Asian District to get business association
Looks like the Asian district at 23rd and Classen is about to move to the same level as Bricktown, the Western Ave District, etc. This is great news. I'd love to see the Asian District thrive!
--------------
"Creating an identity to draw tourists
by Heidi R. Centrella
The Journal Record
12/8/2004
Journal Record Photo
The Asian District, carved out of a section of Classen Boulevard, is a step closer to strengthening its own identity as a destination for visitors.
For little more than a year, city officials have worked with community leaders in the Asian District on an unofficial level to develop an area business association. Now, the group is one step closer to formalizing its ad-hoc organization and has approved bylaws.
Once nonprofit status is achieved, they hope to put together a board of directors and begin operations by the end of January.
The move could mean a strong marketing effort to identify the Asian District as more than just a place for ethnic restaurants.
Oklahoma City councilman Sam Bowman is credited with initiating the Asian District Planning Project - not only to develop a business district similar to that of Western Avenue, Automobile Alley and Bricktown, but to better market the area.
"We get 5 million visitors a year and a lot of them don't know where the Asian District is or that we even have one," said city planner Bob Mier.
The group began promoting the area's identification with street signs that read "Asian District" along Classen Boulevard from NW 23rd to VW 34th streets. The group now is looking at land use policies for the area in hopes of promoting it as more of a pedestrian district.
The Classen streetscape project, with its $1.5 million price tag, is included in the next bond issue sale, which should take place in March. This will enable the group to begin the design phase of the project and start making necessary improvements.
Ba Luong, vice president of Super Cao Nguyen, said the entire community would benefit from creating a formal business district.
Right now there are about 20 Asian-style restaurants in the district. But restaurants are but a small part of the overall plan.
"We're all going to work together to promote the Asian District and to promote not only commerce, but tourism within the Asian District to bring visibility to the area," Luong said. "It was not very developed 15 to 20 years ago and there were run-down houses in the area.
"Immigrants have come in and invested money into the district," he said. "With the business association, we're trying to bring all of those efforts together and make it more effective."
Now that the bylaws have been adopted, the group awaits the approval of its nonprofit status.
"This will allow us to take money and at as an official organization," Luong said of being a not-for-profit association. "Money will come from dues from the local area merchants, as well as possibly in the form of grants or donations."
Luong said they hope to get just 1 percent of the visitors to Oklahoma City each year, which Mier estimated at 5 million. That, he said, would have a significant economic impact on the area.
"If you got just 1 percent of that just to visit the Asian District, that would have a lasting impact on the economy in that they would be spending their out-of-town dollars," he said. "It would not only add jobs in Oklahoma City, but to the sales tax revenues that would be generated."
Credited with getting this project underway, Bowman said the whole process started when former Ward 2 councilperson Amy Brooks worked at getting the city's attention to look at the Asian area as a special zoning district. But it began for him two years ago while he ran to secure his seat as Ward 2 councilman.
"I was introduced to so many Asian people and began to see the interest and the excitement being a part of our community and being a part of Ward 2," Bowman said. "And, I thought, I drive by this every day and there's been so much talk, and everybody knows there are restaurants over there but not many people really know what's really there.
"With some marketing, with some promotion, with some visibility, with some joint efforts with the community and OCU, in particular, we've got some wonderful opportunities," he said. "But we've just begun."
Scott Keneda, pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church, also has played a leadership role in the planning process. He said the area already has become somewhat a destination site for Asian eateries, but he also hopes people will want to visit and spend not just dollars, but time in the area.
"Our church is one of the long established institutions in this community and we want to play a role of helping shape the future of the community around us," he said. "We feel a responsibility to our area to provide that kind of help and support. So our interest is to be connected to people who live in our area in service and hopefully in their participation in the life of the church.
"I think the church has a message that is about caring for the whole of humanity, so part of it is a concern for folks of all ethnic backgrounds and a part of it is to realize, at least from a faith perspective, that addresses both the physical and the spiritual needs of people."
Heidi R. Centrella reports on energy, health care, city government and social issues. You may reach her by phone at 278-2838 or by e-mail at heidi.centrella@journalrecord.com."
Bookmarks