CityScape APRIL 2018 | ISSUE 9 | AN UPDATE ON THE PROGRESS MOVING OKC FORWARD Oklahoma City economy adds jobs, companies
Oklahoma City’s economy is off to a strong start in 2018, with hundreds of jobs being added to the region by new and existing companies. With a recent announcement by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., Oklahoma City will once again be home to an aerospace production facility. Kratos, a leading national security solutions provider, announced in January that it will open administrative/engineering offices and production facilities in Oklahoma City for its unmanned systems division. Kratos specializes in military target drones with fighter-like performance. The company expects to employ more than 350 workers in Oklahoma within the next few years, and Oklahoma City will be the site for new tactical drone production. Joining Kratos on the list of companies making significant investments is WeGoLook, an Oklahoma City startup that is growing exponentially.
WeGoLook was founded in 2009 to help consumers increase their confidence in online transactions, and it has grown to be the world’s first gig economy, or freelance employee, platform for business customers. The company was acquired by Crawford & Co., a global
independent claims management firm, in 2017, and announced in March that they will add more than 300 jobs in Oklahoma City by 2023. Currently, WeGoLook has more than 140 employees and 40,000 independent contractors around the globe. Adding to the positive development in Oklahoma City is CACI International Inc., a company that provides cyber-security and information services to intelligence, defense and federal civilian customers. CACI
In 2018, Oklahoma City metro job growth is expected to grow by 1.4 percent, or 9,100 jobs.
will centralize some of its business operations in Oklahoma City by opening a shared services center. The center is expected to employ 550 people when fully staffed.
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Kratos, a leading national security solutions provider, announced in January that it will open administrative/engineering offices and production facilities for its unmanned systems division in Oklahoma City.
Meet Oklahoma City’s Next Mayor On Tuesday, Feb. 13, Oklahoma City voters overwhelmingly elected David Holt as the next mayor of Oklahoma City. Mayor-elect Holt, a native of Oklahoma City, brings with him years of experience in state, local and federal government. Holt was elected to the Oklahoma State Senate in 2010, where he represented parts of Oklahoma City. Prior to that, he served as chief of staff to Mayor Mick Cornett for five years. Holt is also the author of “Big League City: Oklahoma City’s Rise to the NBA.”
Oklahoma City has a lot of positive momentum after three decades of successful public investments that in turn spurred even more private investment, jobs and development. As mayor, how do you plan to continue that momentum? First, we want to make sure we take care of the basics—police, fire, streets, infrastructure. The good news is the voters approved major investments in those areas last September, and I’ll work to ensure those promises are kept. Second, we need to have an inclusive conversation about continuing the quality-of-life investments that have given us this positive momentum. Specifically, we’ll need to start talking soon as a community about whether to pursue a MAPS 4 and what challenges it might address. Third, to continue our momentum, we have to focus on education. And finally, we have to better incorporate the diversity of our city into decision making. To me, these are the foundational elements that allow us to continue this momentum and to extend it to every part of the city. What role does economic development play in Oklahoma City’s success, and how do you plan to strengthen OKC’s economic development potential? Humans can’t live without food and water and cities can’t live without jobs. It’s that fundamental. When I talk about momentum or the foundational elements to our city’s success, I’m really talking about all the things that create an ecosystem for economic growth. That’s the ultimate goal. So, I think all the things I mentioned previously play into our economic development potential. I would add there are also some more direct ways we influence that equation. There are entities like the Chamber of Commerce or the Alliance for Economic Development that take these assets we have cultivated and sell them to job creators around the world. That work is important and must continue. I also believe we can probably do more to create a local ecosystem for
Members of the CityScape editorial team recently interviewed Mayor- elect Holt on his goals as mayor of Oklahoma City. Read the Q&A below
to learn more about his priorities and how he plans to implement them, beginning when he is sworn into office on April 10. CityScape: What inspired you to run for Oklahoma City mayor? Mayor-elect Holt: On a civic level, I wanted to see our city’s momentum continue. I love Oklahoma City. This is my hometown and where our family has chosen to build our lives together. I felt as if I uniquely understood how to continue that momentum and make sure it reaches every part of our city. And on a more personal level, I’ve served at every level of government, but I felt the most fulfilled when I was at City Hall. This is where you can make a difference. What have you learned from your time as an elected official in the Oklahoma State Senate, and how will that impact the way you will lead Oklahoma City? A lot of times, it’s been what not to do. The current Legislature doesn’t understand the importance of investing in our future, it spends too much time on trivial issues, and it doesn’t know how to compromise. In Oklahoma City, we have been willing to do what it takes to build a city where people want to live and work. We have focused on things that matter. And we have worked together to compromise, which is the only way a diverse city of 650,000 people can move forward. On a more personal level, I would say my eight years in the Senate have been valuable in learning how to navigate the many challenges presented in any political process. Experience is, as they say, everything. I authored more than 70 pieces of legislation that became law. Every one of those bills—and the ones I failed to advance, too—provided experiences I’ll draw upon moving forward.
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entrepreneurs, especially in the tech and bio industries. Encouraging the innovation district’s growth could help to address that. How do you plan to support public education in Oklahoma City? Public education is the greatest challenge facing our city. And it’s personal to me as well—my kids are students in Oklahoma City Public Schools. Cities and school districts are separate entities in Oklahoma, but a mayor must do everything he can to address our city’s greatest challenges. A mayor can convene the interested parties in our city and develop a consensus around a strategic vision for education. We had MAPS for Kids, but that was 17 years ago. It’s time to develop a new vision and rally our city around its implementation. One of your top priorities is incorporating diversity into decision making. How do you plan to bridge divides and make Oklahoma City leadership more diverse? The first step is to use the platform of the position to force us all out of our bubbles a little bit. Spending a year running for mayor has a way of exposing you to people and places you wouldn’t have otherwise experienced. I need to be engaged in all the communities within our city, and I need to share those experiences with everyone else. A mayor also has direct appointment authority over hundreds of volunteer positions. Over time, I will make sure those appointments reflect our population. And finally, the mayor has a big say in who is in the room when decisions are made. I will make sure those rooms
reflect the diversity of our city. There are communities that have not felt a part of our decision-making and our momentum, and for our city to succeed in the long term, that has to change. What is the best way for Oklahoma City residents to contribute to Oklahoma City’s ongoing growth? Stay engaged. On important issues moving forward, I’m going to repeatedly and publicly invite your input. Please respond, so all our voices are represented. We’re not all going to get exactly what we want, but I believe in win-win solutions, where the final product reflects a compromise. That final outcome can’t begin to reflect your priorities or your vision if you don’t articulate it. I would also say—stay optimistic. Stay unified. Stay proud. Oklahoma City is a special place because we believed we could accomplish things that others doubted. And we did it by setting aside things that might divide us. That’s a unique thing in these times, and we should be proud of that. Four years from now, what is your vision for what Oklahoma City will look like? We’ll have core services we’re extremely proud of. We’ll have more quality-of-life investments coming that ensure our momentum for another decade. We’ll have a hopeful vision for public education that we’re pursuing together. We’ll have a decision-making process that the whole city feels a part of. And I think with those things in place, we’ll have continued job growth and a continued sense of pride and optimism.
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Picture OKC in 2020
Oklahoma City Convention Center The new convention center and its adjacent headquarters hotel will allow Oklahoma City to compete for 80 percent or more of the events held in the United States, further developing the region’s hospitality industry. The $277 million center, which is projected to open in 2020, will feature nearly 200,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 30,000-square-foot ballroom and 45,000 square feet of additional meeting space. Oklahoma City will start the next decade with a new landscape as both MAPS 3-funded and private projects are completed.
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New Convention Center Headquarter Hotel
Connected to the new convention center and adjacent to Scissortail Park and Chesapeake Energy Arena, this new 605-room headquarters hotel for the convention center will be operated by Omni Hotel & Resorts. The full-service, four-star hotel will have six restaurants and bars with about 16,500 square feet of space, plus more than 50,000 square feet of ballroom and meeting space.
Scissortail Park This 70-acre, fully programmed park will connect the core of Oklahoma City to the shore of the Oklahoma River. Construction has begun on a 40-acre section across from the new convention center site and will be completed in 2019, with the lower 30-acre portion set to open in 2021. The park will provide a variety of recreation activities, including walking/biking/running trails, picnic sites, youth sports fields, play areas and interactive water features.
Oklahoma City Streetcar Key to Oklahoma City’s connectivity will be the Oklahoma City Streetcar, which is currently under construction and will open later this year. The streetcar’s two route options—which span much of Bricktown, Midtown, Automobile Alley and the central business district—will serve 22 stops and provide easy access to many of Oklahoma City’s attractions.
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Oklahoma City sees strong start to 2018 (continued from page 1)
These announcements support projections in the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber’s 2018 Economic Forecast, which found that the Oklahoma City metro economy is now on a steady recovery path. In 2018, Oklahoma City metro job growth is expected to continue this momentum and grow by 1.4 percent, or 9,100 jobs. If national economic conditions continue to be positive, there is the potential for local job gains to be even higher by the end of the year. Growth in 2018 will also return the state’s economy to the $180 billion level established in 2015, and sustained growth through the end of the year will leave the state approaching a $200 billion economy. The projected growth is coming on the heels of a successful 2017, which saw about 6,900 jobs, or 1.1 percent job growth, being added to the Greater Oklahoma City region during the year. A number of new-to-the- region companies announced their expansion into the market in 2017, including Mobile Medical Examination
into Oklahoma City with a new outreach center providing 400 full-time jobs over the course of five years in the Oklahoma City community. The Oklahoma City facility will be MedXM’s second-largest national outreach center, adding an initial 23,000 square feet of office space with plans to expand. Bringing 375 new jobs to the market, SkyWest announced the construction of a 135,000-square-foot maintenance center at the Lariat Landing development near Will Rogers World Airport. Their estimated average annual wage is more than $56,000 and the company plans to invest approximately $30 million for construction of the facility. Other major announcements in 2017 included NTT DATA Services, an Amazon sorting facility, Solaris Paper, and Niagara Bottling. Existing companies also did their part to strengthen the economy last year. In 2017, existing companies added 1,666 jobs to the Oklahoma City economy, with new capital investments totaling $58 million.
Inc. (MedXM), a national leader in the design and
implementation of preventive care technology and in-home health risk assessments. They announced their expansion
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OKC sees progress on public projects
With voter-approved funding from sales tax collections, the City of Oklahoma City continues to invest in infrastructure and public projects throughout the community. From improving streets, growing Oklahoma City’s transit options and adding connectivity with trails, funds generated by a penny sales tax are transforming Oklahoma City into a better place to live and work. City council approves first Better Streets, Safer City street improvement projects
The Will Rogers Trail’s north trailhead is just south of Lake Hefner. Heading southeast, the protected trail generally follows Northwest Expressway to the Lake Hefner Parkway. A crosswalk gets pedestrian and cyclists across Northwest Expressway safely. The trail then follows Interstate 44 south as it wraps around the north side of State Fair Park, then turns south following May Avenue to the south trailhead on the Oklahoma River Trails system. All but two blocks of the 8.1-mile trail are protected, and the entire path is ADA-compliant, multi-use and designed for two-way traffic. Also in March, city officials broke ground on the MAPS 3 Lake Draper Trail, which circles Lake Stanley Draper with a 13-mile path. The
In September 2017, Oklahoma City residents approved a temporary penny sales tax to address the No. 1 concern of Oklahoma City residents: improving Oklahoma City’s streets. The temporary penny sales tax took effect Jan. 1, 2018, after the MAPS 3 tax expired, and 16 street resurfacing projects have already been approved by the Oklahoma City Council. The projects are spread throughout Oklahoma City on highly traveled streets with the greatest need for improvements. These early start projects include two in each of Oklahoma City’s eight wards. The temporary sales tax is expected to generate about $240 million over 27 months: $168 million for street resurfacing, $24 million for
$12.6 million trail is expected to be completed this fall. The Lake Draper and Will Rogers trails join the 7.5- mile West River Trail, which was completed in 2015, in connecting thousands of residents, workers, shoppers and visitors to the growing Oklahoma City trails system. Modern streetcar delivered to OKC The first modern streetcar for the Oklahoma City Streetcar system was delivered in February, marking the initial milestone in a year full
Oklahoma City’s first neighborhood trail, the Will Rogers Trail, was completed debt-free thanks to the MAPS 3 program.
of progress for the MAPS 3 project. The streetcar will have two route options: a 2-mile Bricktown loop, and a 4.8-mile mainline serving the rest of the central urban core. Three streetcars have already arrived, and the remainder of Oklahoma City’s streetcars are being delivered throughout the year. Altogether, the streetcar will serve 22 stops with five streetcars, which ride on rails flush with the street. Each streetcar can carry 104 passengers, and stops will be served every 12-15 minutes. Streetcars have already begun testing on the completed sections of rails, and service for the entire project is expected to begin in late 2018.
streetscapes, $24 million for sidewalks, $12 million for trails and $12 million for bicycle infrastructure. Learn more about the projects it will fund and stay updated on progress at www.okc.gov/bettersafer. OKC trails system continues to grow Oklahoma City’s first neighborhood trail opened in March as civic leaders cut the ribbon on MAPS 3’s Will Rogers Trail. As the second of three trails funded by MAPS 3, Will Rogers Trail connects Lake Hefner with the Oklahoma River.
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123 Park Ave. | Oklahoma City, OK 73102 www.okcchamber.com
EDITORIAL STAFF Cynthia Reid, Kaylee Terracina
Festival of the Arts, pictured on the cover, has been a community celebration of visual, performing and culinary art since 1967. Attend this year’s event on April 24-29 at Bicentennial Park in downtown Oklahoma City.
DESIGNER Traci Hayes
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