For decades, a 25-acre horse ranch sat at the northwest corner of South Elm Street and West 106th Street South in Jenks — next to about 415 acres owned by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.
Now, city leaders think the entire site could someday rival the Gathering Place in Tulsa. But some Jenks residents are skeptical of the city’s vision and spending.
In June 2023, the Jenks City Council approved using $6 million in federal funding tied to COVID-19 relief and about $545,000 in taxpayer funds to purchase “The Ranch” to keep it as green space. When OTA auctioned the adjacent land the following year, the city initially purchased it for about $406,000. OTA later refunded the city $19,437 after recalculating the property value…