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Chickasha EDC approves consent docket and outlines downtown, bridge and film-incentive priorities
Summary
At a recent Chickasha Economic Development Council meeting, members unanimously approved the consent docket and discussed next fiscal year priorities including a pedestrian bridge design, downtown streetscape planning, TIF funding, film incentives and a prospective Main Street grant program.
Members of the Chickasha Economic Development Council unanimously approved the meeting consent docket and spent the remainder of the session discussing the council—s upcoming work plan and several downtown development initiatives.
The council voted to approve the consent docket by roll call; members recorded in the roll call as voting yes were Elliot, Ian, Smith, Logins, Evelyn, McCarty and Grayson. The meeting then focused on priorities the EDC will present for next fiscal-year budgeting and on ongoing projects that officials said will shape downtown development.
Council members discussed the Townsend initiative and related projects linking the fairgrounds, downtown and the industrial airport. Participants said design work for a proposed pedestrian bridge is funded for the design phase; construction funding has not been identified. Meeting participants said state legislative funding is being pursued and that Senator Paxton has expressed interest in the pedestrian bridge.
The council also described work with Half and Associates on a downtown streetscape plan; the goal discussed was a unified corridor from the fairgrounds through downtown that could be organized into two complimentary districts, described in the meeting as an Old Town District and an Arts District. Officials said the streetscape plan is a candidate for a federal planning grant.
Discussion included the industrial art park project and interest from a potential distillery developer; council members said the distillery concept is likely at least a year away from being revisited while other design and funding steps proceed.
Members discussed downtown park phases. The Chickasha Community Foundation is reported to have a multi-million-dollar grant application pending to support the park; meeting participants said a separate, earlier grant from the PSO Foundation provided roughly $100,000 toward the —Legends— area that recognizes people with ties to Chickasha.
Officials noted the Downtown TIF District formally started Jan. 1 of this year. Council members described the TIF as likely to accumulate revenue slowly at first and then become available for capital needs as new development and taxable improvements occur.
Two recent pieces of state legislation were discussed in terms of potential local impact: House Bill 2374, described in the meeting as expanding the Film in Oklahoma Act and production incentives, and House Bill 2407, described as creating an Oklahoma Main Street grant program; meeting participants said HB 2407 would create a program but is unfunded as written.
The council reiterated that the EDC has an annual contract with a contractor referenced in the meeting as —CIA— to perform economic development functions; members were invited to submit input for the contract and the upcoming EDC work plan. The board chair said the EDC will present a recap of the prior fiscal year and a proposed budget to the city manager and then to the council at the June meeting.
The meeting closed after a motion to adjourn was moved and seconded.
