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Wagoner County economic development director outlines quarterly goals; commissioners accept final USDA RBDG closing documents for Coweta coworking project
Summary
Economic development director Darla Heller presented a fourth-quarter report and 2025 goals, including site development and retail recruitment; the board approved final documents to close a $150,000 USDA Rural Business Development Grant for a Coweta coworking renovation.
Darla Heller, Wagoner County economic development director, presented the county’s fourth-quarter economic-development report on Jan. 13 and reviewed her 2025 goals for site development, downtown investment and retail recruitment.
Heller said the office produced a marketing parcel to promote available properties to site selectors and national retailers, and that three local sites have been submitted to a state sites program for review and possible state funding. She said the county’s marketing site lists available properties and job openings, and she flagged planned attendance at site-selection and retail trade events in the coming weeks to promote projects that could create “over 50 jobs” and “investment well over $20,000,000” if located in the county.
Separately, the commissioners approved closing documents for a $150,000 USDA Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) to assist Wagoner County in renovating a historic building in Coweta to create a coworking space. Heller said the county is the building owner, the county’s economic development authority is providing the match and that she worked with the State Historic Preservation Office and the project architect to meet federal historic-preservation standards. County staff confirmed that county legal counsel had reviewed the closing paperwork and found no issues. The board approved the final documents by roll call.
Heller also briefed the board on the Wagoner County Economic Development Authority’s activity, including property transfers and site work at the Indian Capital/ICT campus and downtown projects in Wagner and Coweta. She said federal and state investments in the previous quarters totaled more than $1.1 million in new dollars flowing into local projects, with direct USDA assistance to the Coweta coworking project expected to total $150,000. Heller said the authority has an inventory parcel it intends to market for residential use and that she will return to commissioners in February to discuss anticipated department expenditures for 2025.
