State of the City Address Contains National Media Stories

Oklahoma City boasted some major accomplishments in 2009, many of which Mayor Cornett addressed in his annual State of the City speech last Wednesday. These accomplishments can be used as angles in your national pitching efforts.

- The Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the City will complete the massive relocation of Interstate 40 five blocks to the south, accompanied by a new boulevard and pedestrian bridge to take its place

-Soon we will complete the total of 73 school projects that represent MAPS for Kids

– We are working on a new downtown elementary school, five high schools, and the work for the 2007 school bond issue

- There will be upgrades to the sports arena, including the completion of the NBA practice facility

- We will begin Project 180 – A three-year redesign of Myriad Botanical Gardens and nearby downtown streets

- We will continue with the 2007 Bond issue – improve City streets, parks, build libraries, and renovate the police station

- This summer, Oklahoma City will host the 2010 Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which will bring in important leaders from across the nation, to Oklahoma City.

- We will address public safety issues including the county jail and mental health issues

- We will work regionally with other cities to comply to changing federal water and air standards, as well as securing water rights

-Just six years ago, in 2004, per capita income for Oklahoma City was lagging behind at only 92 percent of the national average. Today, it is approaching 104 percent of the U.S. average.

-The Gross Metropolitan Product, which is the sum of all goods and services in the metro area, has risen 33 percent since 2004, and we’ve moved into the top 20 percent of all metro areas in terms of GDP growth.

-Since 2004, our City’s population growth of seven percent has far outpaced that of both the nation, which is 4.8 percent, and the state, which is 4.6 percent. This speaks strongly to job and income growth, as well as quality of life improvements that have inspired people to move to Oklahoma City.

Finally, Mayor Cornett highlighted Oklahoma City’s outstanding economic position, named the most recession-proof city in the nation by Forbes Magazine. With a continuation of this remodeling and rebuilding, Oklahoma City will remain in this strong position and create “A change that will impact this entire region”.