Mathis Bros. to begin retail development project in Lawton

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  • Ledger photo by JJ Francais Mathis Brothers Furniture will break ground in early 2021 for a new Lawton store on this site at 4800 N. Cache Road.
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LAWTON –  A 76,000 square-foot Mathis Brothers retail furnishings store will be built in Lawton with groundbreaking set for the first quarter of 2021, a company official confirmed.

To be located at 4800 N. Cache Road, the Mathis Brothers store will be part of a new retail development totaling 200,000 square feet of space, company spokesman Kerry Tramel said. But first, an existing 90,000 square-foot building must be demolished. The new development will sit on a 19 acres and will include other businesses connected to the healthcare, food and insurance industries.

“It’s going to be the nicest thing in Lawton,” Tramel said.

Construction is scheduled for completion sometime during the third quarter of next year. The Mathis Brothers store will initially employ about 75 people.

“Lawton is a vibrant town and it’s stronger now than ever before,” Tramel said. “It’s a hub where people travel from quite a ways around do their shopping.”

Mathis Brothers opened one of its Sleep Center locations in Lawton about a year ago. The success of that store was instrumental in the company’s decision to build the new development.

Lawton-Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce President Krista Ratliff said she’s delighted that Mathis Brothers has made the commitment to the retail development, which will be a boon for the city’s sales tax revenue.

“It is exciting to see that a dynamic organization such as Mathis Brothers realizes and appreciates that Lawton-Fort Sill is a growing and innovative community, and they want to be part of that,” she said. “It is important that the residents of Lawton-Fort Sill are able to shop local, with high quality items. We currently have great options, and we are excited to be able to expand on those options.”

Lawton Mayor Stan Booker was also pleased when hearing of the development. “From the city’s perspective, this is a win all the way around,” said the mayor. “Hopefully, it will draw trade from southwest Oklahoma and north Texas, it will generate new jobs in town and enhance the shopping experience in Lawton. It will also help keep our sales tax revenue local. It’s always exciting when new companies come into town and this type of activity occurs.”

Lawton surpassed the $4 million mark in sales tax revenue with its October payment, which is based on August sales. That amount surpassed the $3.9 million the city collected for the same period a year ago. The sales tax payment from the Oklahoma Tax Commission is based on August sales.

Lawton also received a $450,801 payment from the OCT based on use tax collections in August, compared to $350,988 for the same period a year ago.