Business Improvement Districts can help local areas revitalize

A lot has been written about Oklahoma City’s modern-day renaissance. How the citizens of Oklahoma City invested in themselves through MAPS and built a community that is attracting new residents from all over the country in record numbers. The rise of local districts in Oklahoma City played a big role in that renaissance.  

Districts like Stockyards City, Uptown 23rd, the Plaza District and so many more help shape and color the identity of Oklahoma City according to Tammy Fate, director of retail development and recruitment for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.  

“What makes Oklahoma City so unique and distinct, in some respects, are the variety of shops and restaurants encompassing our city,” said Fate. “The energy and collaboration in our local districts help define who we are as a city.” 

District revitalization rarely happens by accident. It takes extremely dedicated business and property owners, often working together with the City of Oklahoma City to lay the groundwork for success.  

There are many avenues these partnerships can take but one of Oklahoma City’s most crucial tools are Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). 

BIDs are a public/private partnership in which property owners pay a special assessment for the maintenance, development, and promotion of their commercial district. 

In Oklahoma City, the first BID was approved in 2001 and there are currently six BIDs: 

• Downtown 
• Adventure District 
• Stockyards City 
• Capitol Hill 
• Uptown 23rd 
• Western Avenue 

BIDs are aimed at commercial districts where property owners want to make the area more attractive to businesses by making capital improvements, better landscaping, increasing public safety and sanitation, maintenance and marketing.  

There is a process for an area to become a BID that is ultimately approved by the City Council. Once approved, the BID is managed by a non-profit association that oversees the vision for the district, like the Western Avenue Association or the Adventure District.  

“The BID has allowed us to provide services in the district that we wouldn’t have been able to provide without the special assessment,” said Wendy Hampton, executive director of the Western Avenue Association. “We believe the additional funds help local businesses keep their areas more secure, and better maintained and create an opportunity for the merchants to band together and promote the area as a unified voice to increase patronage. In addition to the BID, we have been able to add 50 more members to our district which helps increase the synergy of the area.” 

According to Hampton, that collaboration helps bring more than business owners to the table. The Western Avenue Association provided resources for landscaping and beautification for the OU Big Event, the University of Oklahoma’s official community service day. This allowed students from both OU and Bishop McGuiness to work together to help spruce up Western Avenue and the surrounding area.  

Brittani Hunter, executive director of the Adventure District, echoed Hampton’s thoughts on how establishing a BID created partnership.  

“The biggest advantage of the special assessment is a unified voice in the community and collaboration on marketing, beautification, wayfinding, and other efforts to enhance the overall bottom line of the businesses and improve the image of the area,” said Hunter. “We are in the process of completely undergoing a major branding strategy to help activate corridors and create unity and synchronize the district.” 

Fate said not only does that spirit of collaboration help grow local retail, but it is also critical in her role of recruiting national retail to Oklahoma City.  

“I bring a lot of national retailers and developers to Oklahoma City in hopes they will invest in our community,” said Fate. “Seeing things like the great signage and beautification in our BIDs is an important part of the process. When they see the collaboration and leadership in our districts it shows them that our community is working together to thrive. Whether someone comes here for business or recreation, I think that is important story to tell about ourselves.” 

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS IN OKLAHOMA CITY CLICK HERE.  

This story originally ran on VeloCityOKC.com.