Issue 11

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2015 Issue 11 : A Special Main Street Edition

Develop, Innovate, Prosper

Kendall Whittier: Rejuvenated, Revitalized, Ready for More Everyone has passed through that part of town – the part where all you do is pass through. It’s on the way to a number of places, but it’s not the destination. In many communities across Oklahoma and the U.S., the Main Street Program has helped communities take that part of town and transform it into the part of town. The Kendall Whittier district in Tulsa is just one example where hard work and community involvement has brought incredible change and opportunity. “Even before the revitalization started, Kendall Whittier had a foundation for what was to come – a great collection of historic buildings with excellent proximity to downtown Tulsa,” said Ed Sharrer, Executive Director of Kendall Whittier Main Street (KWMS). “Ziegler Art & Frame was founded in Whittier Square in the early 1970s. Despite sharp decline in the surrounding business district, the Ziegler family stayed put and purchased numerous properties when they became available. The historic 1928 Circle Theater was purchased in 2003 by a new nonprofit founded by Clark Wiens and opened in 2004. As interest in the core of the city grew, so did interest in the neighborhoods surrounding downtown. Kendall Whittier was rediscovered.” Once the ball got rolling, the businesses started opening and people started coming.

“We felt it important to get the Circle back in operation and to help preserve a bit of Tulsa film history,” said Stephanie LaFevers, Executive Director, Circle Cinema Foundation, Inc. “The theatre had sat empty for at least a decade at that point and was in very sad shape. Luckily, it hadn’t met the wrecking ball fate of most of the other historic movie houses in Tulsa.” LaFevers credits KWMS with promoting the area to attract businesses and visitors. “The Main Street Program has helped to bring attention and attract more businesses, more public events, and more visitors to the district. All that has helped bring in more people to our facility,” she said. “Ed is passionate and

works hard to promote it to the general public as well as to foster cohesiveness and collaboration among its businesses and stakeholders.” Like other Main Street programs, KWMS uses various events to help drive traffic to and bring new traffic to the area. “Each event is unique, but all KWMS events are designed to create value for Kendall Whittier merchants and make a positive impression on guests,” said Sharrer. “The K-Dub Food Truck Festival brings approximately 2,000 people from all over the Tulsa metro area to Whittier Square for one afternoon. Based on surveys, 40% of those attendees visit a Kendall Whittier merchant before or after the festival.” Continued on page 3

Q&A with Linda Barnett, Transforming Oklahoma, One Community at a Time, p. 3 Main Street Four Point Approach Success Stories, p. 4 Melyn Johnson, Directing the Winds of Change in Guymon, p. 6


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