I believe a corner has been turned

[Pete]

Today I was making my usual internet rounds, looking for new building permits, sales, project applications and photos. And after coming upon about a dozen new items of interest it dawned on me: OKC has turned a corner.

There have been a million steps, probably starting with the first MAPS which was about 20 years ago now. But with everything going on in Deep Deuce which will soon make it OKC's first fully realized urban neighborhood, it also seems Midtown and Auto Alley are poised to make the same move. There are scores of projects in all three of those areas and it seems the scale has finally tipped and everything is starting to roll down hill (sorry for the mixed metaphor!). You can almost lump the 23rd Street corridor into this category as well, and there are a bunch of others that are all drastically improving.

It seems the financial markets are finally loosening up, the local economy is still darn strong and there is now enough in place or in serious process that it seems more and more developers are starting to pull the trigger.


This is how cities become legitimate boom towns and is similar the psychology of the stock market: momentum feeds off of momentum and suddenly people shift from worrying about investing to worrying about being left on the sidelines. I think we are just starting to witness this shift.


I've felt this coming for a while but in my mind, the change of mentality has definitely happened and I think we are just now seeing the tip of what could be a very large iceberg.

[progressiveboy]

My hometown is starting to evolve and has improved! However, in the Journal Record dated for 07/20/2011 the CEO of the OKC Chamber of Commerce states that OKC has image problems. Since I do not subscribe to the JR I was able to read only a small portion of the article stating that OKC has a hard time shaking their image with big company employers. Maybe someone can post the full article? If that is allowed? Anyway, OKC has a bad image in many places and many still consider it a big cowtown?? I know many people in Austin and Dallas think OKC is less than desireable. Even when I lived in Florida people did not have a positive image to convey about the city. Even with all the strides and new revitalization going on in OKC will OKC always have to shake a bad, undesireable image? Sadly, it appears that is the case.

[soonerguru]

My hometown is starting to evolve and has improved! However, in the Journal Record dated for 07/20/2011 the CEO of the OKC Chamber of Commerce states that OKC has image problems. Since I do not subscribe to the JR I was able to read only a small portion of the article stating that OKC has a hard time shaking their image with big company employers. Maybe someone can post the full article? If that is allowed? Anyway, OKC has a bad image in many places and many still consider it a big cowtown?? I know many people in Austin and Dallas think OKC is less than desireable. Even when I lived in Florida people did not have a positive image to convey about the city. Even with all the strides and new revitalization going on in OKC will OKC always have to shake a bad, undesireable image? Sadly, it appears that is the case.

Well, it's a good thing we're going to have a new convention center, cuz that will surely turn things around.......

Idiots.

[Pete]

The Chamber just launched a big national image campaign:


Oklahoma City Launches National Image Campaign
Campaign aims to change misperceptions about Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, OK (PRWEB) June 16, 2011

The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber has launched a national image campaign aimed at changing misperceptions about Oklahoma City. Ongoing research completed by the Chamber shows that there is a serious lack of awareness of the city’s cultural, lifestyle and business amenities. The campaign features print advertisements, an online channel and digital magazine, along with additional online components, aimed at boosting the city’s national image.

“A large portion of our national audience either has misperceptions about what is available in Oklahoma City, or has never considered us as a place to live or work,” said Roy H. Williams, president and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. “We want to start tackling this issue.”

Oklahoma City currently has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation at 4.5 percent, and in the last year alone has been named No. 1 in Gross State Product Growth (US Bureau of Economic Analysis), No. 1 Most Affordable City (Forbes), No. 1 in Home Equity (CoreLogic), No. 1 in Entrepreneurial Activity (Kauffman Foundation), and No. 1 in Charitable Giving (Parade).

Oklahoma City has also seen a major upswing in the tourism industry, and has added 2,500 jobs to this industry since April 2008, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This puts Oklahoma City in the No. 11 spot on the list for growth in tourism employment in the nation’s 100 major markets, ranking ahead of major metropolitan areas such as Dallas-Fort Worth, Philadelphia, Miami-Fort Lauderdale and Charlotte.

The image campaign will work to spread these and other positive messages, and includes advertisements which began running in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Chief Executive in March. The ads highlight Oklahoma City’s biggest success stories, from the Thunder to Oklahoma City’s robust business climate to the high quality of life. The print and online ads will direct people to a new online channel, http://www.GreaterOKC.tv. This site features nearly 1,000 videos about the region’s business community and cultural climate.

The new website also features Velocity- a 64-page digital magazine that brings the story of Oklahoma City to life. This interactive publication, which can be viewed at http://www.velocityokc.com, features in-depth content with embedded videos and links. It highlights the city’s diversity, accolades, recreation options, business climate, lifestyle amenities and more.

Please visit http://www.GreaterOKC.tv and http://www.velocityokc.com for more information.

[soonerguru]

Pete, this campaign seems like a good idea, but it's not the first time they've done this. They always advertise in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, etc. Why not try to reach a wider audience? Why not launch a targeted TV campaign, or advertise in something more hip that reaches more of an artsy audience?

They always speak to the same choir and wonder why we have "image perception problems" with so many people.

[cameron_405]

"...the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber has launched a national image campaign aimed at changing misperceptions about Oklahoma City..."

...have mentioned elsewhere that I moved [back] to OKC from Columbus, Ohio in 1995. Then, at the age of 17 (nearly 18), my friends in Ohio knew next to nothing about Oklahoma City or OK other than the Sooners and our state song. Several friends wanted to know about "the Indians" (had told them that I'm 1/8th Cherokee -- quite rare up north, I reckon), and one friend said, "Don't they grow corn in the city?"

Oh, another little anecdote. I can recall when we moved from OKC to Columbus in the summer of '91 that the Lake Hefner Pkwy construction was just about to get underway, and I remember thinking, "man, I'm missing all of the build-up-and-out!" Spent only four years in Columbus, but noticed a drastic change to the city by 1995 (not referring to bombing), especially the "Northwest Expressway corridor" in that short amount of time. Also, I remember hearing about "MAPS" shortly after moving back, and I thought to myself, "you know, having never really driven around OKC, I really could use a good MAP." I actually went the library in Warr Acres and asked them for a "MAP" -- the look on the librarian's face was priceless. haha.

[Pete]

I just posted the Chamber article because of the post inquiring about it. They've actually produced a bunch of videos and multi-media pieces as well.

I've lived here in Southern California for 21 years now and I see great shift in perception regarding OKC, especially now that we have not only an NBA team, but one that is very good and showcases a rabid, packed house on national TV. When I tell people I'm from Oklahoma City, usually the first response is something about the Thunder. It used to be about the bombing or just a general lack of reference.

Cowtowns don't get NBA franchises. And there is a constant stream of good publicity; we can't even keep track of all the lists OKC lands on these days.


Besides, most development and job growth comes from locals -- it's about keeping the best and brightest at home and providing a fertile ground for business growth and real estate development. You see that happening all the time now and that's a massive change from just 15 years ago.

And while we may not be landing big corporate HQ's, who the heck is? A big move like that rarely happens... What OKC has done is have lots of local companies grow substantially (Devon, CHK, SandRidge, Paycor, Express Personnel, Sonic, MidFirst, American Fidelity, etc.), get Continental to move down from Enid, and got tons of branch jobs like Boeing and Hertz. Not to mention a massive growth of the Health Sciences Center and the steadiness brought on by a large base of government jobs, including a lot of well-paying ones through Tinker.


I really do think OKC is starting to take off and I think we'll look back at this year as the time things really started to launch.

[Just the facts]

I wish they would add the OKC Channel to the Windows Media Center (WMC) line-up. If there are any budding developers out there it is possible to make an app for (WMC) and it can be added as an extra.

http://madeformediacenter.com/m4mc/

[Spartan]

Today I was making my usual internet rounds, looking for new building permits, sales, project applications and photos. And after coming upon about a dozen new items of interest it dawned on me: OKC has turned a corner.

There have been a million steps, probably starting with the first MAPS which was about 20 years ago now. But with everything going on in Deep Deuce which will soon make it OKC's first fully realized urban neighborhood, it also seems Midtown and Auto Alley are poised to make the same move. There are scores of projects in all three of those areas and it seems the scale has finally tipped and everything is starting to roll down hill (sorry for the mixed metaphor!). You can almost lump the 23rd Street corridor into this category as well, and there are a bunch of others that are all drastically improving.

It seems the financial markets are finally loosening up, the local economy is still darn strong and there is now enough in place or in serious process that it seems more and more developers are starting to pull the trigger.


This is how cities become legitimate boom towns and is similar the psychology of the stock market: momentum feeds off of momentum and suddenly people shift from worrying about investing to worrying about being left on the sidelines. I think we are just starting to witness this shift.


I've felt this coming for a while but in my mind, the change of mentality has definitely happened and I think we are just now seeing the tip of what could be a very large iceberg.

I think you're right, and not to go negative but just to address what others are talking about in this thread, it's a matter of originality. In surrounding states they all joke about how we are always 10 years behind, which is true..we are always slow to pick up on trends, then we catch on late, and then we will execute a particular trend bigger than anyone did, but it's too late. I mean how urban renewal really picked up in the 70s, at a time that all other major cities had already had their urban renewal episodes and realized that folly.

That's what we're doing with this convention center, AND with our image campaigns. The CVB has always done pretty hokie stuff when it comes to promotion. I also have to question how much good is actually done by these promotion campaigns and ads, how do you market a city? Nobody is deciding on a location by reading an ad. You just have to get plugged into the game, and people have to like what is actually here on the ground.

So then I go back to the matter of originality and what we are facing today. There is no question that there is a downtown renaissance, as much as that phrase has become cliche. I see it being pulled in two different directions. We can have a renaissance that pumps a ton of money into downtown, and we will have the best shiniest newest gleaming office towers, and some cookie cutter condo developments eventually. Or I think we can embrace things like sustainability, walkability, environmentalism, etc. Basically we can follow a path similar to Portland or Charlotte. These are two competing visions. I think, with how the corporate-driven vision has reminded us all who is boss in this town, that we will be impressed at what this becomes 10 years from now. It just won't be anything remotely close to what we want it to become. At this rate, it won't be cultured, it won't be eclectic, it won't be green, and it won't be original--but we won't be able to deny that it won't be an improvement, either.

I'm not saying there won't be small amounts of those things. I just mean that it will only be in token varieties, and that could be the stuff that we never build up. We will rebuild density, and we will have a respectable looking city. It just won't be as special or original as it could be. There is an incredible amount of coolness that exists beneath the surface and it pops out occasionally, such as when the Flaming Lips do something, or when deadCENTER is going on. The overarching impression however will be that of corporate plazas, lit-up corporate logos, wide quiet streets, convention centers, parking garages, plastic-looking landscaping. Sort of a City of Moloch..

[Pete]

The overarching impression however will be that of corporate plazas, lit-up corporate logos, wide quiet streets, convention centers, parking garages, plastic-looking landscaping.

This may be true of the CBD but it's true for every CBD.

If you look at Auto Alley, Midtown, Deep Deuce, Film Row and 23rd Street, they are all quite unique and are doing a great job of blending renovation and character with new construction.


IMO people need to stop worrying so much about image. Those with any sense know the difference between perception and reality and anyone who takes the trouble to look (as any business-minded person would) will see plenty of great assets and amazing potential. There are literally hundreds of independent articles, surveys and polls that reflect very positively on OKC. It's the locals that seem to have the fixation with image, not everyone else.

[BDP]

...and anyone who takes the trouble to look...

I think this is where we are right now. More people are taking a look, which may lead to some real improvements in the future. I think there are more people that take Oklahoma City a lot more seriously than they did just 5 years ago.

[Spartan]

This may be true of the CBD but it's true for every CBD.

If you look at Auto Alley, Midtown, Deep Deuce, Film Row and 23rd Street, they are all quite unique and are doing a great job of blending renovation and character with new construction.


IMO people need to stop worrying so much about image. Those with any sense know the difference between perception and reality and anyone who takes the trouble to look (as any business-minded person would) will see plenty of great assets and amazing potential. There are literally hundreds of independent articles, surveys and polls that reflect very positively on OKC. It's the locals that seem to have the fixation with image, not everyone else.

Well I agree in not caring what our image or perception or whatever is. I do care about the reality though. I'd rather fix reality with sustainable/livable improvements, rather than fix perception with ads and convention centers.

What I meant to say is that I think it would be much more impressive to create a buzz for ourselves as a pillar of sustainability and livability (two things we really suck at right now), and to get featured in news outlets for being a leader for green, urban, sustainable development. That would say, "Here is a city that is embracing innovation, strategy, planning, and new ideas." Most CEOs are people who have respect for that particular trend.

[betts]

Oklahoma City is going to be what it's going to be. And that is light years better than what it was. I'm not sure we could be as cool as Portland no matter how hard we tried. The people who live here, on the whole, have a different outlook, different ideas than those who have chosen to live in Portland. Charlotte? I don't see anything particularly special about Charlotte, personally.

As Pete has said, I see some great things going on in AA, on 23rd St., in the Plaza District. What's important to me is not how we compare to other cities, but how we compare to what we were. Great strides have been made. If they're not ever enough for me, I guess I'll move elsewhere. But, I'm proud of how hard some people are trying to make this a better place in which to live. We can't wave a magic wand and bring back the old buildings people were dumb enough to tear down. We have to work with what we've got. I'm happy with what we're doing with what we've got.

[Spartan]

Charlotte? I don't see anything particularly special about Charlotte, personally.

But that's exactly my point. Now imagine someone from Charlotte saying this about OKC, now or 10 years from now. Pot. Kettle. Black.

What we have right now that makes us special is our underground culture vibe, stuff like the Plaza, Flaming Lips, deadCENTER, NW 9th, etc. But when I try and see where this is going in the future, I just see a big corporate plaza.

And let's not pretend that these cool things are new. There has always been a lot of cool stuff in OKC that comes and goes. I have heard stories of a place called Molly Murphy's that people might say was cooler than anything that exists now in the city. That was the 80s and 90s.

[OKCMallen]

I just posted the Chamber article because of the post inquiring about it. They've actually produced a bunch of videos and multi-media pieces as well.

I've lived here in Southern California for 21 years now and I see great shift in perception regarding OKC, especially now that we have not only an NBA team, but one that is very good and showcases a rabid, packed house on national TV. When I tell people I'm from Oklahoma City, usually the first response is something about the Thunder. It used to be about the bombing or just a general lack of reference.

Cowtowns don't get NBA franchises. And there is a constant stream of good publicity; we can't even keep track of all the lists OKC lands on these days.


Besides, most development and job growth comes from locals -- it's about keeping the best and brightest at home and providing a fertile ground for business growth and real estate development. You see that happening all the time now and that's a massive change from just 15 years ago.

And while we may not be landing big corporate HQ's, who the heck is? A big move like that rarely happens... What OKC has done is have lots of local companies grow substantially (Devon, CHK, SandRidge, Paycor, Express Personnel, Sonic, MidFirst, American Fidelity, etc.), get Continental to move down from Enid, and got tons of branch jobs like Boeing and Hertz. Not to mention a massive growth of the Health Sciences Center and the steadiness brought on by a large base of government jobs, including a lot of well-paying ones through Tinker.


I really do think OKC is starting to take off and I think we'll look back at this year as the time things really started to launch.

Totally agreed. I think you're 500% right. Now it's not a question of AA coming along, but how quickly, e.g.

[Pete]

As much as many of us gripe about our sprawl, it is also to some degree an advantage. You can work downtown and drive in from virtually anywhere (including Edmond) in about 20 minutes. When you are talking about big companies, they care about this sort of thing because most their execs and employees are not going to live in the urban core. They are much more concerned about big homes, big yards and good public schools -- at affordable prices.

To be sure, we absolutely need a more urban environment as well, to draw and retain members of the creative class and to provide a "there" to the city. We are finally getting there on several fronts and having this one-two suburban/urban punch and have both be pretty affordable... Well, that's a game changer in many ways.

[Pete]

What we have right now that makes us special is our underground culture vibe, stuff like the Plaza, Flaming Lips, deadCENTER, NW 9th, etc. But when I try and see where this is going in the future, I just see a big corporate plaza.

And let's not pretend that these cool things are new. There has always been a lot of cool stuff in OKC that comes and goes. I have heard stories of a place called Molly Murphy's that people might say was cooler than anything that exists now in the city. That was the 80s and 90s.

Molly Murphy's was nowhere close to cool or even unique. It's fun to talk about it now but it was a big box on Meridian near the airport and was nothing more than a rip-off of a Dallas restaurant. I lived in OKC the entire time it was open -- my best friend even DJ'd there -- and I bet I was in it two or three times. And I went out ALL the time.

I can guarantee you that there was nothing very 'cool' in OKC in the 70's and 80's and even 90's. There were a few places we all like to talk about glowingly but that is generally a case of romanticizing the past. There was simply nothing like Bricktown or any of the other urban districts we have been discussing -- at least not in the last 50 years.

If you were to ask me what the coolest thing was since the 60's, I'd probably say Michael's Plum in the late 70's or maybe the Bowery in Midtown. But both were in reality nothing special or in any way unique. There is a 1000% more 'cool' now in OKC than there has ever been in my 50 years.

[BDP]

What I meant to say is that I think it would be much more impressive to create a buzz for ourselves as a pillar of sustainability and livability (two things we really suck at right now), and to get featured in news outlets for being a leader for green, urban, sustainable development. That would say, "Here is a city that is embracing innovation, strategy, planning, and new ideas." Most CEOs are people who have respect for that particular trend.

Kind of like this:?

http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/fi...ck-OK-City.pdf

[Spartan]

Kind of like this:?

http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/fi...ck-OK-City.pdf

Yes, precisely.

[Bunty]

Molly Murphy's was nowhere close to cool or even unique. It's fun to talk about it now but it was a big box on Meridian near the airport and was nothing more than a rip-off of a Dallas restaurant. I lived in OKC the entire time it was open -- my best friend even DJ'd there -- and I bet I was in it two or three times. And I went out ALL the time.

Then explain why so many people very much loved Molly Murphy's and look back so fondly about it. People did love to be insulted and embarrassed by the wait staff. Even Tulsans love to reflect back upon their Molly Murphy's.

[soonerguru]

But that's exactly my point. Now imagine someone from Charlotte saying this about OKC, now or 10 years from now. Pot. Kettle. Black.

What we have right now that makes us special is our underground culture vibe, stuff like the Plaza, Flaming Lips, deadCENTER, NW 9th, etc. But when I try and see where this is going in the future, I just see a big corporate plaza.

And let's not pretend that these cool things are new. There has always been a lot of cool stuff in OKC that comes and goes. I have heard stories of a place called Molly Murphy's that people might say was cooler than anything that exists now in the city. That was the 80s and 90s.

Dude, Molly Murphey's was a fun theme restaurant, but it was not the zeitgeist of coolness or anything.

We DID have things like the Bowery, however, in the early 80s punk/new wave scene, which was one of the best venues in the country at that time.

[Pete]

I'm telling you guys, I can actually feel the momentum picking up in town.

I try to find and post as many things I can about new developments and I can barely keep up these last few weeks!

In one tiny area, for example, about a dozen things are breaking. In the AA 8th/9th/Broadway area you have a big, beautiful Hideaway opening, The Womb opening Friday, a new burger joint announced, Mason buying two new buildings, the Cline getting a building permit, a large chunk of The Packard building is leased to energy companies, the OK Art Institute announces plans to move into another Mason building, they are trying to close the alley between the Packard and the Guardian and renovate the latter.... This is all in the last 10 days!!!! You get the idea.


I really think things are going to start increasing in multiples. In fact, I'm working on maps of various neighborhoods so we can try and keep track of all this stuff. You get the feeling there is much more getting ready to break loose.

It's starting to feel like a run on the stock market where everyone gets swept up in the momentum and feels like they have to jump in or be left behind.

[SkyWestOKC]

I'm starting to get that feeling too.

Very exciting!

[Mikemarsh51]

I saw Los Lobos at the Bowery in the summer of 84, that place was awesome!

[soonerguru]

I'd rather fix reality with sustainable/livable improvements, rather than fix perception with ads and convention centers.

You are very glib -- and you almost always make great points -- but this is a particularly good turn of phrase. It's actually quite brilliant. And it speaks to the lunacy of the mistakes our current leadership is making.

I wish you would scream this at the top of your lungs to Roy Williams and Cynthia Reid and Mike Carrier and Clay Bennett and Ackerman McQueen at the next "board meeting." Of course, you won't be invited and you wouldn't be heard.

Losers.