City officials hold ground breaking ceremony in River West Development

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Sand Springs City Council members and other City officials held a ground-breaking ceremony for the new El Maguey location Wednesday evening in the River West Development. 

Owners Rogelio and Norma Ayala and their two children were visibly excited about their new property and the progress being made. The Ayalas have been renting their current facility at 520 East Plaza Court for the last fourteen years and are expected to move into the new restaurant next summer. 

The new restaurant will feature the same menu, but the Ayalas look to improve service and atmosphere while adding quality patio seating. 

The thirty-acre River West property was purchased with Vision 2025 funds approved in 2003 and development began in 2007 but stalled out due to the Great Recession. 

Centennial Baptist Church and McDonald's have been present in the area since 2000. In 2010 IHOP opened as the first sit-down restaurant in the development and in 2012 an existing O'Reilly Auto Parts location relocated from within the property. In 2013 a CVS pharmacy opened on the former site of the Booker T. Washington High School and Kindergarten Center. Holiday Inn Express opened a new location in 2015 and Starbucks opened a small location the same year. El Maguey will be the second restaurant to join the fast-growing development.