Weatherford Economic Development Director Yolanda Creswell said the city has experienced quite a bit of economic development in the last year despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
She said about 36 businesses have opened in the last year, especially downtown. In addition, only a few businesses closed during the pandemic.
March sales tax number, which were just reported, show a 19.08-percent increase from last year’s numbers. Sales tax also brought in more than $1 million dollars for the first time since 2018.
Creswell credited this with local ball tournaments and other events brining traffic into the area. There also has been an influx of workers due to the wind farm project.
“It’s exciting. I see the movement. Our community is open and doing business,” she said. “I see bright things coming to Weatherford. The city and I are working hard to recruit more companies.”
This announcement was part of Creswell’s monthly report to the Weatherford Area Economic Development Foundation, which met Wednesday morning.
The City of Weatherford is celebrating National Economic Development Week. Creswell said she is focusing on what Weatherford does well by posting interviews with local people on the city’s Facebook page. Monday’s video was an interview with Mayor Mike Brown.
She also said the city has been making steady progress on the Yes Weatherford projects as well as various other projects.
Creswell said representatives from the City of Weatherford and the Weatherford Police Department recently met with architects and project managers regarding plans for the new police station, which also will function as a 911 center. The new station will be built on the site of the old hospital across from the current fire department.
She said bids for the asbestos will be taken and accepted June 3. There will be a pre-bid meeting May 26 for contractors to view the job before making their bid. Creswell said the bids should come down mid-June.
The Vietnam Wall replica is in storage while crews prepare for installation. Creswell said Heritage Park sits on a slope and the area needs to be built up before the wall can be put up.
Crews also are working to install new bathrooms at Heritage Park. The new facility should look like the original Lucille’s gas station.
Bids regarding fencing and similar items for the soccer fields were taken Wednesday. Pictures of the plans regarding the soccer field upgrade and indoor soccer facility are available on the Yes Weatherford Facebook page.
In the next couple of weeks, work should begin on the inside of the new agriculture building at Rader Park.
Utilities still are being moved for the Lyle Road project. Creswell said they are working out issues as soon as they come up, but it can take some time to resolve them.
Work on the Lawter Road project should begin in the next couple of months, according to District 2 County Commissioner Bruce Walker.
“I want to start as soon as money is available,” he said. “In the next couple of months, they will begin moving utilities and tearing down the house.”
Walker said it is a 300-day project depending on the weather.
The project will be near the Lyle Road project, which could mean more traffic issues for residents in that area.
“These projects always are a mess, always inconvenient, but in the end, it will be worth it,” Walker said.
Weatherford will be getting a National Guard Readiness Center, but Creswell said she was informed it would not be in the near future by officials.
Creswell said recently she has been looking for ways to improve the outward appearance of the city to visitors who might be searching for a place to settle down or open a business.
“The nice thing about Weatherford is we do not have a lot of yucky buildings or things like that, so the mayor and I wanted to look at a community transformation of our whole city,” she said.
One of the ideas includes a mural highlighting the community’s history, starting at Heritage Park. The city has hired Scott Taylor and his group, the Colorpop Art Lab in Tulsa.
Taylor said the company has been recognized by the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and has done several murals for cities along the historic route. Creswell said he should begin work in June if everything goes to plan.
Creswell also mentioned many businesses downtown getting a facelift and expanding. She said she will continue to work with the Weatherford Area Chamber of Commerce and highlight the improvements made around the city.
Other upcoming events include Community Coffee 9:30 a.m. next Thursday at City Hall and Starbucks opening next week.
The Weatherford Fire Department will host a grand opening Friday for its new burn tower located along Airport Road. Events will begin with a 10 a.m. demonstration.
“It kind of will be a demonstration but it actually is what we call ‘seasoning the building,’” Fire Chief Mike Karlin said. “We have to do some low-intensity burns before we do high-intensity training.”
The ribbon cutting is 1 p.m. and may be followed by further demonstrations.