Banta blossoms: Company puts ‘Midtown-Renaissance’ stamp on Oklahoma City neighborhood by Kevan Goff-Parker
The Journal Record
7/11/2006 OKLAHOMA CITY – Commuters traveling along Midtown Oklahoma City’s NW 10th Street corridor Monday were left with little doubt as to which builder now dominates the area. Thirty giant banners in the area announce The Banta Companies’ “Midtown Renaissance” promotional campaign.

Greg Banta, chairman and chief executive officer of The Banta Companies, said his company put the banners up during the weekend to ensure that people know “the Midtown Renaissance is alive and well.” The Banta Companies owns nearly 30 buildings in Midtown Oklahoma City. The company has zeroed in on properties from NW 10th Street to NW 13th Street and from Broadway Avenue to Shartel Avenue.

“We wanted to get the NW 10th Street corridor branded for our Midtown Renaissance (campaign),” Banta said. “More than half a million square feet are now being developed in Midtown with plenty of retail and housing. We hope to cater to everybody.”

He said The Banta Companies is working with the Oklahoma City’s Urban Design Committee to get approval for the replacement of windows and roofs at many of the properties.

“The area will look totally different over the next six months, with new windows, roofs and lighting,” Banta said. “We are still doing our development plans on all the properties.”

He said the signage is part of The Banta Companies’ marketing campaign for Midtown. The banners feature an architect drawing up plans and the phrase, “Midtown Renaissance,” with The Banta Companies’ logo and phone number, which is (405) 840-1600

“We’ve been working with Visual Image and we’re very pleased with how they turned out,” Banta said. “We have a full marketing campaign with brochures coming out, and a Web site is being developed at www.midtownrenaissance.com, where we will have virtual tours.”

Banta added the historic Plaza Court building to his portfolio in May and has been busy leasing to tenants. On June 30, the company bought the former Bolen Motor Co. building in the heart of Oklahoma City’s Automobile Alley at 1101 N. Broadway Ave.

“We almost have the entire first floor of the Plaza Court leased,” Banta said.

His company’s Web site states that with a degree in accounting and 12 years of commercial real estate experience under his belt, Banta founded The Banta Companies in 1997. His one-man operation soon grew into a diverse company that manages commercial real estate, brokers leasing and sales, develops new properties and manages construction for businesses all over the southwestern United States.

For the past two and a half years, Banta has served as the mayor of Piedmont, a suburb north of Oklahoma City.