EOC Partnership to receive $500,000 grant
Regional Master Plan slated for eastern Oklahoma County
Choctaw – The U.S. Department of Commerce – Economic Development Administration is awarding a $500,000 grant to the Eastern Oklahoma County Partnership.
This EDA investment will serve unmet needs in eastern Oklahoma County to implement comprehensive regional planning services and also support foreign direct investment attraction to the region.
The EOC Partnership says the project will act as a catalyst for business expansion, capital investment, site planning and ultimately lead to area job growth.
“We are extremely grateful for the continued commitment of EDA to support local communities and expanding businesses in our region and nationally,” said EOC Partnership Executive Director Tim Hight. “EOC Partnership is committed to this exciting partnership with EDA to further support area business expansion, community infrastructure investment and site planning to attract global companies to our region.”
The recently announced grant will provide funds needed to conduct comprehensive master plans, similar to the one recently developed for the City of Choctaw, in other eastern Oklahoma County communities.
Hight says when the process is complete Choctaw, Harrah, Jones, Nicoma Park, Luther and unincorporated areas of eastern Oklahoma County near the turnpike will have detailed comprehensive master plans.
With an approximate $320,000 planning budget, the EOC Partnership plans to develop a comprehensive master plan for the four partner cities that have not started the process. Additionally, the EOC Partnership hopes to help the only partner city with a current master plan go more in-depth with planning for a specific area of the city.
EOC Partnership Chairman and Mayor of Jones Ray Poland was pleased with the announcement of the grant.
“The five communities of EOC are excited about our future. The grant will allow us to begin a regional comprehensive planning process, something that hasn’t occurred in many of our communities in the past. With the impending turnpike, comprehensive planning is a critical component of the EOC regions future landscape,” explained Poland. “We are extremely grateful to EDA for this plan.”
The EDA funding will allow not only for comprehensive planning throughout the region, but also for direct investment into the region.
“We’ll hire one firm to complete the entire process similar to what Choctaw went through with their comprehensive planning process,” said Hight. “In addition to that, three years ago we formed a partnership with a group of businesses in Brazil that were looking for opportunities to expand into the U.S. This grant will support the solidification of a partnership to support global business expansion in this area. The funding will allow us to get additional buildings and sites prepared for the businesses that will be coming in.”
Community Involvement
Hight says community input will be gathered online for approximately one month later this year. Eastern Oklahoma County residents will have the opportunity to register online, and provide input specific to their area.
Following the online input period, the public will be invited to several meetings hosted within the four cities developing master plans.
“This is going to be done with class, and we’ll be above board the entire time,” said Hight. “We want the public’s involvement.”
As far as Choctaw, which is currently finalizing a comprehensive master plan, the EDA grant will assist the community with more in-depth planning.
“We want to help develop Choctaw’s downtown district. We want a detailed site plan for downtown,” said Hight. “We want to find out what type of buildings people would like to see in that part of town, and then we’ll bring developers in and ask them ‘who wants to live here?’ We want to build a plan for them based on what they tell us, and not what we’re dictating to them.”
Following the turnpike, which has acted as a catalyst, major developments and destinations could be established in each EOC Partnership community before the new toll road is complete, said Hight.
“Major changes in Choctaw’s downtown district could be visible within three to four years,” Hight said. “I want the public to be a part of this. I don’t want residents to feel like innocent bystanders. We own this process, and both us and our federal partner want transparency.”
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.
About Eastern Oklahoma County Partnership (www.eocpartnership.com)
Formed in 2011, EOCP is a 501(c)(6) non-profit with the mission of catalyzing the creation, promotion, and retention of jobs and investment, in Eastern Oklahoma County. EOCP pursues this vision with efforts in regional branding and business attraction, existing business support, legislative relations, business advocacy, & community development.
Formed in 2011, EOCP is a 501(c)(6) non-profit with the mission of catalyzing the creation, promotion, and retention of jobs and investment, in Eastern Oklahoma County. EOCP pursues this vision with efforts in regional branding and business attraction, existing business support, legislative relations, business advocacy, & community development.
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The EOCP has never been transparent. Ask the victimized families and farmers who lost their homes at the hands of the EOCP, many of which are still blocked from the EOCPartnership’s website. Lobbyist who will take what folks have worked their entire life for to put money and political favor in his pocket.