Stillwater Chamber and Tonkawa Tribe announce plan to develop massive entertainment destination in Stillwater

Beau Simmons, Stillwater NewsPress, Okla.
·2 min read

May 16—The Stillwater Chamber of Commerce has announced a partnership with the Tonkawa Tribe that will bring a 60,000-square-foot family entertainment center to northeast Stillwater.

According to a news release by the Tonkawa Tribe, The HUB will feature 16 lanes of bowling, four movie theaters, four meetings rooms, an 80-game arcade, a sports bar, 12 pickle ball courts and a food venue.

In a social media post Tuesday afternoon, Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce said The HUB will be developed at Airport Road and US Highway 177.

"We are proud to partner with the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce to create a family-friendly entertainment destination that will not only enhance the quality of life for our residents but also attract visitors from surrounding areas," Tribal Leadership said in the news release. "The HUB will serve as a catalyst for economic growth and strengthen our sense of community. Together, we are building a brighter future for the Tonkawa Tribe and the entire Stillwater region."

The area slated for development has been mostly open as industrial space. It would also mark the largest commercial development a Native tribe has ever invested in Stillwater. In 2020, plans for a highway-adjacent casino and hotel to be built in Payne County were in the works on a deal proposed by Gov. Kevin Stitt and the Otoe-Missouria Tribe. That plan was rejected by the Indian Gaming Commission and later ruled invalid by the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

In another social media post Tuesday afternoon, the Chamber of Commerce credited Economic Development Coordinator Reagan Mitchell with leading the effort to land the development.

"It is with eager expectation and tremendous excitement that the City of Stillwater and the Chamber of Commerce welcome the HUB and the Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma into the Stillwater community," Mitchell said.

The Chamber, through the Tonkawa release, said numerous partners helped put the deal together.

"The Stillwater Chamber is grateful for the relationships that have been built between the HUB, The Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma and the Stillwater community partners whose contributions made this into a reality," the statement reads. "Mutual respect and belief in the value of this collaboration from both parties helped secure this project. It is the Chamber's belief that those same values will help grow and foster this facility within our city."

Tonkawa has a similar destination — also known as The HUB — that is connected to the Tonkawa Hotel & Casino on I-35 at the 214 exit. That facility features just two movie theaters and 12 lanes for bowling, as well as an arcade and a sports bar.