MAKING A BID
What’s next for OKC’s downtown Business Improvement District?
In some respects, Brad Segal is a time traveler in our midst in Oklahoma City, returning every decade and each time discovering a downtown that is dramatically different from the one he once knew.
Segal’s first business in Oklahoma City started in 1998 when he was commissioned by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber to help establish the downtown Business Improvement District.
Downtown was still a pretty dismal place with the ballpark and canal having yet to open in Bricktown, Lower Bricktown being an industrial blight, the Skirvin boarded up and dark, Midtown on the verge of total collapse, and Film Row nothing more than a skid row.
The need for a new organization with stable funding was evident throughout downtown with various organizations struggling to represent some of the districts while the underground pedestrian tunnels were falling into disrepair and losing operational oversight. MAPS was set to pump new life into downtown, but the streets were looking shabby and any landscaping to speak of was pretty much left to fend itself against the elements.
The petition process to create new assessments to fund the district took about two years. Looking back, Segal says the downtown Oklahoma City business improvement district with its subdistricts and specialized services — maintenance of The Underground Tunnels and the Bricktown Canal — remains among the most complicated structures he has observed.
The timetable was set during that first visit with the first business improvement district started in 2000 with the creation of
Downtown Oklahoma City Inc. to oversee a new array of services that included street cleanup, marketing and event promotion.
The first decade was a time of learning and growing pains for the young organization, with a rotation of directors and staff. Their accomplishments, however, cannot be ignored with a legacy that includes the annual Devon Ice Rink and Downtown in December, the downtown housing tour and marketing for individual districts including Bricktown, Deep Deuce and Automobile Alley.
Segal returned in 2008 to launch the first renewal, and at that time he saw the start of the boathouse district getting underway along the Oklahoma River, plans for Project 180, and the impact of the original MAPS on downtown. In just a decade, the city had completed the ballpark, canal, arena, river improvements, library, Civic Center Music Hall makeover and expansion of the convention center.
Even then, it was clear Project 180 was set to have a similar impact on downtown. And by the time the second BID was officially renewed, the city was launching MAPS 3, which included a new convention center, park, more river improvements and a streetcar. The second 10-year term started with a new director, Jane Jenkins, who has established stability with staff and operations. Event promotions grew and community appearance projects expanded from street furniture to parklets, a community basketball court and public art.
The boundaries were expanded to include Film Row and Midtown. And as 2018 gets underway, the organization itself is rebranding itself as Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership. Much of MAPS 3 is still under construction, but the vision is clear — downtown as we know it is about to grow south and will continue to grow toward the west and east.
Before considering what that growth might mean for a third decade for the BID, Segal challenged its board of directors last week to focus on the fundamentals. “As we look at the next 10 years, what is the rationale for continuing?” Segal asked. “What is the value proposition?”
For Steve Mason, a property owner and developer along Automobile Alley, the value is in continuing the services already being provided by the BID. Rick Dowell, meanwhile, emphasized maintaining and operating the pedestrian tunnels that connect many of the office buildings and garages in the Central Business District, including properties owned by Dowell.
Mickey Clagg, a partner in Midtown Renaissance, reminded the board they are committed to maintaining streetscapes added by the city as part of Project 180.
Chuck Ainsworth, a veteran of downtown development and real estate, recalled how downtown was a disjointed effort before the creation of the BID and the Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership.
“What has helped us thrive and grow is the ability to work together,” Ainsworth said.
Questions about the future, however, are far more complex. The success of Jenkins and her crew invite interest from outside districts to join the district. The board seemed to agree growth toward Classen Boulevard might be warranted.
Mason, who also owns property in the Plaza District west of Classen, might benefit from such an expansion if it were to go that far. But he was the first to question at what point is growth detrimental to the existing participants?
“Can we be too big to fail?” Segal responded. “It depends on the level of service. That’s part of the question. You must ask, ‘If we grow, will we dilute the value of services?’”
The answer to this question won’t be easy. The Plaza District could use the sort of expertise established with the Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership. Similar interest has been expressed by some in the medical office park east of downtown.
The growth, indeed, could go too far. Is Uptown 23rd too far? How about Capitol Hill? It’s not difficult to predict the BID will be renewed. But growth is an issue. And sometimes the challenges presented by success can be just as vexing as those associated with failure.
The business improvement district expanded to include Midtown and Film Row during its second 10-year term, but will it grow again as part of a potential third term?