metro
10-24-2007, 07:27 AM
OKC’s downtown makes progress toward multi-year goals
October 24, 2007
OKLAHOMA CITY – The downtown district has made significant progress in reaching several goals more than halfway through a multi-year plan, Downtown OKC Inc. President Brett Hamm said Tuesday.
“It’s no longer about what we have, but how we sell it,” Hamm said. “It used to be that we didn’t have any of the other stuff other cities had, and that led us to MAPS (tax-funded Metropolitan Area Projects). But now we’re at this point where we have a lot to offer … and we need to move on that.”
The Downtown Strategic Action Plan was adopted in 2004 by the Oklahoma City Council, Urban Renewal Authority and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. It set several goals to be met by 2010 in marketing, private investment and area business development.
For example, the plan placed emphasis on quality urban design, street-level activity and linking districts in the downtown area. It also set a goal of private investment equal to the original $350 million raised by the MAPS temporary tax.
Hamm said more than $3.2 billion in private and public money has been raised so far. The plan set a goal of 2,000 new housing units downtown. Hamm said more than 1,400 units are complete or under construction, with 1,000 more in the planning stage. And those residences will likely drive the development of additional retail – a grocery store, for example.Downtown hotel space will increase to 1,815 rooms with completion of the Bricktown Hampton Inn next spring. When the plan was adopted, the downtown area had about 700 rooms; the goal is 2,250.“
Many cities right now are experiencing an urban and downtown rebirth,” he said. “But the rate and the pace and the way we’ve done it here has truly been impressive and unique.”When asked if the downtown district’s development is ahead or behind schedule, Hamm said, “It varies with different goals. There are some goals that we’ve already doubled or tripled, and there are others that we need to stretch a little to get there by 2010. And some may require that we reassess them.”“
Once we hit 2010 we have to ask, what’s the next step. We want to have a plan in place at that point and not miss a couple of years while we come up with something new,” Hamm said. It will be a critical window of opportunity for change as the Interstate 40 crosstown is relocated closer to the Oklahoma River, he said. The move will open a large area for new districts in what’s being referred to as “Core to Shore” development. Other incorporated plans involve streetscaping and Bricktown retail development.
And Downtown OKC is preparing to launch its “DowntownOKCWorks” campaign to highlight available office space and the urban lifestyle.“Our vacancy rates are still a little bit up, but now with the vibrancy and momentum created in downtown, we’re seeing a number of businesses that are interested and want to be downtown,” he said. “They want to be in the middle of that interchange.”
October 24, 2007
OKLAHOMA CITY – The downtown district has made significant progress in reaching several goals more than halfway through a multi-year plan, Downtown OKC Inc. President Brett Hamm said Tuesday.
“It’s no longer about what we have, but how we sell it,” Hamm said. “It used to be that we didn’t have any of the other stuff other cities had, and that led us to MAPS (tax-funded Metropolitan Area Projects). But now we’re at this point where we have a lot to offer … and we need to move on that.”
The Downtown Strategic Action Plan was adopted in 2004 by the Oklahoma City Council, Urban Renewal Authority and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. It set several goals to be met by 2010 in marketing, private investment and area business development.
For example, the plan placed emphasis on quality urban design, street-level activity and linking districts in the downtown area. It also set a goal of private investment equal to the original $350 million raised by the MAPS temporary tax.
Hamm said more than $3.2 billion in private and public money has been raised so far. The plan set a goal of 2,000 new housing units downtown. Hamm said more than 1,400 units are complete or under construction, with 1,000 more in the planning stage. And those residences will likely drive the development of additional retail – a grocery store, for example.Downtown hotel space will increase to 1,815 rooms with completion of the Bricktown Hampton Inn next spring. When the plan was adopted, the downtown area had about 700 rooms; the goal is 2,250.“
Many cities right now are experiencing an urban and downtown rebirth,” he said. “But the rate and the pace and the way we’ve done it here has truly been impressive and unique.”When asked if the downtown district’s development is ahead or behind schedule, Hamm said, “It varies with different goals. There are some goals that we’ve already doubled or tripled, and there are others that we need to stretch a little to get there by 2010. And some may require that we reassess them.”“
Once we hit 2010 we have to ask, what’s the next step. We want to have a plan in place at that point and not miss a couple of years while we come up with something new,” Hamm said. It will be a critical window of opportunity for change as the Interstate 40 crosstown is relocated closer to the Oklahoma River, he said. The move will open a large area for new districts in what’s being referred to as “Core to Shore” development. Other incorporated plans involve streetscaping and Bricktown retail development.
And Downtown OKC is preparing to launch its “DowntownOKCWorks” campaign to highlight available office space and the urban lifestyle.“Our vacancy rates are still a little bit up, but now with the vibrancy and momentum created in downtown, we’re seeing a number of businesses that are interested and want to be downtown,” he said. “They want to be in the middle of that interchange.”