The Canebrake, near Wagoner, Okla. has been transformed from a horse ranch to a 120-acre property that just completed the second phase of a $2 million expansion and is now “[bringing] in a lot of people from out of town we hadn’t seen before,” according to the local Chamber of Commerce’s director.

For many years, the Tulsa (Okla.) World reported, the Bracken family ran the Neosho River Ranch near Fort Gibson Lake and Wagoner, Okla., and won awards for the Tennessee Walking Horses that were raised there.

When the elder Brackens decided to retire and control of the property fell to their son, Sam Bracken, 10 years ago, he decided to do something different, the World reported.

Today, the property is known as The Canebrake, which combines a luxury spa, 16 rooms for overnight stays, a bar and restaurant, a yoga facility, exercise rooms and a new meeting space for corporate retreats, weddings, wine tasting and other gatherings.

“I’ve had the idea for The Canebrake kicking in my head for years,” Bracken, who now operates the 120-acre resort with his wife, Lisa Bracken, told the World. And the success of putting all that he was envisioning into action is now drawing people from all around, including those from nearby Tulsa who are seeking a quick getaway as well as people from as far away as Dallas and St. Louis, he said.

All told, an estimated 600 people are now staying at The Canebrake or visiting it each week, the World reported. And because of all of that activity, said Meredith Zehr, Executive Director of the Wagoner Chamber of Commerce, The Canebrake has become an asset to the area.

“It’s been a great impact here,” Zehr told the World. “They bring in a lot of people from out of town we hadn’t seen before.”

Two months ago, the World reported, The Canebrake finished its second phase of a $2 million expansion, which raised the number of spa rooms from three to seven and added men’s and women’s locker rooms, a gym and fitness studio, a game room, a conference room for corporations, weddings, wine tasters and other groups and a storm shelter.

Construction on a new pool is nearing completion, after it was delayed by heavy rains, the World reported.

While the additions are new to The Canebrake, they’re not based in new buildings. When Bracken decided to transform the ranch into something new, the World reported, he chose not to bulldoze the barns. Instead, each building has been transformed to appear as if it were meant for humans, and not horses.

“I’ve had this idea for a resort spa kicking in my head for years when I was running a restaurant in Colorado,” he told the World. “And Oklahoma doesn’t need more dude ranch and reunion places. We have plenty of those already, many of which are great.”

The Brackens sold their restaurant in Colorado and moved back to Oklahoma so they could turn their attention to the property, the World reported. Lisa Bracken discovered yoga while recovering from a broken back and learned to teach it, but the owners wanted to see if there would be an audience for yoga in Wagoner County.

“At first, the classes were taught in the original horse stalls on remnant carpet with a portable heater,” Sam Bracken said.

The classes were a success, and the Brackens were encouraged to build their dream resort, the World reported. And while it may have been easier to knock down the existing buildings and start anew, they wanted to do something different.

“I wanted to incorporate recycled materials and green-building techniques into the resort,” he said. “We figured that if we wanted to talk the talk of recycling and reusing, we shouldn’t just tear it down.”

Bracken also discovered the barn was sturdy enough to accommodate heavy geothermal heating and air units that keep the resort cool while using less energy, the World reported.

When he gutted the building to prepare for reconstruction, he evaluated all the existing materials and reused as much of it as possible.

“We kept a log of everything we had, where it was used and in what condition it was in,” he said.

Bracken wound up with lots of car siding, or wooden siding that fit together with grooves. Some was reincorporated into redone siding, but much of it was rebuilt into decking and shelving, the World reported.

For the new lodges, Bracken and his crew measured out areas that would cause as little disruption to the older trees as possible. And the few trees that were taken down were turned into building materials, firewood or mulch.

“Since we went through the land carefully, we didn’t have to replant later,” he said. “Now our landscape is a literal natural Oklahoma forest.”

To transform the barn into something that felt luxurious, Bracken said he needed to soften the hard corners, the World reported. He added curves in as many places as possible with stucco, arches, a curved patio and flower beds.

After the expansion, nearly every part of the main area is part of the original horse barn, other than a new storage structure and part of the new spa area, the World reported. The Yoga Barn is in a separate building that was once used as a carport.

The Canebrake’s restaurant area also follows Bracken’s philosophy of using sustainable products, buying the ingredients for the menu locally. Every Wednesday, he travels across the area and often finds unexpected inspiration.

“If I can get something that will challenge our chefs and make for a great dining experience, I will,” he told the World.