Julie Bisbee and Tony Thornton
Staff Writers

KINGSTON - State-owned land that once made up Lake Texoma State Park was sold to a private developer today for $14.6 million.

The sale was finalized when officials with the Commissioners of the Land Office signed over the property to Pointe Vista Development, a private partnership between Mark Fischer, president and chief executive of Chaparral Energy, and Aubrey McClendon, chairman and chief executive of Chesapeake Energy Corp.

Pointe Vista Development paid nearly $20,000 per acre for 520 acres of mostly waterfront property, including Chickasaw Pointe Golf Course.

Plans call for the golf course to be closed and redesigned.

"We are excited to have finally closed the initial phase associated with the purchase of the Lake Texoma State Lodge property" from the state, said Scott Fischer, Pointe Vista's operational manager.

"This process took much longer than expected due to a multitude of title issues that had to be cleaned up to assure us that we would have the ownership rights to be able to construct the proposed development that we have planned," Scott Fischer said.

He said delays in the process may have caused some to become justifiably skeptical about whether the sale would take place.

"However, I want to assure you that we never wavered in our conviction to make this happen," Scott Fischer said.

The company plans to buy 3,000 total acres at Texoma, including the old state lodge, which will be demolished.

Plans call for a hotel, convention center and retail shopping. The project is valued at between $750 million and $1 billion.

WILD OKLAHOMA NOTE:  Well, WILD Oklahoma's Ron Black railed about this a few months ago when members of the Oklahoma Congressional Delegation fought to get federal money to help make this happen.  It may be a good thing, but it looks like it is just a hint of what may be coming down the pike for Oklahoma hunters and anglers who enjoy public land...while it lasts.