of Community Development, Vice Mayor Christie Gillespie, Phil Hink-BA Parks Superintendent, Lori Hill-Community Relations Manager, Travis Kelly-General Manager BA Youth Baseball, Joanna Oxford-Indian Springs resident, Barbara Wilson-General Manager Broken Arrow Soccer Club, and Amanda Yamaguchi, Planning Section Manager.

Each year, OU-Tulsa's Urban Design Studio selects a service-learning project for students working toward graduate degrees in urban design to gain real-world experience. The study was conducted over eight months and gave the city access to university-level design expertise without incurring costs.

Research and community engagement for the study included collecting data, developing base drawings, reviewing existing plans, and analyzing findings. Design and execution included preparing short-term and long-term recommendations, creating 3D models, finalizing designs, and preparing the final report and presentation.