Bartlesville And Tulsa’s Kendall Whittier Community Join Oklahoma Main Street Program

February 24, 2010 -- Two additional Oklahoma communities have been selected as Main Street Communities, bringing the state total of participants to 43. Bartlesville and the Kendall Whittier District in Tulsa are the newest members to the Oklahoma Main Street Program, a comprehensive revitalization effort that provides communities with tools to improve their historic central and neighborhood business district areas. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce operates the Main Street Program.

"These two communities went through a rigorous process and have demonstrated the  commitment to achieving increased economic development in their area, while keeping their historic elements intact," said Natalie Shirley, Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Tourism.

The Oklahoma Main Street program is designed to assist communities across the state in the historic preservation and economic development of their commercial core. As part of the Oklahoma Main Street Program, the communities will receive technical assistance in four areas based on the Main Street Four Point Approach of Organization, Promotion, Design and Economic Restructuring.

"Main Street staff will be spending a lot of time in Northeast Oklahoma in the next year training these two new, diverse and promising communities the Main Street Approach to economic development," said Linda Barnett, Director of the Oklahoma Main Street Center. "We are proud of the success of the Oklahoma Main Street Program in Oklahoma. Each one of these communities has created new revenue and new jobs for their business districts and their citizens."