OKC’s 39th Street District Association looks toward the future at annual meeting

by Rob Howard
Associate Editor

The 39^th Street District Association gave a glance into the future of the group, which aims to make 39^th Street into an entertainment area, day and night, at its annual meeting January 21. The meeting elected board members, approved a budget for the year, and made some important amendments to the organization’s bylaws.

The group reelected Neill Spurgin Coffman, Craig Poos, and Jon Priebe to the board for additional 2-year terms. Poos currently serves as president of the organization.

A budget was approved for 2016, anticipating $39,000 in income, and $31,900 in expenses. The organization is planning to hold two fundraisers this year, one an indoor event before June 30, and the second an outdoor Festival in the fall.

The revisions to the bylaws expanded the size of the District, taking in several businesses on 39^th and in the surrounding area, and incorporating the Goodwill store, and Dorsey and Son Auto Body, as examples of businesses new to the District.

In addition, they created a new category of membership called a “District Advocate,” a voting membership for individuals and organizations not located in the district that support the mission of the Association. Examples of this category would be community chambers of commerce, neighborhood associations, local banks and civic groups.

In other action, they reduced the minimum number of board members to five, and set annual dues for each membership category at Businesses, $250 or $100 if a non-profit; Advocates, $250 or $100 if a non-profit; and Friends, $25.

Looking to the future the Board and representatives from the City Planning Office said they have engaged a marketing consultant company called “Ghost” to help with rebranding the 39^th Street District. Details on this effort are expected to be revealed next week, but will focus on style, retro color schemes, and the tie of 39^th Street to Route 66, which for years went right up 39^th Street as people headed west to California. Efforts may employ murals to beautify the sides of some of the buildings on 39^th.

Further in the future, the Planning Office hopes that funding for physical improvements will be in the next General Obligation Bond election, which is expected to be held in December 2017.

The group is looking for something different from other Oklahoma City Districts like the Plaza, Paseo, Uptown 23^rd, and Western Avenue efforts, according to Poos. Those districts are all further along than the 39^th Street District effort.

Secretary Ginger McGovern said “The street scape is not designed yet,” and designs for improvements would come closer to the approval of funding. They might include benches, new sidewalks and parking, human scale lighting, planters and trees, and resurfacing the street.

The Gayly – January 22, 2016 @ 8:10 a.m.