Re: BC Clark
Nor Vancouver, nor Seattle. Downtown shopping is bigger than ever (especially in Vancouver)!
I think shopping in Downtown OKC iwll be a hit bit it will need the following all at once:
1) PROMOTION - and I don't just mean one store but a full on slot of Downtown Oklahoma City ads on TV, radio, and social media. Downtown Seattle did this (minus the social media) in the 1990s and really helped establish it as a destination. Especially considering OKC would be the only city in the region as a retail destination; would make it easy to market downtown OKC to other cities not just our metro. Eventually the idea of shopping downtown becomes a prize just as it feels when one thinks of shopping in Downtown Chicago.
OKC should only market downtown though once ...
2) FILL STOREFRONTS - storefronts along Park Avenue, Broadway, and adjoining streets need retail anchors. There needs to be choices, say if OKC did get a large flagship that there could be tertiary shopping nearby. Must take advantage of having a captive audience so there must be stores open all at once not just organically like we have today (one here, one there but no critical mass).
To make this truly a success there needs to be ....
3) SUBSIDY - OKC may need to have someone with deep pockets (and/or the city) to spot businesses for a few years. Perhaps building owners could make lease rates with introductory or a reduced period based on sales then at market once the businesses are mature.
The final key to downtown retail is ...
4) TRANSPORTATION - OKC already has the office workers and entertainment downtown but we don't really have transportation resolved. We have parking garages and we have buses and the streetcar - but the transit needs to get worked out AND the parking might need to come up with offers for people to park free validated with receipt. The obvious target is the suburban household so downtown needs to accommodate them via transit (commuter bus/rail + streetcar) and parking.
If OKC can accomplish these 4 issues then we will have hugely successful downtown shopping. There may need to be a probationary period of 2-4 years where we groom everything together and have introductory/reduced rates - but if we can land stores having them all open together promoting downtown as a retail destination and providing transit to and parking within downtown - OKC will be just as successful per capita as city's I live/visited with strong downtowns.
Oklahoma City, the RENAISSANCE CITY!
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