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A recommendation to the Bartlesville City Council to appropriate $150,000 from the Economic Development Fund as a development incentive was approved by the Bartlesville Development Authority on Friday.

This money, if approved by the Council, would be used by a developer for outparcel development of a combination Jimmy's Egg and Bricktown Brewery to be constructed on the former Kmart site. Jared Patton, the BDA's Vice President, explained that there has not been a combination Jimmy's Egg and Bricktown Brewery before, but the developers do have dual-concept stores.

The combined stores would share a parking lot. Jimmy's Egg would open in the early hours of the day. They would shut down around two before Bricktown Brewery would be open in the late afternoon and evening. There would be a brief overlap during the lunch hour for both restaurants.

Patton said the $150,000 would be payable upon Certificate of Occupancy for the two specific brands. He said the developers could close on the transaction during the second week of January 2020.

Trustee Martin Garber had shared some concern about the dual concept store during the BDA meeting. He asked if the City of Bartlesville was overly populated with breakfast joints and bars in breweries, and how the new development would impact local business.

The overall consensus was that the Jimmy's Egg / Bricktown Brewery is a homerun development for Bartlesville. It was said that the businesses would help bring in a younger demographic to Bartlesville.

And when looking at how it would impact local business, other Authority members said that it is necessary to bring the dual-concept store no matter what, because there will always be competition, and businesses will come and go. Ex-Officio Member Jim Curd, the owner of Dink's Real Pit BBQ and Sterling's Grille said businesses are always in this to survive with the hope that they are not at the bottom at the end of the day. He said he appreciates Garber's concern, but he said it is just the comings and goings of the business.

Again, the Bartlesville City Council would have to approve the recommendation from the BDA to appropriate the $150,000 that would make this possible. The next Council meeting will not take place until the first Monday of January 2020.