Last week, the Edmond City Council approved a proposal to bring in a Fort Worth development firm — price tag: $300,000 — to do a study and figure out how to rejuvenate Downtown Edmond. Mike Hinkle, a columnist for the Edmond Sun, points out the objections of local developer Pete Reeser:
Reeser argued that the study is unnecessary and that there’s nothing wrong with downtown.
And my head exploded.
Okay, no it didn’t. Not quite. But to say that I vastly disagree with Reeser over the extent of the problem with Downtown Edmond is an understatement.
When it comes to problems with Downtown Edmond, there are legion. It would take more time and verbiage to list them all than I have in a year. Here are just a few:
It may not be as catchy as Occupy Wall Street’s “We are the 99 percent!” slogan, but its factual accuracy makes up for aesthetic unwieldiness. Downtown Edmond by and large reinforces the public conception that we are Oklahoma’s retirement home. At one point, one could count six different antique stores while walking down Broadway. Senior citizens account for 16 percent of the population of Edmond, according to the 2010 census, yet the “quaint” and “old-timey” feel of Downtown only serves to magnify this demographic’s effect — perceived and otherwise.
I don’t propose ignoring people in this “16 percent” demographic in any future reimagining of Edmond, but you can’t have your cake and eat it, too: if you want a place where the businesses are either antique shops or otherwise geared towards the Greatest Generation, you’re going to take an economic hit as younger people go elsewhere.
Which brings me to my next point:
Over 17,000 students enroll at the University of Central Oklahoma each semester. It is the third largest university in the state. People of all ages come from all over the world to learn at UCO, and yet, on any given weekend, Downtown Edmond is nearly empty.
UCO is primarily a commuter school, yes; but a large portion of its student body does live on or near campus. If these students are not employed, they need jobs. They don’t want to drive to Oklahoma City to find something to do when they’re done studying. Yet, for as good as Cafe Evoke’s coffee is, I would hardly call it a “regular place to go” with “things to do” for the average college student (no offense to Cafe Evoke, which is very, very intensely good, and I hope they stay).
From a purely economic perspective, think of it this way: the big box stores are always hiring, and their prices are cheaper than yours.
UCO is a gold mine waiting to be developed. Yet year after year I see more and more businesses open that are more committed to maintaining the “quaint” atmosphere of the crumbling century-old facades they inhabit than providing useful goods and services to people in the community, temporarily or not.
I think this fundamental problem is one that is caused more by the sprawling nature of the town and the actual placement of Downtown Edmond than any concerted effort by its businesses, but it is still one that can be addressed. Even taking into account everything I’ve listed above, Edmond — Downtown Edmond, specifically — is jealous of the Paseo and Plaza districts. They want the same level of community involvement seen at Live on the Plaza or any Friday night at the Paseo, but they don’t want to work at actually cultivating that community.
Accessibility is a big thing here. Parking in Downtown Edmond is, well, lacking. I did a rough count the other day, and from Keller Williams’ parking lot to the corner of 2nd street, accessible parking numbers in the dozens. This is kind of a problem considering that the population of Edmond, OK (according to the 2011 Census Update) is over 82,000. This isn’t in and of itself Edmond business’ fault, but they don’t exactly help matters when, any time they want to do an event, they close Broadway between Ayers and 2nd. This is like telling someone you want to be their friend and then promptly punching them in the face.
Letting us know that things are happening — whether in the local newspaper, or on social media, or through word of mouth in your store — can do so much towards building an actual community in the Downtown area. But that’s the thing: you’ve got to let things happen.
Apparently, Edmond in the 1990s was a hub of cultural experimentation and diversity — a smaller version of Norman, Okla. Apparently we had music venues here. Apparently, it looked a lot more like the Paseo district back then than it does now, and without the benefit of social media. Whatever happened between 1995 and now, knock it off. Like I said in my first point, you can’t have your cake and eat it too: if you want a place where the community goes to enjoy themselves, you can’t act like a pearl-clutching, “won’t anybody think of the children” PTA-level conservative. I’m not saying that you have to throw the moral fabric of society out with your pearls, but this is just something you’ll have to do if you don’t want to be in an exhibit in the museum on Boulevard and 9th: relax. Let a couple of bars and music venues open along Broadway. Let businesses stay open later, if they want.
I’ve lived in Edmond for seven years. I went to North High School, I attended two years of classes at UCO and I spend my money here when I can. Unlike many detractors, I actually like being here. What I don’t like is watching as the local government and economic development boards shoot themselves in the foot repeatedly over these issues. I don’t think I’m alone here, either. Ask the people who drive from Edmond to the Paseo and Plaza districts. Ask the people who make the exodus to Bricktown. Ask the people who actually live in this so-called bedroom suburb — and not just people you know — what they want.
They might just tell you: we need a do-over.