The program isn't just a capital resource, but rather a means to provide tools, advice and help to rehab or upgrade an area for communities that meet requirements. The Main Street program is dedicated to preserving historical structures and finding new uses for old structures and land. The team assists rural and urban community programs with a minimum three years of funding support, local government buy-in and a full-time staff person to oversee efforts.
Oklahoma Main Street's state director Linda Barnett says the Plaza District is a small commercial component of a residential neighborhood that is being built up. "This is one of the more historic neighborhoods in Oklahoma City. It's where the trolley ended at one time," she says. "They're trying to bring back the commercial area. The focus is on an arts and entertainment venue, that's their means for bringing it back."
Meanwhile in Tulsa, efforts will focus on cleaning up areas around tank farms and boosting the small commercial core of area historic buildings. "This is on historic Route 66 so there are Route 66 iconic structures that will be saved, a park they want to renovate and other similar things," Barnett tells GlobeSt.com.
Another target for the Red Fork re-gentrification is the Crystal City Shopping Center, a mid-20th century open-air mall down to a handful of tenants and unkempt parking lots. Barnett says the challenge is to find an adaptive reuse for a large mall that is well beyond its prime. "This could set a precedent once we get it going," she adds. "The country is filled with similar types of centers put there during the 1950s and 1960s that are simply no longer usable."
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