I get asked a lot of questions about what is going on in Bristow. I want to share some highlights of our economic and community development initiatives.
Economic development is measured by how many new jobs and private capital investment comes into a community. Attracting new industry and new retail to locate in Bristow is very competitive. That is why the little things matter. Community development is the number one job of the City of Bristow. City leadership and City employees work hard every day to make Bristow look and act like a community that is on the move. We are ready to compete for new development. Anybody notice the progress at Taco Bell?
In addition to cleaning up the city with active code enforcement, we provide reliable police and fire services, and efficient and reliable utility services. We are making steady progress to address decent roads and providing family friendly amenities like the library, parks, swimming pool, airport, hospital and serving as the champion for a variety of main street improvements. The City of Bristow and the Bristow Historical Commission are collaborating on several exciting projects to preserve our history and attract visitors along our historic Route 66. The City Council recently passed a resolution naming Main Street the Historic Woodland Queen District. As the Woodland Queen District takes shape, I will provide updates to our citizens. The city is happy to partner and encourage the Retail Merchants Association and we look forward to seeing the Bristow Chamber of Commerce relaunch! Bristow Public Schools does a great job educating our youth and they are always great to work with.
The services provided by the city and our many partners, complement our ability to attract new industry and bring in more retail. On Monday, October 9th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., the City Council will host a Public Meeting to hear about what it takes to be successful bringing new jobs and private investment to Bristow. We will hear about our plans and efforts to redevelop the Legacy Industrial Park south of the railroad tracks along industrial road and south to the airport. Everyone remembers Kwikset, the tire recycling plant and other industries that are no longer here. They left town but their old buildings and land is still here. The City is working closely with the Bristow Industrial Authority, Creek County and the Muskogee (Creek) Nation to redevelop and market our industrial assets.
Economic Development is a team sport. The City must collaborate with many different groups to attract new jobs and private capital investment. We are working to bring retail and commercial development to Bristow created by expansion of the Turner Turnpike. City Council has an agreement with a hotel developer and there are several other confidential projects in the early stages. The City has been working with Creek County, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and Stillwater Central Railroad to develop new industrial land we call Heartland Industrial Park located Northeast of town. We are focused on infrastructure improvements for the Turnpike and industrial expansions. We have successfully secured grants and low interest loans to build our capacity to successfully attract new jobs. We recently met with our electric utility provider, Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OG+E). We discussed many good things about electric services in town, and OG+E is working with Creek County and the City of Bristow to make sure our electric infrastructure is sufficient to attract new industry.
Please join us at City Hall in the Court Room on Monday, October 9th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to see and hear the many things that are happening to bring good jobs and strong retail options to Bristow.