1. COCAR Streetcar Lunch and Bus Tour
Nicolle Goodman
Director of Redevelopment Programs
The Alliance for Economic Development of OKC, Inc.

2. Overview of the Alliance
Created in 2011 to better serve the economic development needs of Oklahoma City
Lead development entity helping to streamline services and increase efficiencies
Collaborates with public and private entities on new development projects

3. The Alliance’s Role Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts
General Obligation Limited Tax Bond Program (Strategic Investment Program)
Retail Strategy and Incentives
City and Urban Renewal Redevelopment Programs
Identification and Development of Job Creation Sites
Public-Private Redevelopment Opportunities from MAPS Projects

4. Streetcar Route

6. OKC Streetcar Facts
There will be seven streetcars. The vehicles are 66’ long, 8’ wide and each will hold approximately 125 people.
The streetcars will operate on fixed rail, embedded in the street. They are not trolleys with rubber tires.
With the exception of one portion of the track along the new OKC Boulevard, the streetcars will operated in the same lanes as the traffic.
The streetcars are being built in the USA by Brookville Equipment Corp. of Pennsylvania.
The streetcar system will begin operation in 2018

7. The Vehicles

8. The Platforms

9. Downtown OKC Current Public/Private Development Projects

10. Plans, Policies and Frameworks

11. PlanOKC - Development Guide

12. DDF – Future Development Plan

13. Core to Shore Preferred Height Minimums (Based on Downtown Development Framework)

14. How TIF Works

15. TIF Accountability Features
Extensive Review
Staff
TIF Advisory Committee
TIF Review Committee
Oklahoma City Economic Development Trust
City Council

16. TIF Accountability Features
Considerations
Project Location and Scope
Layout of Project (engineering assumptions, compatibility with PlanOKC
Capital stack
Financing Terms
Revenue and Expense Assumptions

17. TIF Accountability Features
Verification
Actual investment
Final sources and uses
Project built to original intent
Key Requirements
Minimum tax payment
Minimum density (higher in C2S TIF)
5 year no flip

18. Downtown TIF District

19. Core to Shore Reinvestment Area - TIF Districts
821 acres

20. How is economic impact measured?
Can be difficult to measure
You can’t always determine the exact cause and effect
Hard to quantify increase in such factors as walkability and quality of life
Define an area to measure
Within a certain number of blocks? Within a certain distance such as ¼ mile of the line?
Track several factors
Construction permit value of new projects, etc.
Increase in property valuation and tax revenues of existing properties
Office/commercial square footage, number of dwellings of new projects
Tourism and sales tax impacts are harder to measure

21. Expected economic impact of OKC streetcar
EMBARK hired Jacobs Engineering, Shiels Obletz Johnsen (SOJ) and ED Hovee to assess economic growth potential of MAPS 3 Streetcar corridor during first ten years of operation
Projections based on experiences of other streetcar cities as well as specific conditions present in Oklahoma City
Considerations included:
Amount of developable land along the route (vacant and underused)
Current zoning
Planned developments and general outlook
Expected development impact by consultants (over what would likely occur without streetcar)
4.5 times greater within 1 block of the line
2.0 times greater within 2-3 blocks of the line
Consultants suggested various trackable measures

22. Tracking the impact in OKC
Collaborative effort between EMBARK, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, the Alliance for Economic Development and others
Currently defining the impact area to measure
Data is already being gathered, but the appropriate types of data and the methods for tracking impact over time are still being discussed

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