The Yukon Economic Development Authority met July 15 at the Centennial Building and spent the bulk of its public session on Main Street revitalization and broader economic development strategies, hearing residents and business owners press for parking, façade improvements, grants and clearer incentives to attract retail and food-and-drink tenants.

The discussion drew a mix of the board, city staff and community organizations. Vicki Davis, Main Street director and representative of the Yukon 66 Main Street Association, said the association has a market-target list and is launching incentive programs for retail and food businesses. “We just launched we're still kind of in that process of launching a business incentive grant, for new business start up programs, and it's specifically for retail and food and drink establishments,” Davis said, adding the program provides rental-reimbursement awards and that a separate, privately raised fund will support façade and property improvements.

Property owners and prospective tenants told the authority the practical barriers are immediate. Micah Spicer, owner of 419 West Main Street, said, “Parking is a huge problem on Main Street,” and described narrow, undersized spaces and a rough alley behind buildings that complicate deliveries and customer access. Spicer and other speakers urged the city to pursue shared parking or to open nearby municipally controlled lots to serve the commercial strip.

City staff described current recruitment focus areas and available tools. A staff member identified as Mister Decker said the city has concentrated recent recruitment along the I-40/Frisco corridor but welcomed a stronger, parallel focus on downtown: “We have focused, as of right now, on all the West Corridor trying to bring businesses in,” he said, and noted financing tools such as TIF districts and other incentive packages are available to support redevelopment.

Residents and board members discussed several concrete initiatives and constraints: a Route 66 commission grant opportunity (described in the meeting as potentially $1 million to $2 million, with a maximum of $1 million available from the commission for a wrapping/branding project on the grain elevators), past and current sales-tax rebate deals for large retailers, and a recently launched Main Street business-incentive program funded by nonprofit donations rather than city funds. Board members also raised concerns about building owners’ rent expectations: one attendee cited a quoted rent of about $3,200 per month for a small coffee shop space as a barrier to viable small businesses.

Speakers noted regulatory and infrastructure limits beyond local control. Several people highlighted that Route 66 is under Oklahoma Department of Transportation jurisdiction, which constrains curb and roadway work, and that historic-building code requirements and ADA-trigger thresholds complicate smaller property renovations. One participant summarized that many older buildings need code work but that the required ADA/rehab thresholds can deter small-scale private investment.

The meeting also ranged into related topics: potential public ownership or community-supported ownership models for the old mill, volunteer and chamber-led efforts to assemble grant applications (including a prospect to wrap grain elevators with Route 66 artwork), and the idea of targeting specific clusters (Main Street versus I-40 corridor) with different tools.

No formal redevelopment plan or procurement action was approved at the meeting. Board members asked staff and partners to develop analyses and educational sessions—several attendees suggested an informational session on tax increment financing (TIF) and how TIF or other incentives could be used for revitalization—but no formal referral or staff assignment with a deadline was recorded in this transcript.

Votes at a glance

• Election of chair: The authority elected Justin Ellis chairperson by roll call (Wooten: yes; Shriver: yes; Crossley: yes; Tippens: absent; Goodwin: yes; Shelton: yes; Ellis: yes). Motion and second recorded in the meeting transcript; mover/second were not specified in the roll-call record. Outcome: approved.

• Approval of minutes (10/24/2024 special meeting): Approved by roll call (Wooten: yes; Shriver: yes; Crossley: yes; Goodwin: yes; Shelton: yes; Ellis: yes). Outcome: approved.

• Meeting schedule and frequency: The authority voted to meet monthly, generally mid-month before the city council meeting, with the next meeting set for Aug. 13 (vote recorded as Wooten: yes; Shriver: yes; Crossley: yes; Goodwin: yes; Shelton: yes; Ellis: yes). Outcome: approved.

• Motion to adjourn: Approved by roll call (names recorded in transcript). Outcome: approved.

Context and next steps

Board members and multiple citizens asked staff and volunteer groups to continue work on a set of near-term, actionable items: a coordinated parking strategy for Main Street, a façade/property improvement grant program, the Route 66 grant application for the grain elevators, and an educational brief or workshop on TIFs and tax incentives. Vicki Davis and the Yukon 66 Main Street Association said the first business incentive (rental reimbursement) and a second, privately funded façade-improvement program are already in development; chamber representatives said they are pursuing Route 66 grant opportunities and meeting weekly on downtown initiatives.

The meeting made no binding commitments on city capital spending, TIF formation or property acquisition; board members said they intend to continue monthly meetings and to bring more detailed analyses to future sessions.