By John Dobberstein, Editor
The Broken Arrow Planning Commission Thursday unanimously recommended approval of a special zoning district that will help guide redevelopment efforts at the intersection New Orleans Street and Elm Place.
The 150-page document contains specific design regulations that developers will have to follow as the city works to revitalize New Orleans Square (NOS). The purpose of the overlay district is similar to the special rules created for the Rose District to have consistent development standards in place.
The NOS overlay district will go before the Broken Arrow City Council next month.
Those interested in reviewing the overlay district document can click here to download the report.
The overlay was prepared to encourage redevelopment in and around the existing shopping centers in the area, along with other nearby underutilized land.
The code also responds to the proposed landscape and intersection improvement project, including new landscaping and pedestrian improvements at the intersection.
Thursday’s recommendation for approval from Planning Commission members was a milestone for the city, the New Orleans Square Advisory Committee and Kimley-Horn, a consulting firm hired to design the district’s design standards.
All have been working together on a development framework for NOS for more than a year, discussing how to approach a 162-acre retail area with numerous landlords and business owners who’ve had varying levels of interest in making changes.
The group also debated whether a roundabout or signaled intersection was appropriate for the intersection, with the latter being approved.
Funding for the revitalization efforts was one question raised at the meeting. The current framework for redevelopment may not allow for a TIF district to raise revenue, and issuing bonds isn’t likely as the city doesn’t own the land. So for now, developers may have to foot most of the bill for projects.
Larry Curtis, director of Community Development for the city, says he believes Broken Arrow has already made strides at the intersection. Just a few years ago, Reasor’s closed its store at NOS and Hobby Lobby moved to Hillside Drive.
But the last 2 years has seen the opening of the Cypress Place shopping center and many other new businesses moving into storefronts. A developer has purchased the former Reasor’s building on speculation, believing revitalization is possible at NOS.
A multi million-dollar project to rebuild and modernize the intersection of New Orleans and Elm is expected to start this year as well.
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