Nearly two years have passed since Gary Jones was hired by the 112-member Capitol Chamber of Commerce to work on efforts to revitalize the NE 23 Street corridor, spanning from Interstate 235 to Interstate 35.

He's poured over business models, studied revitalization efforts nationwide and finally figured out the answer was staring him right in the face. More precisely, it was just down the street.

"The Asian District is the model we're currently trying to implement," says Jones, whose clients can't wait to get hold of a piece of a $9 million stimulus pie to improve the corridor. "We think that was probably one of the most impressive strategies we have seen nationwide in order to take a specific area and turn it into a business district that is successful."

Over the past four years, the city of Oklahoma City already has invested more than $9 million on the corridor for decorative lighting, landscaped medians, sidewalks, road resurfacing and waterlines in an effort to stimulate growth.

But more is yet to come.

Back in March, Oklahoma City Councilman Skip Kelly shared his vision of his northeast quadrant district. It was also the same day he told attendees Ward 7 would get approximately $9 million for further infrastructure projects. The work of the previous streetscape project, which Kelly says improved the area but didn't go far enough, would be enhanced.

But money - while helpful - wouldn't be enough. That's why Kelly lobbied for and won stronger ordinances for the area.

"The first vision was to get the code ordinances in place to hold the property owners accountable for the use of the land," he says. "I think once we get a clear overlay of ordinances in place, it will establish what can be built and how it can be built and the upkeep of the properties. It's like taking an old car: If you want to go about restoring it, you've got to clean it up. I think it's a situation where we've got to do the cleanup first."

EXCITEMENT
Beginning in October, tighter restrictions on new construction materials and storage were implemented. Businesses, such as garages, faced restrictions on storing tires and other inventory outdoors overnight. Tougher fencing and signage requirements were also put in place.

Earlier in the year, Kelly pushed for a complete refurbishing of the brick circle overlayments at the intersections along NE 23 Street. Loose bricks reportedly would hit the underside of passing cars, so he pushed for stamped concrete instead.

With the stimulus and zoning changes, those pushing for improvement along NE 23 Street couldn't be happier.

"The community is excited," Jones says. "The work that has already been done has tremendously improved the look and even the feel along the NE 23 Street corridor. Additional investments will allow us to do even more things in order to improve the current situation."

With the aesthetics improving, he says economic development is the next key. And with help from the federal government, the area is rife with potential.

EMPOWERED
According to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development data, nearly the entire corridor is located in a federally designated Empowerment Zone, which includes much of Downtown Oklahoma City. Through a pool of tax breaks and other incentives, totaling as much as $4.5 billion, the Empowerment Zone is designed to foster collaboration between the public and private sectors to create new jobs.

Businesses can receive tax credits of up to $3,000 per year for each qualified employee, whether newly hired or already on the payroll. Tax-exempt finance bonds also are available, as well as increased expense deductions.

Jones says the opening of a new full-service Tinker Federal Credit Union, 1177 NE 23, this fall was a huge step in the right direction.
"The next most important object for those of us working on economic development is to market and tell the story of the revitalization along the