March 2, 2018 – Ashburn, VA:
IBTS congratulates Board of Directors Chairman, Mayor Craig Thurmond, on his city’s recent commendation on USA Today’s Charming Main Streets List.
The Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is pleased to share that Broken Arrow, OK, recently received the honor of being named one of USA Today’s Top 50 Charming Main Streets Across the USA. The Mayor of Broken Arrow, Craig Thurmond, serves as the Chairman on IBTS’s Board of Directors. IBTS has a signed Master Service Agreement with Broken Arrow, and currently provides plan review services to the city.
The city credits the successful revitalization of its Rose District to hard work and collaboration among the City Council, staff, Chamber of Commerce, School District, residents, and business owners. To learn more about the initiatives led to the Rose District’s success, please find the below press release from Broken Arrow:
Broken Arrow Makes USA Today’s Charming Main Streets List
The Rose District is a popular destination for dining, shopping, living.
USA Today in their list of charming Main Streets across the USA included Broken Arrow’s Rose District in the top 50 list.
“The national recognition is really awesome to see, because of all the hard work the Broken Arrow City Council, staff and our partners the Chamber of Commerce and the Broken Arrow School District have put into revitalizing Main Street,” said Craig Thurmond, Broken Arrow Mayor. “Our residents and business owners should also be proud. They supported the public initiatives that allowed our Main Street to become successful.”
The City Council kicked off a Downtown Revitalization Plan in 2005, with a goal to make this area as vital and successful as it was in the last century. The City created a local Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District to begin funding improvements, and voters later approved General Obligation bonds in 2011 and 2014 to continue improving key infrastructure. Public projects, worth over $65 million, included the renovation of historic buildings, a new 1,500 seat Performing Arts Center, a new pavilion to hold a farmer’s market and community gatherings, a 1,200 square-foot interactive water feature, new brick paved sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, decorative street lamps and landscape planters. Private sector funding surged, as many new business, with expenditures of over $25 million, relocated into this once declining district. An additional $60 million in private development is currently on its way.
These changes have elevated the quality of life for residents and brought hundreds of new jobs and over 70 new businesses into the area. By offering unique dining, local artisan products, nightlife, entertainment and cultural experiences, the Rose District is now one of the most popular destinations in the region.
A new $18-million mixed-use development will break ground later this year, through a partnership with Milestone Capital. The four-story facility will feature 31,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor with about 90 luxury apartment units on the three levels above.
Press Contact:
Karen Johnson
Market Engagement Program Director
kjohnson@ibts.org
About IBTS:
IBTS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to helping communities through quality services that reduce risk, enhance public safety, and improve quality of life. IBTS is headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia with branch offices across the country. IBTS’s work is guided by a Board of Directors made up of government officials appointed by five of the most highly respected, grassroots, state and local governmental associations, including the Council of State Governments (CSG), International City/County Management Association (ICMA), National Association of Counties (NACo), National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center), and National League of Cities (NLC).
