City council gets review of acceptable uses at Merriam Town Center as officials look to keep center occupied

As the city of Merriam explores options for keeping Merriam Town Center vibrant after the loss of Hen House and the prospect of other possible departures as long-term leases expire, Mayor Ken Sissom says he’s been hearing a common concern from residents.

“For some reason, a number of our residents believe that we have a greater ability to decide what goes in there than we actually do,” Sissom told the council during Monday evening’s meeting. “I’ve been called and pled with to bring this business there or that business there, and I have to explain to them, this is not something the city can do, it’s private property.”