While the community some 20 miles south of Oklahoma City has been the Sooners’ home since 1890, Norman is no bedroom community. When it comes to a mix of homegrown and national retailers, it’s no slouch, either.

Want a car? Norman is home to the highly touted Mile of Cars, complete with jingle. Need to feed your inner hippie? Try locally owned The Earth Natural Cafe and Deli or the newly opened chain Natural Grocer by Vitamin Cottage. If your palate demands national restaurant chains, head to Campus Corner or the Interstate 35 corridor for a table at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse or Chipotle Mexican Grill, or line up with the locals at Tarahumaras Mexican Cafe and Cantina or the Library Bar and Grill.

RETAIL
Judy Hatfield (pictured), owner of Equity Commercial Realty, has had her finger on the pulse of Norman retail and helped revitalize a lagging Campus Corner into a lively — and, more importantly, fully leased — destination. Hatfield says whenever there is a vacancy, it seems like a new tenant is never far behind.

In the former Santa Fe Cattle Co. on I-35, a branch of Texas-based Chuy’s, a Tex-Mex chain based in Austin, Texas, is set to open soon.

Just north of Robinson Avenue stands the sprawling University Town Center with anchors such as Academy, Kohl’s and Target. Across the street is the gleaming new Embassy Suites Norman Hotel & Conference Center.

Campus Corner, which includes about 221,125 square feet, is 100% leased with a few new additions in store. The area has drawn a mix of national tenants unheard of a decade ago.

“There’s more national than we’ve ever had,” Hatfield says. “But it’s really important to us to maintain the majority local.”

Longtime Mexican restaurant La Luna left to move to Newcastle, and in its place is Chimy’s Cerveceria, a Texas-based chain. Norman will be its fourth location. Freebirds World Burrito, another Texas chain, didn’t pan out on Campus Corner, but its exit left room for the locally owned Earth to move in and expand. Another chain that joined the fray is Denton, Texas-based Crooked Crust Pizza.

When it comes to retail, Hatfield says nearly everyone has a chance of making it in Norman. In addition to 25,000 college students residing in the city nine months out of the year, empty nesters and baby boomers are not content to sit on their porches in rocking chairs. Being south of Oklahoma City, Hatfield says people come from Chickasha, Pauls Valley, Ardmore and all points in between to shop in the metro area.

right, University of Oklahoma campus

“We have such a cross section of people, and we have such a huge draw from the south,” she says. “Coming into Oklahoma City, we’re the first stop for them to have any major retail.”

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The city is looking to hire its first, full-time development coordinator. John Woods, president and CEO of the Norman Chamber of Commerce, described the position as a “one-stop shop for developers to have a single point of contact in every aspect of a developer’s dealing with the city.

“We’re working to make Norman a better business environment,” he says. “Sometimes those processes can be convoluted for a developer coming into the community.”

To help those already doing business in Norman, the chamber launched an iPhone app and has one for Android set to launch after the first of the year. Users can access Norman businesses, from plumbers to sushi.

And this year, the chamber has found itself with more members to help promote. Woods says chamber membership is at an all-time high with more than 1,500. It has added 160 since September, and the current number is up 300 from the same time last year.

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
University of Oklahoma President David Boren may enjoy bragging about his students, but this academic year, he really had a chance to rave about the freshman class: It is the largest in state history.

“OU’s reputation for academic excellence is clearly continuing to grow, and it is the major factor in attracting the largest freshman class in state history,” he says.

right, Campus Corner

National Merit Scholars are in good company at OU: With 207 National Merit Scholars, the university reports this year’s freshman class maintains its status as the nation’s top public school for scholars. Furthermore, about one in eight freshman finished high school with a 4.0 GPA.

NORMAN MUSIC FESTIVAL
Norman officials know it’s only rock ’n’ roll, and they like it. Last April’s three-day festival had an economic impact to the tune of $2.6 million, according to the convention and visitors bureau. The numbers translated to $100,000 in tax revenue.

Planning for this year’s festival — its fifth — already is under way. After the completion of the 2011 festival, the group formed the nonprofit Norman Music Alliance, led by Steven White and a group he describes as “passionate volunteers.”

White says a conservative estimate from last year’s free festival was 55,000 attendees. He says the turnout has grown by about 10,000 in each of the last four years.

He says the festival budget has ranged from $135,000 to $170,000 per year.

To keep the festival relevant and viable, however, he says there must be some big-name draws, in addition to smaller and unknown bands.

“People expect a certain level of entertainment,” he says.

Past festivals have drawn headlining bands such as of Montreal, the Dirty Projectors and The Walkmen.

And what does the industry say about sending big-name, independent bands to Norman?

“Maybe some of the agents didn’t take us seriously at first, but they certainly cashed the checks,” White says. “As we’ve done it year after year, the festival has made it to the radar of most talent agents in the United States.”

Photos by Mark Hancock