Thursday April 8, 2021
How you can help bring a Target to Stillwater It’s a catch-22. People say ‘oh, I want to go shop there,’ and then when they look at our community they don’t see the dollars they need to see.”
Where the hypothetical Stillwater Target would be
Ryan Novozinsky Editor-in-Chief
While many have predicted that the shopping centers on Perkins Road or For years, Oklahoma State students Main Street would be optimal locations have been clamoring for Target to come for Target, Joyce had other ideas. to Stillwater. “On that lot where they tore down What students may not know, howall those apartments, right by Eskimo ever, is that they play a key role in ensurJoes, north of the YMCA,” Joyce said. ing that the popular grocery/retail store “Still think that would be a perfect use comes to the college town. In a recent of that land, right there close to campus.” interview with The O’Colly, Mayor Will Land like that would perfectly Joyce outlined how a Target could make Tyler Drabek suit Target’s new smaller-formatted its way to Stillwater and where it would shop here if you put one here.’” store plans. These smaller Targets were be located in the town. People interested in doing so can brought to the attention of Joyce last reach the Target corporation at 1-800year. Students/residents need to 440-0680. “I was at a US conference of mayShopping local was another point reach out to Target ors meeting in February of 2020 to D.C. that Joyce emphasized. He said that when for a meeting of the US conference of students shop at out-of-town Targets, it Joyce outlined three crucial things mayors and I talked to a representative causes the company to not look at Stillwhen discussing ways to get Target in of Target while I was there,” Joyce said. water as a potential location. Stillwater: the census numbers need to “They had been starting a smaller stores “We need people to keep their shop- program in college towns, in urban areas be improved, more people need to shop ping money here in Stillwater,” Joyce locally and students and Stillwater resiwhere they would look for smaller footsaid. “The problem is people leave, go dents need to reach out to Target. print stores and it sounded exactly like do their shopping at Target in Tulsa or “We need people to reach out and something that Stillwater would love to contact Target and say ‘I really think we Oklahoma City, and then Target sees see.” those numbers and says ‘well, there’s not need a Target in Stillwater, Oklahoma,” enough money being spent in Stillwater.’ news.ed@ocolly.com Joyce said. “Tell them ‘hey, we would
Gajewski said new softball stadium could arrive in 2-3 years Dean Ruhl Staff Reporter A mini O’Brate Stadium. That’s what coach Kenny Gajewski said he wants. It’s also something he said is going to happen. On Wednesday, Gajewski said he has had talks with Mike Holder about building a new softball stadium, similar to O’Brate Stadium. A project he said could begin in the next two to three years. “Coach Holder and I have really done a lot of work to get some things going on this stadium, and we’re going to,” Gajewski said. “We’re going to build a new stadium.” Gajewski said that he and Holder, as well as incoming athletic director Chad Weiberg have had serious talks the past few months about a new stadium. Gajewski said he doesn’t want the Cowgirls home to leave the corner of Duck and McElroy, but with the vacant
Joel Devick OSU fans in the stands watch during Friday’s game of the Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State softball series on April 2, 2021 at Cowgirl Stadium in Stillwater.
Allie P. Reynolds next to it, he said the opportunity to build a larger stadium without having to move locations is possible. The project is expected to cost between $25-30 million. “We don’t want to add on, we want to start over,” Gajewski said. “It’s time.”
Compared to other Big 12 schools, OSU’s stadium is one of the smallest, and Gajewski said they need more seats to be able to host regionals. A new stadium is also a huge recruiting tool for Gajewski. Expected to arrive fol-
lowing the conclusion of this season, the stadium is expected to get a new scoreboard. “It will be great,” Carrie Eberle said. “It will be a great stepping stone for the program. We definitely need one.” sports.ed@ocolly.com