The Next Chapter In The Lawton Mathis Bros Saga Begins

After months of circling rumors about the possibility of Mathis Brothers building a new furniture showroom in Lawton, it was confirmed along with plans for an Ashley HomeStore and Mathis Sleep Center to be located in the same shopping center on Cache Road.

Overall, the response was positive from most until the city announced the deal that set the plans in stone... another new stoplight along Cache Road. People nearly lost their minds at the idea of putting a stoplight in right there, crossing five whole lanes plus one merger and two turning lanes.

"What is the city council smoking?"

While the citizenry was very outspoken about having another new stoplight just a few hundred feet from another busy Lawton intersection between Lowe's and Fluffy's, after we've all had time to digest the news, it does sort of make sense.

With deliveries and shipments due to come and go at this location constantly, having direct traffic-controlled access in either direction on Cache Road seems more logical than expecting trucks to constantly make the turn at 52nd and then again back onto Cache before arriving at the destination.

It has been a number of weeks since the stoplights were installed, and if the mounds of rubble are any indicator, the Mathis Brothers shopping center project is well into the next phase of construction.

The old medians where cars were lined up in the Eddie Cortez lot are being demolished this week. Given the start of this part of the project is happening where the new stoplight is, this must be where the main entrance will be located.

It's not clear how much of the concrete here will be remediated for new surfacing, I wouldn't be surprised if a whole new couple of acres of concrete weren't in that $800,000 deal the city agreed to.

Regardless, the project moves on slowly but surely. I'm sure the day will come when people will walk into the new furniture stores and forget all about the hubbub and controversy that surrounded the construction.