Is It Possible for Oklahoma City to Happen Again

In the one-time town of Britton, a long blighted stretch of storefronts is coming to life. Where there were one time seedy confined, passersby now see Zero Tolerance Coffee, Hooligan's Barbershop and Hideout Art. On the same stretch, construction is underway for Venn Pizza and Madhopper Brewing.

Downwardly the street the newly renovated Depression-era Owl Courts motel is filled with a barbershop, salon and Mash Blood brother Coffee.

After a deadly winter, Oklahoma City is in the midst of an economic rebound, defying the pandemic that has wreaked havoc on economies worldwide.

And while the hospitality and energy industries are however struggling, the optimism for a return to normalcy and economical recovery has some wondering if Oklahoma is near to experience a second "roaring '20s."

Happy days certainly announced to be hither again for the Britton corridor, which was one time a part of Road 66 that went through the heart of the Town of Britton earlier it was annexed into Oklahoma City.

The recovery started shortly before the pandemic and tackled decades of decline reflected by the boarded-up storefronts and aging sidewalks along Britton Road between Western Artery and Classen Boulevard.

Similar indications of life are popping upward throughout the metropolis.

The metropolis's unemployment rate is at 4.7%, seventh-lowest among the country's largest cities and far lower than the xiv.8% recorded in April. The city's latest sales tax cheque for February was 4.iv% higher than the same pre-pandemic period a year ago.

One of the major investors in the Britton revival, Steve Goetzinger, is among those optimistic practiced times are to come after a yr of shutdowns and economic hardships.

"I call back people are so ready, and there is a pent-up demand for a return to normalcy," Goetzinger said. "History teaches united states that after 1918, the roaring '20s came. It will exist like the end of the 1918 pandemic; people volition be ready to exit dine and have fun."

Back to a unlike hereafter

When Goetzinger and several other developers took on the claiming of reviving Britton, the local economy was humming though hundreds of task cuts already were happening at oil and gas companies, including giants like Devon Free energy and Chesapeake Free energy.

Chesapeake Energy is a shadow of its onetime cocky, leaving the nearby Britton District and upscale Classen Curve deprived of thousands of well-paid workers that one time filled the Chesapeake office buildings at present for auction.

A contempo forecast by economists Russell Evans and Eric Long for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber reports the city'southward energy manufacture was "hit hard" with more than 8,000 workers losing their jobs every bit travel ground to a halt.

Some of those jobs might come dorsum in 2022 if the global economy starts growing, but fifty-fifty so, Evans and Long say local free energy employment is unlikely to return to the levels seen in the early on 2000s.

In the meantime, the energy jobs continue disappearing. About 500 cuts are expected with Enable Midstream, which was headquartered at BOK Park Plaza, being acquired last calendar month by Dallas-based Energy Transfer.

"The pandemic didn't help," said Roy Williams, chamber president. "Just there were so many factors driving it beyond the pandemic. I don't retrieve nosotros're through with acquisitions and mergers in the energy industry. If you don't have the corporate headquarters buying, you're going to lose. There is still going to be a shakeout in the industry."

Offsetting energy-related job losses are new aviation and engineering jobs taking their identify. Evens and Long are looking at an optimistic job forecast scenario of 3.2% growth or virtually 20,500 jobs past the end of 2021. This growth, they said, parallels expectations for the nation.

An culling model shows a more pessimistic start to 2021 with the Oklahoma City area job growth at 1.5% or merely nether ten,000 jobs added by the cease of the 4th quarter. That would leave Oklahoma Urban center with employment still below pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Eager entrepreneur

Elijah Vick, owner of Brew Brother Java Shop, is hoping for the more than optimistic scenario as he struggles to overcome challenges he has faced since opening at the one truly preserved Owl Court office, ane of Britton'southward authentic Road 66 landmarks.

When he commencement started planning the coffee shop for the 225-square-foot building, his vision was to create a mix of delivery coffee for nearby office workers and create hub for coffee and hip-hop lovers.

"I was originally going to brand this a tasting room (with) this affair chosen open-source coffee where baristas from all over the state come in and showcase their drinks," Vick said. "Only of form, the plague but changed all that. So our niche is that like we have hip-hop lyrics and turn it into food and beverage."

For now, the hip-hop lyrics and dreams are limited to branding of his coffees and breakfast items. Just with springtime weather returning and the continued decline in COVID-19 cases, Vick is hoping to host a hip-hop event and transition back to at least part of his original vision.

"Nosotros switched our business model from being a day-to-day coffee place to how are we going to back up the wellness care workers?" Vick said.

Vick as well is hoping to come across an increment in java delivery business generated by hundreds of insurance and medical support workers whose offices are nearby at Britton and Broadway but were allowed to piece of work from home during the pandemic.

A March survey past the Greater Oklahoma Metropolis Sleeping accommodation indicates many of those workers will return as long as COVID-nineteen numbers continue to reject. Of 237 businesses surveyed, 39% responded all or most of their workers will be returning to their offices while only 5% said their remote operations are not going to change.

The remaining respondents indicated they will be using work from home options every bit a means to retaining and recruiting employees. The survey as well shows 71% of employees of those firms wanting to exit of the house and back in the role.

"We were heading in this management anyway," Williams said. "The pandemic just sped it up. More companies were and are looking at remote working and giving their employees more flexibility."

Dreams delayed, dreams realized

Britton didn't finish moving forward when stay-in-place orders were issued early on and limits were placed on public gatherings. Zippo Tolerance, which is office coffee, role artisan chocolates, saw its business organization grow and is planning to expand its production space in a warehouse across the street.

Lisa Lampton Allen, who owns Hideout Art next door to Goose egg Tolerance, is seeing brisk business with sold-out classes.

In addition to the pizzeria beingness built out and construction starting on the brewery, Goetzinger said he is once again in discussion with potential tenants for the Ritz Theater. Before the pandemic hit, he was hopeful to sign a lease with an operator for an event venue.

Todd O'Daniel and Isaac Hines saw their plans to build a small arts and crafts brewery delayed for months because of slowdowns acquired by the pandemic.

"We've been in planning for this for a couple of years," O'Daniel said. "Nosotros started out home brewing in the kitchen out of a five-gallon stock pot. We took our product to market at the brewer's union for a twelvemonth. And and then the pandemic hitting."

The pair didn't give upwards, and with support from Goetzinger, structure is starting this month in what was once domicile to the Britton Theater. In about five months they await to open their tap room, which will take a capacity of 16 to 20 taps, and an outdoor patio. Madhopper Brewing has 4 brands and taps will exist defended to 8 to ten experimental beers the pair volition be featuring.

"We are a arts and crafts brewery, a small craft brewery," O'Daniel said. 'We believe there is place for the large guys and petty guys. We are one of the minor craft places. We similar the surface area of Britton, we like where it'southward going, and we want to be the neighborhood brewery. We desire to exist a family friendly brewery and part of a story."

Planning during the shutdown

The pandemic kick-started Hooligans, which possessor Kaylee Wiseman admits might not have go a reality but for a closing of barbershops and salons at the commencement of the pandemic that left her non working but able to pursue a business programme.

"I never thought I would ain my ain business," Wiseman said. "I started planning it during the shutdown. That'due south when I started thinking about doing my own place."

Spending time at abode with her family unit, Wiseman began to contemplate a future where she could routinely spend weekends with them instead of at work.

She also saw the chance to provide a hybrid draw that would fit well in a working-class neighborhood like Britton.

"I liked the catering aspect of Knockouts, and the pampering they offer," Wiseman said. "From there I went to Tom'due south Barbershop. I learned a lot there — information technology's a pigsty in the wall, classic barbershop."

Hooligans, which opened in September, combines the two approaches. Guests are offered free drinks, including beer and cocktails (limit of two), waters, sodas and juices. A pool table is offered as a distraction instead of televisions during waits.

Sometimes strangers get acquainted at the table while other times a father and son might take a turn with the pool cues.

"Information technology's a pretty big open up space, not crammed, and pool is a game where you can proceed a distance from each other," Wiseman said. "Everywhere I've been there is a wait, then nosotros have a pool table. We tin interact with each other again."

Business is proficient, Wiseman said, merely she admits she was scared of another shutdown. But she didn't want to miss an opportunity that will give her barbershop a future brewery and pizzeria equally neighbors.

"I just liked this building," Wiseman said. "With the pizza identify and brewery going, it looks like it might end up being like the Plaza District."

O'Daniel shares that hope.

"The pandemic put a hold on everything," O'Daniel said. "You're starting to see a get-go on local places opening up. This could be another arts district. I retrieve people are realizing local is where information technology'south at and people don't need the big box stores."

Cautious recovery

As the first Oklahoma City mayor in a century to bargain with a pandemic, David Holt has walked a fine line betwixt being a cautionary vocalism on keeping the infection rate downwardly and yet remaining a booster for local arts, dining, shopping and entertainment.

Afterward a cruel winter that saw hundreds of Oklahomans die from the virus, including some prominent civic leaders, the daily positive test cases have dropped from thousands to under a few hundred. One time strained hospitals are most dorsum to normal operations.

Vaccinations soon will exist available to all in Oklahoma City, and current predictions suggest a return to some normalcy by summer. Merely variants of the COVID-19 virus remain a concern and some states are once over again seeing spikes in positive testing.

Crowds are one time again seen in Midtown, Bricktown and other popular area destinations. It'south non a total surprise to Holt that an economic rebound might exist coming together and then apace.

"I feel we need to narrate the pandemic as a pause, not a setback," Holt said. "It stopped us in our tracks, but we tin selection up on a number of fronts when this is over. When this is over is nevertheless a question, but we're pretty close. We're pretty close to people who desire a vaccination being able to get a vaccination."

Recovery not certain

Congressional response to the economic crisis triggered past the pandemic is seen as having softened the accident even before the latest $1.nine trillion relief bill signed into law earlier this month.

The federal flow of income support through the expanded unemployment insurance plan was more than than $iv,000 per worker. Direct economic bear on payments and Paycheck Protection loans contributed nearly $eight,000 and $2,000 per worker, respectively. The combined effect was a 47% fasten in personal income amongst the recession.

In the forecast prepared for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, Evans and Long caution their forecast is not guaranteed. They warn the local economic system remains vulnerable to national and global uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 that may cause a filibuster in improved economic conditions.

Holt acknowledges the new normal will include challenges faced before March 2020.

"Nosotros tend to focus on the good things paused that will return," Holt said. "Only in that location were some challenges we might accept forgotten near. The shift in oil and gas and what that means for Oklahoma City moving forrard hasn't gone away. That's not whatever longer the predominant driver of everything that happens in Oklahoma Urban center."

The piece of work at diversifying the local economic system and transforming the city continues. In Britton and throughout the urban center, those trying to make that change kept going even as the pandemic was at its worst.

"Britton is a symbol of some other neighborhood district coming online during this time in a urban center that is becoming known for its districts," Holt said. "At that place are lots of things, the First Americans Museum, Kickoff National, that were in the pipeline and that work didn't stop. The champions of those projects were toiling away in the background and kept going."

Staff writer Steve Lackmeyer is a 30-yr reporter, columnist and author who covers downtown Oklahoma Metropolis and related urban development for The Oklahoman. Contact him at slackmeyer@oklahoman.com. Please support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a subscription today at oklahoman.com/subscribe.

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Source: https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/03/28/oklahoma-city-economy-shows-signs-recovery-from-covid-19-collapse/4748847001/

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