Downtown Development Defined

The Make Your Mark! campaign revealed a strong desire for revitalization of Claremore’s historic downtown district. Ranking in the top five priorities of the campaign, the interest became the mid-range initiative of Claremore Collective’s strategic plan-- The Collective Voice.

Katelyn Tittle and Brandon Irby during the "Make Your Mark!" campaign.

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​So, what does this mean for our community?

In short, it means new possibilities and priorities. New possibilities made imaginable by recent investments into the district and new priorities that will ensure the sustained gentrification of the district.
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Striking While the Iron is Hot

A successful public-private partnership landed Main Street Tavern in 2016.

​More than $10 million of private investments added new living, dining, retail, and community gathering spaces to the downtown mix in 2016. This resulted in a surge of momentum that must be maintained. Many thanks to these folks for pushing culture and opportunities forward:
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• NORTH BLOCK Common
• Main Street Tavern (MST Claremore)
• Will Rogers Lofts
• The District on Main
• The Haberdashery

The goal of any thriving retail and entertainment district is continued private investment that profits the risk-takers, enhances the sales tax base, and provides the community with a desired quality of life. This is impossible without public-private partnerships.

A Debt of Gratitude

In 2016, downtown was recognized as a National Historic Preservation District. The result of dedicated work from Claremore Main Street, Inc. Photo courtesy of Claremore Daily Progress.

​​The path to a promising future has been paved through countless sacrifices from visionary leaders who have long desired Claremore’s historic downtown to again attain the the distinction of the being the community’s social hub. These leaders formed organizations throughout the years that serve the public and maintain keen focuses on specific aspects of historic preservation and revitalization. A debt of gratitude is owed to them:

1. Claremore Main Street, Inc.
2. Rogers County Historical Society
3. Claremore Museum of History
4. City of Claremore Government
5. Claremore Industrial and Economic Development Authority​

Rowing in the Same Direction

Upon establishing downtown revitalization as a mid-range initiative, Claremore Collective invited the five key public stakeholders to participate in a three-phased visioning and planning exercise. The result will be a strategic plan with prioritized objectives, estimated expenses, and projected timelines. Together, this cohort of stakeholders will “divide and conquer” as the plan is implemented.

A Three-Phase Process

Together the stakeholders agreed to:

1. Conduct a Case Study Review: Bentonville Square (Completed November 2016)
2. Develop Shared Vision / Prioritized Objectives: Dan Hintz, Velocity Group (Scheduled March 2017)
3. Expert Review and Recommendations of Downtown Claremore (TBD)

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The final component of the process will be conducting a final compilation of the vision and objectives into an actionable and strategic plan.

Members of the Bentonville Square oversight committee pose for a photo during our trip to Bentonville, AR.

​Progress To Date

• August 2016: Claremore Collective announces The Collective Voice; holds open meeting to discuss downtown revitalization.
• October 2016: Representatives from all five public stakeholders meet and agree to a three-phased visioning and planning process.
• November 2016: Representative from all five public stakeholders travel to Bentonville, AR to examine a successful case-study. The group meets with a panel of professionals who have been instrumental in transforming the historic Bentonville Square from a forgotten relic into a regional destination. (Downtown Bentonville Inc.)
• January 2017: The Velocity Group-- a consultancy experienced in unifying the art and economics of extraordinary places --was secured to provide a community education in the revitalization of historic districts and facilitate a visioning and planning process to inform the end goal of a master plan.
• February 2017: The Claremore Collective Development Crew hosted a downtown panel discussion featuring businesses owners Justin Micheal (The Haberdashery), Chelsea Mize (The Cranberry Merchant) and Claremore Main Street, Inc. Executive Director Jessica Jackson at their Think Tank luncheon.

February 2016 Think Tank featuring Downtown Development

​Next Steps

The Claremore Collective Development Crew will host Daniel Hintz from the Velocity Group at the March Think Tank. In the meantime, you should check out his TED Talk. Following the March Think Tank, representatives from the stakeholder organizations will undergo a series of visioning and planning sessions facilitated by the Velocity Group. This exercise will conclude phase two of the three-phase approach.

How To Get Involved

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1. Register to attend the Claremore Collective Think Tank event featuring Daniel Hintz of the Velocity Group on Thursday, March 2nd from noon-1pm at NORTH BLOCK Common
2. Make your voice known by completing our downtown survey-- here’s the link.

Big Thanks to: Ray Brown, Debbie Butler, John Cary, Jill Hall Ferenc, Bill Flanagan, Lou Flanagan, Meggie Froman-Knight, Hays Gilstrap, Suzanne Gilstrap, Amy Gordon, Jessica Jackson, Brandon Irby, Robert Melton, Justin Michael, Chelsea Matt Mize, Zach Oliver, Jason Scarpa, and Jim Thomas.