Downtown Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

After the bombing of the Murrah Building, the City of Oklahoma City initiated a proactive effort to revitalize its downtown.  This effort galvanized to form the Metropolitan Area Projects Plan (MAPS) that brought forth multiple improvements including renovations to key cultural facilities, construction of new professional sports venues, a walking canal for restaurants and mixed-use development, and a new trolley system.  The MAPS program continued in a second round (MAPS for Kids) to fund public education facilities, and is currently implementing a third round (MAPS III) to construct a central park, convention center and other urban redevelopment.

While at RTKL, Catalyst personnel worked with the City on the original MAPS program with emphasis on how to leverage these public investments towards the creation of new urban housing in downtown.  This program has been a success, with thousands of new housing units having been privately built in an around the downtown core.  The City redevelopment agency engaged Catalyst to work on the economic development strategy associated with MAPS III, with emphasis on opening up new land for redevelopment around the central park.  As part of this effort, Catalyst prepared a tax increment revenue analysis, and the project is now in implementation.

Client: OKC Redevelopment Agency

Status: Policies adopted; +$2B invested

Services: TIF Analysis, Market Analysis, Programming, Master Planning