[Johnhw2]

I grew up in Durant and travel back to visit mom and sister and her family who live there but usually go west and a little north of town where they both live. I take the western loop off US75 that meets US70 several miles west of where the older bypass goes through the city. Today I was coming from Tulsa/Wilburton and entered Durant from the east on US70. There is a bypass that goes south of the city and it is a new one that I am less familiar. Driving by today I could see the new half a billion dollar investment in a steel recycling plant is nearing completion. It is amazing scale and looks like it has a year or so to complete. A few miles further on this bypass you see a 300k sf new office building designed to house the Choctaw staff currently scattered across 30 different buildings and locations in Durant. While not a huge building by city standards it looms large on the rolling hills just north of the equally impressive two high rise Casino hotels. Big Lots has a warehouse distribution center along this bypass that has been there a while.A new similar sized and designed building is going up near it on this same bypass, I am not up on what new business is coming to town.

After traveling Oklahoma some the past few weeks it is clear Durant is moving forward as a place to live and work. Im proud of my hometown's progress yet retaining its small town charm and downtown area with the retail growth along the edge of the city. I give a good measure of credit to the economic development leader Tommy Kramer but it takes good schools, good city government and someone with a vision to bring all these factors together working to make this happen. I wonder who is behind all this? I will see if I can find out

[KayneMo]

It's great to see my hometown and my tribe growing. The Google Maps satellite looks like it was just updated (new imagery from maybe a few months ago); you can now see both the new Choctaw Nation HQ and Commercial Metals Company being built.

[Johnhw2]

I agree, it does look very current. Durant is progressing well. I saw the head of the economic development for decades is retiring, some big shoes to fill.