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President of new ownership company outlines plans for iconic shopping center.

The president of the new ownership company of Tulsa’s iconic Utica Square said his firm is committed to maintaining and improving it.

“We want to bring them something that they can be proud of,” said Ward Kampf, president of Denver-based Northwood Retail, which purchased the retail and restaurant area from Helmerich & Payne Inc.

“The better the asset is, the better it is for the city,” he said. “There’ll be some people who will question ‘do we know what we’re doing?’ I think we understand these assets. We know their sensitivities.”

“I think Utica (Square) has always been the top center in the state of Oklahoma,” Kampf said. “It’s one of the best pieces of real estate in the state of Oklahoma.”

H&P sold the 370,755-square foot property at the southeast corner of East 21st Street and South Utica Avenue to Northwood Investors LLC for an undisclosed price, according to a news release announcing the sale in late March.

“(Me) being from Oklahoma City, having been involved in assets up there … Utica (Square) has always been the pinnacle,” Kampf said. “I just think we know how to merchandise it.”

Opened in May 1952, the open-air shopping center had been owned by H&P since 1964. What is now being called a “lifestyle center” had been on the market since May 2025, when H&P announced it was seeking to explore a partnership or sale of the property.

Northwood Retail plans redevelopment of Utica Square while ensuring its character is preserved, according to a news release.

“We’re not going to get this perfect because everybody’s going to have an opinion on what to do with it,” Kampf said.

He said events such as the Summer’s Fifth Night concert series and the iconic holiday Lights on Utica Square, usually held around Thanksgiving, will continue.  The new owners have expressed a commitment to retaining Utica Square’s architectural symmetry while staying true to the original midcentury modern design.

Kampf said there are ongoing talks with possible new tenants but declined to identify any. He said one of Northwood’s first priorities is to improve the area overall.

“Beyond the additional retail square footage, we are further activating the district with green space for gathering, along with paved sidewalks to increase connectivity,” the release said.

Among other planned improvements are additional angled parking; widened, realigned crosswalks to improve pedestrian walkability; and refreshed landscaping. A multiyear tree replacement program will introduce new greenery “while carefully monitoring and maintaining aging trees across the property,” the release said.

Asked about the possibility of a boutique hotel at Utica Square, Kampf said it could happen in the long term, especially given the close proximity of Ascension St. John’s medical complex. But for  now, he said, the focus is to improve Utica Square’s existing character.

Asked what kind of feedback he has received following Northwood’s purchase of Utica from H&P, he said: “It’s been early, and the activities have been good, and people have been receptive to it.”