Broken Arrow's Development Push Continued Despite Pandemic

Despite a year when the COVID-19 pandemic challenged municipalities across the state, Broken Arrow has forged ahead on several economic development projects, thanks in part to a partnership between the city and its local chamber.

In recent months, Broken Arrow has launched the rebranding and redevelopment of a commercial neighborhood, opened a workforce center and opened a satellite office for the Tulsa County Clerk in its historic downtown.

“The robust partnership between the City of Broken Arrow Tourism and Economic Development Team (TED Team) and the Broken Arrow Economic Development Corporation is producing tremendous results for the City of Broken Arrow,” Norman Stephens, assistant city manager in Broken Arrow, told the Oklahoma Municipal League.

Broken Arrow is Oklahoma’s fourth-largest city – local officials are optimistic they could reach No. 3 after the next Census count – that has transformed from a bedroom community outside of Tulsa into its own center of economic activity.

The growth of Broken Arrow has necessitated an expansion of housing and retail options, along with a need to invest in the local workforce, said Darla Heller, Senior Vice President of Economic Development for the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce.

“We haven’t put on the breaks because of Covid, we have kept our eyes on how we can continue to develop and grow,” Heller said in an interview with the Oklahoma Municipal League.

In December, the Career and Workforce Center was opened as a physical space inside the chamber’s office, along with a virtual component. Designed as a center that supports local residents looking for a job, individuals can receive support building a resume, review job listings and receive career counseling services. The city and Tulsa County each contributed $150,000 to the center, which became especially important for those who were displaced because of the pandemic.

“It’s very important for us as a city to support our citizens in jobs,” Former Mayor Craig Thurmond said at the center’s opening. “Jobs are really the key that drives the economy. It’s so important to us to continue to do this.”

Heller said the workforce center is also an important asset for local businesses that continue to struggle to find the right employees.

“Workforce is the number one issue for all our businesses,” Heller said. “But this was also especially important during these times because if there is a layoff we wanted to find a way that as a community we really help put those people back to work fast.”

Last year, Broken Arrow also launched a redevelopment effort of one of its key commercial centers (Elm Place and New Orleans Avenue), starting with a rebranding of the area to now identify it as New Orleans Square, a name selected through a process of soliciting suggestions from the public.

The city has painted new crosswalks and installed signage, landscaping and public art in an effort to stimulate business growth in the area and give it a new identity.

“It was really a big box (retail store) area but it has lost some of its shopping experience recently,” Heller said. “So the city and the chamber have really worked together to encourage businesses to go into that area.”

While New Orleans Square is a new commercial focus for the city, the Rose District remains its central business district that is utilizing historic buildings, pedestrian-friendly infrastructure and a vibrant dining and entertainment scene to make this suburban community a destination in its own right.

One of the biggest recent additions to the Rose District has been a new satellite office of the Tulsa County Clerk, Heller said.

“It’s really a tourism element,” Heller said, referring to the court clerk’s ability to issue marriage licenses in a community that hosts a lot of weddings at area venues.

Stephens, the assistant city manager, agreed that the new court clerk office will boost the city as a destination for weddings.

Norman Stephens, Assistant City Manager

"The problem we would have with that is if you had to drive to downtown Tulsa to go to the court clerk’s office to get your wedding license, that really takes away your ability to be a one-stop destination," Stephens told Tulsa Public Radio.

More services, such as passport applications, could be offered in the future, county officials said.
Heller said these development projects are a product of the relationship between the city and chamber, which includes the Broken Arrow Economic Development Corporation.

“The city really focuses on tourism, retail development, and our side is really focused on jobs, recruitment of industry and business retention,” Heller said.