The Rose District has been a popular addition to Broken Arrow, so it might be hard to believe it's already 12 years old. City manager Michael Spurgeon joined News On 6 to talk about what could be in store for a possible expansion of the area.
The Rose District has been a popular addition to Broken Arrow, so it might be hard to believe it's already 12 years old.
City manager Michael Spurgeon joined News On 6 to talk about what could be in store for a possible expansion of the area.
A: We're very fortunate to have growth and prosperity happening all over our city. What Council and I think is very important is that the Rose District is that hub and that we continue to invest and reinvest in the hub to make sure that it stays viable and that way we maintain that small-town feel.
Q: It is great to go there. It is such a wonderful feeling when you're there, and it feels like there's activity and things going on. So what could the future look like?
A: Well, I'm excited to say that, as you may know, last year the Council agreed to purchase the Grain tower and we now own it. They've also agreed to Commission an architect to come up with a plan for the expansion of what we call the Rose District Plaza. This is an area that's just right south of the Downtown, and right now it's a major hub for our farmer's market. Also, we have many gatherings and activities there. We believe there are opportunities for expansion. You could see additional pavilions, maybe even a permanent stage to create more events in the Rose District. Number one, for folks to gather, and secondly, to support those businesses. If the Council approves, that could be a project that would be before the voters on April 7 of next year.
Q: And then you said also we're kind of looking at expanding beyond that. Tell me about that.
A: Well, you mentioned the Rose District is actually a little over 12 years old. We've had a lot of success. I think there's still another tremendous opportunities on both in the current Downtown, as well as opportunities on the south from Houston, we call 81st to 91st, and so the Council wants to commission a group of citizens, businesses, and a consultant to go in and look and just envision what could be in the downtown area, as well as expanding to the south, because obviously we want to continue to remain viable. And you do that by creating more opportunities where folks put the Rose District on their to-do list when they go to eat or shop, or do entertainment.
Q: And we all know it's successful because you can just go there and see all the people. But the numbers even speak for the success, too. You're telling me about the sales tax dollars and how that's grown since this went in.
A: It has, we've been very blessed. About 15 years ago, sales tax was around 15,000. Today, you're looking at around 900,000. Now it's in a tip district. So we're using that to pay off the tip that we actually issued to be able to pay for the improvements and to support an economic project that we did several years ago. But that show used the number of investments the private sector has made as well as the number of people who are coming to the Rose District.
I mean, we're so exciting. We've got so many people coming from around the region. I mean, there's some great places to go when within the Tulsa metropolitan area, and we want the Rose District to continue to be a place that people put on their calendar and they come out and support us.