Help Spread the Word about MAPS

On December 14, 1993, Oklahoma City embarked on a new era with the passage of the original MAPS. This wildly-successful program was revolutionary to the city and has since been considered one of the most successful public-private partnerships ever embarked upon in the U.S.

Now, Oklahoma City citizens are seeing that their investments have paid off. A recent study found that while the ultimate cost of the projects totaled $365 million, the total impact of new investment projects connected to MAPS totals more than $5 billion. This means that Oklahoma City citizens have gotten their MAPS investment back 10-fold.

The study also showed that MAPS has had a profound impact on the population in the city’s central core, due to the $238 million of investments in housing and mixed-use structures that occurred between 1995 and 2008. The population in the area also grew substantially- people are indeed moving into the central core of Oklahoma City.

Additionally, there has been an astonishing $200 million worth of capital investment in the hotel sector. When MAPS was initially created there was only one hotel in downtown Oklahoma City, by 2008 there are now seven. This finding suggests that tourism has increased since MAPS, which in turn increases economic growth, productivity, and job creation.

One of the most noticeable effects of the MAPS projects is the extraordinary improvement to Oklahoma City’s downtown area. Since the implementation of the original MAPS, Oklahoma residents have been able to enjoy a variety of exciting entertainment destinations such as Brictown Ballpark, Cox Convention Center, Civic Center Music Hall, Ford Center, Ronald J. Norick Library, and the Oklahoma River. The study also shows that without MAPS, we also would most likely not have an NBA basketball team, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, the millions of investment in Oklahoma Health Center, many of the eating and drinking establishments in Bricktown…and many, many other locations that we all enjoy.

This is why we cannot ignore the opportunity to VOTE YES for Oklahoma City by voting YES for MAPS and continuing the momentum we have worked so hard to gain.

MAPS will go to the voters of Oklahoma City on December 8. The proposal includes eight incredible projects all of which will create jobs, promote economic growth and private investment, raise our quality of life, and make Oklahoma City a better, healthier, more sustainable place for us and for our children .The package totals $777 million and will not raise taxes.

Projects include a 70-acre world class Downtown Park and a new downtown Convention Center that will increase tourism and create thousands of new jobs; a new rail-based streetcar system will be one of the most extensive of its types in the US; improvements to the Oklahoma River including a public whitewater kayaking facility and upgrades intended to achieve the finest rowing racecourse in the world; state-of-the-art health and wellness aquatic centers throughout the City designed for senior citizens; new sidewalks near highly-utilized public facilities such as parks; 57 miles of trails throughout the city; and improvements to facilities at State Fair Park, which we all use at some point or another during the year.

The Yes for MAPs campaign is depending on you to get the word out to your friends about why they should vote yes on December 8th.

If you would like to learn more or get involved in keeping the momentum of Oklahoma City visit www.yesformaps.com or text YESMAPS 41411.

Ways to be active in the coalition include:
· Donate to the campaign
· Sign up for email alerts
· Volunteer
· Request yard signs/stickers/speaker for your club.
· Become our friend on social media sites and “YESforMAPS-ify” your profile.