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Jun. 6--Chesapeake Energy Corp. plans a retail shopping center along Classen Boulevard, to rebuild the Nichols Hills Shopping Center and slowly is releasing more details about its next projects, including more offices and housing.

Company officials say the plans will make the area around its home campus, east of Western Avenue and south of NW 63, a better place to live and work for its employees -- and for everyone who lives or works in that part of town.

But Oklahoma City Planning commissioners say they are tired of seeing the company's individual zoning applications and want to see a more complete picture.

Neighbors also are upset about ongoing construction and the disruptions it has caused.

"We've repeatedly asked for communication," commissioner Nick Gales said. "The Chesapeake people have flippantly said we're working on it, later, with a wink. I think that later is now. We need more information."

But it's unclear how much of that information really exists.

Dan LeDonne, Chesapeake's director of facilities and construction, said the company's rapid growth has left it unable to commit to the long-range plan being sought by its neighbors and planning commissioners.

"The plan changes every day," LeDonne said at a recent planning commission meeting. "We grow by 200 employees a year on our campus. We don't know what direction our campus may need to grow. We may need to grow east, we may need to grow west."

New details are beginning to emerge

Some new information is emerging because of recent zoning applications and a meeting company representatives had with merchants at the Nichols Hills Shopping Center.