The post Chickasha By the Numbers – December 2024 first appeared on Chickasha EDC.

The Southwest Regional Transportation Planning Organization (SORTPO) is seeking public input as it develops a 20-year regional transportation plan (RTP). SORTPO is a partnership of local government organizations and serves 16 counties, including Grady County.

The primary purpose of the Forward 45 RTP is to provide a clear framework for the future of transportation in Southwest Oklahoma. It serves as a vital resource for public officials, local communities, and state and federal agencies, offering insights and data that support transportation planning and future needs. The plan will outline the region’s transportation goals, strategies, and priorities, ensuring that they align with broader state and federal transportation objectives.

By filling out the survey linked below, residents can ensure that their immediate concerns in transportation are heard and addressed. This includes road safety, access to transportation, walkability, economy, and more. The data collected will inform the final RTP released in 2025.

Additionally, residents can report individual, specific road safety concerns by contributing to the Regional Safety Assessment. In addition to being used toward the Forward 45 RTP, reports from this assessment are published to a publicly viewable map to quickly raise awareness within local governments.

This post is on behalf of a partner organization. The Chickasha EDC is not affiliated with the Forward 45 project and does not receive any data collected from the surveys.

The post Forward 45: SORTPO seeks community input on transportation, road safety first appeared on Chickasha EDC.

Red Dirt Catering is opening at 118 N. 5th Street. EDC Director Jim Cowan explained that the owner recently moved back to Oklahoma from out of state, where she previously ran a catering business. Palm + Co. Apparel is opening Thursday at 301 W. Chickasha Avenue. Cowan noted that the business owner has also run a similar boutique in the past.

As participants in the Small Business Start-Up program, both businesses will be eligible to have their first three months of rent or utilities paid by the EDC, up to $5,000, and a discounted membership to the Chickasha Chamber of Commerce.

The post EDC board approves two Small Business Start-Up applications first appeared on Chickasha EDC.

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The post Chickasha By the Numbers – November 2024 first appeared on Chickasha EDC.

The resolution passed by a vote of 6–3, with council members Smith, Alexander, Nelson, Ginn, Hebblethwaite, and Mayor Grayson voting in favor, and council members Burruss, Gerdes, and Boyd voting against. The district, designated TIF #2, will become effective on January 1, 2025. It will expire June 30, 2050.

The new TIF district, which covers most of downtown Chickasha, will make funding available to improve water and sewer services throughout the city. It also creates options for the city to provide incentives for privately-funded public infrastructure improvements. The downtown district was selected based upon its known utility deficiencies that have hampered redevelopment, including activating upper floors of historic buildings. However, the designated TIF project area allows for improvements to be made well outside of downtown.

The post Chickasha TIF District #2 to become active January 1 first appeared on Chickasha EDC.

At their monthly meeting in OKC this week, ODOT Commissioners voted on a full agenda of projects across the state and one of them was approving an 80/20 matching grant to do the engineering on building a pedestrian bridge from the Fairgrounds across the railroad tracks into Downtown. The City Council had also applied for a grant to redo the pedestrian bridge at Shannon Spring Park, but that grant was not approved. Hopefully that one will get approved next year.

The significance of a pedestrian bridge for Downtown may be hard for some to understand, but it represents major progress in growing not just Downtown, but also the Grady County Fairgrounds. This first phase of engineering for the bridge will have a positive impact on plans to build a Hotel at the Fairgrounds, which will only add to all the amenities there already. Our Fairgrounds is regarded as the best in Oklahoma outside of OKC and Tulsa and now the future looks even brighter.

With the engineering and planning on the bridge expected to start by the end of the year, actually starting construction will require another grant in a couple of years as well as other possible federal funding. So there is still a lot to be done, but the key is that we have moved from “talking about it” to actually planning it.

During walking tours last week with both Senator Lankford and Lt. Governor Pinnell, they were both complimentary of the progress we have made in Chickasha and both were encouraged as our vision for the future was shared. To turn dreams into reality takes a lot of hard work and determination as well as celebrating some success along the way. It takes everyone working together!

Now for those of you that are concerned the vision for growth is only for Downtown, there is some great news coming soon that doesn’t have anything to do with that area of town. You see our entire town is experiencing progress and growth. So much more to share in the coming months. Like the mural on the fence says: Chickasha Oklahoma…Good Things Happen Here! And that’s #TheGoodStuff!

The post #TheGoodStuff: A bridge to the future first appeared on Chickasha EDC.

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The post Chickasha By the Numbers – October 2024 first appeared on Chickasha EDC.

Luigi’s application for the program was accepted by the EDC and City Council in January. They were reimbursed the maximum $25 per square foot for renovations and capital improvements made to the property since applying. A total of over $400,000 in eligible improvements was made to the restaurant, which opened in March.

The Downtown Building Grant reimburses up to 1/3 of eligible improvements, or $25 per square foot, to buildings within the downtown district that generate sales tax. Applications are made through the EDC and final determination is made by the city council.

The post City Council approves downtown grant payment to Luigi’s first appeared on Chickasha EDC.

The Chickasha campus of the Canadian Valley Technology Center (CV Tech) will host the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) for one of six Employer Outreach Seminars.

These seminars are designed to engage and inform employers across the state on a variety of topics to help business thrive. Topics will include Employer Resources & Services, Veterans Employment, Tax Credits, Federal Bonding, Job Fairs, and Unemployment Tax.

The Chickasha seminar will be held October 14, 2024, 11 am, at the CV Tech campus (1401 W Michigan Ave). Lunch is included free of charge. Register for the event online.

The post CV Tech to host Employer Outreach Seminar in Chickasha first appeared on Chickasha EDC.

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The post Chickasha By the Numbers – September 2024 first appeared on Chickasha EDC.