Top OKC economic development successes in 2018

Transformation was a key word for Oklahoma City in 2018. Major progress on several MAPS 3 projects and supporting public-private developments is completely changing how our downtown functions and feels. These developments, combined with our continued efforts to attract business and create jobs, mark some of our top economic development successes for 2018.

The Oklahoma City Convention Center broke ground in June, followed by the groundbreaking of the 605-room Omni Oklahoma City Hotel in October. These two momentous projects will multiply our potential to bring in large conventions and events and bring new dollars into the market. December brought the opening of the Oklahoma City Streetcar system, which has already brought significant economic impact and a new level of urbanism to Oklahoma City.

Two significant milestones in the Innovation District in 2018 indicate that we are well on our way to creating a premier global destination for innovation in Oklahoma City. Katy Evans Boren was named president and CEO of the Innovation District in July. She has begun promoting the district to the world and encouraging the collaborations and connections that will define the area. The second milestone was the hiring of a team led by the planning firm Perkins+Will to create a land use and strategic development plan for the Innovation District. Work is well underway on that plan, which should be complete by the middle of 2019.

Read the full article at The Journal Record