More than three years after the Planning Commission approved plans for The Oasis, Chris Shaheen’s long-planned recreational retail development on Burbank Drive, the developer has his sights set on the end of April to break ground on the project.
Shaheen, a real estate broker with Saurage Rotenberg Commercial Real Estate, filed for a construction permit about three weeks ago with the city-parish—a process that does not move as quickly as developers would like—and hopes to get a green light within the next 40 days.
“We’re ready to go,” says Shaheen, who has continually pushed back plans for a groundbreaking on the development since he first announced plans in 2012.
The Burbank development will be located between Lee Drive and Bluebonnet Boulevard, directly across from Lakeside Daiquiri & Grill. Construction on the shell building should end in October, and the build-out for Sammy’s Southern Bistro—a new incarnation of the popular Sammy’s Grill restaurant that will have a live music stage, large theater screen for sporting events and a plethora of flatscreen TVs throughout the 5,000-square-foot establishment—should take a few months, Shaheen says. He is hoping for a Jan. 1 opening.
The original concept of The Oasis has morphed over the years as Shaheen has scaled back his plans. When the project was announced in 2012, Shaheen told Daily Report he envisioned a recreational area with batting cages, a virtual golf center, outdoor sand volleyball courts and a large patio and deck area surrounding a family-friendly bar and restaurant.
The development also was to include townhomes, which were scrapped more than a year after the Planning Commission OK’d the project’s zoning. At the time, Shaheen told Daily Report he eliminated the townhomes after receiving more interest from potential retailers. Also in 2013, Shaheen was in negotiations with an indoor soccer facility. The outcome of the negotiations is unknown.
Shaheen says the project has been delayed for a couple of reasons. He says he spent a year searching for an owner/operator for the restaurant before reaching an agreement with Sammy Nagem, owner of Sammy’s Grill, then waited another year for Nagem to buy out his business partner.
Shaheen says his relatives own the land surrounding his tract and further development could be done on those properties. Down the line, Shaheen says he would like to add virtual golf, bocce ball, horseshoes, and a yoga and Pilates studio.
—Ryan Broussard
