Street view of Main Street nearing sunset on Sept. 16.
Editor's note: This story is featured in OU Daily's fall magazine, which will be available in print in mid-October. Check out the other featured stories at the bottom of this article.
Main Street Norman is marked by its mural of a red tail hawk that watches over the district, the lights that swing between buildings and the local businesses that line the streets.
On the second Friday of every month, the sidewalks are full of local artists and people wandering from store to store. In April, stages take the place of cars as Normanites gather for the annual Norman Music Festival.
Those live events aren’t all of downtown Norman’s story. The area is sometimes referred to as Historic Downtown Norman, as the district is home to the city's original retail and entertainment spaces. Businesses have come and gone for years, including over this past summer.
But after OU announced its intent to move to the SEC, and then later announced an earlier transition to happen in 2024, downtown and the entirety of Norman faced new challenges: How prepared should businesses be and how do they achieve that?
Gabriel Bird has owned and operated his dentistry on Main Street since April 2019 and doesn’t regret making the move to downtown at all, saying it’s a wonderful place, where his office is.
“Downtown tends to attract more people who live in Norman, people that are here and don’t necessarily want to go where all the college kids are,” Bird said.
Nancy Coggins, director of development and public relations at Sooner Theatre, also said she adores the downtown area. Sooner Theatre is one of the state’s original theaters and is still in operation today. Coggins called the street vibrant, noting its importance to the city.
“For our community, I think it’s a really vital place and I love it,” Coggins said. “I love our downtown, I think it’s amazing.”
In Coggins’ 12 years on Main Street, she’s seen the district attract more visitors and watched several businesses come and go. This summer, downtown Norman lost Michelangelo's Coffee and Wine Bar and The Meating Place. But those buildings won’t stay empty for long, according to Coggins.
“We’re not seeing businesses abandoned downtown,” Coggins said. “We are seeing turnover in some businesses, but people aren’t fleeing downtown.”
Sunday evening on Main Street of Norman, where a former business known as Michelangelo's is closed and undergoing renovations.
Brent Jordan and his family owned Michelangelo’s for five years until they decided it was time to move on from downtown, choosing to donate the assets to charity.
Jordan said despite the decision to make a charitable donation, they had interested buyers. He didn’t disclose to which charity he donated his business. Jordan said he was touched by the support from the community, but knows his decision allows for new growth for his family.
“My family and I had decided that we were ready to move onto a different chapter in our lives,” Jordan said. “It was sad for us and the end of an era in some ways, but I think that allows for new growth and new beginnings and new opportunities.”
Jordan said rents are on the rise on Main Street, however, he said it didn’t contribute to him closing Michelangelo's doors. The foot traffic downtown, with events like Norman Music Fest and 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk, can overcome rent adjustments, leaving renters to pay for the benefit of the location, Jordan said.
Jordan said rent will always be a challenge in business, along with increasing insurance rates.
“We were at a place where we were going to either want to or need to invest more or change course, and that's where we decided we wanted to change,” Jordan said.
Scott Martin, president and CEO of the Norman Chamber of Commerce, said he always hates to see businesses go, but pointed to new opportunities heading to Main Street.
Street view of the new business InkFire Ramen Tapas & Bar as a waitress greets her table on the restaurant's extended deck. InkFire Ramen replaced The Meating Place.
Beanstalk Coffee and Sno, a popular chain in Norman, will take over Jordan’s former establishment, Inkfire Ramen Tapas & Bar took The Meating Place’s spot and a new sports bar and grill named Rooster’s opened next to The Winston this month. The Brewhouse was formerly in Rooster’s location, which closed this year.
As with most things in business, being downtown provides different benefits and challenges. Some concerns Bird, Coggins, Martin and Jordan expressed include parking, safety and the ongoing citywide conversation about people experiencing homelessness.
“There’s some challenges around homelessness. That’s not different than any other community. It’s kind of all over the country right now,” Martin said. “We need to be compassionate, we need to be thoughtful and find sensible solutions, … but be mindful of the businesses, their employees and the customers they’re dealing with and how that impacts them too.”
The current city housing shelter, called A Friend’s House, is located at 109 W. Gray St., one block north of Main Street. The Norman City Council had previously considered moving the shelter to 718 N. Porter Ave. However, the rezoning proposal was denied by the planning commission and city council recently sold the land to the Board of Cleveland County Commissioners.
With the growth of Main Street and the continuing development in the area, the city of Norman is faced with preparing for the move to the SEC and the inevitable increase in traffic and opportunities for growth.
Last fall, Martin and other city leaders visited communities in the SEC and paid attention to what other downtown areas looked like. Martin said all the communities focused on drawing visitors in with live music and entertainment.
Martin said businesses are excited about the move, however, there are concerns about preparedness despite Martin’s plans.
Martin said he believes small improvements could easily be made on Main Street, such as placing OU and city-branded banners on the light poles to better demonstrate partnerships. One block north of Main Street is Gray Street, which is set to become a two-way road later this year.
Martin said the two-way road would slow down traffic and make the street more walkable and businesses more observable. Martin said the same logic could be applied to Main Street in the future.
Other improvements could also come in the shape of projects like the James Garner Avenue extension plan, a voter-approved project extending the street north to Flood Avenue, Martin said. He believes this will offer a new entry into Norman from Oklahoma City as Flood Avenue is an exit off I-35 and connects to Robinson Street.
To improve long-range development, Martin suggested adding more live venues, shops and restaurants along with the implementation of a business improvement district and beautification efforts. Martin also pointed to projects around downtown that could benefit Main Street, like the current enhancement project on Porter Avenue, county fairground improvements and developing the land to the east left by Griffin Memorial Hospital’s move.
GB Dentistry lit up during the annual Norman Christmas parade on Main Street on Dec. 4, 2021.
After the September announcement of a proposed $1 billion entertainment district in University North Park, neither Bird, Coggins or Martin are concerned the new district could take away from the downtown area. Instead, it could bring significant benefits.
If the entertainment district is approved, its representation on city council would fall to Ward 8 Councilmember Matthew Peacock.
Peacock wrote to OU Daily that he doesn’t feel the district is an “either/or” proposal, meaning he doesn’t think success there would come at a sacrifice to other parts of Norman.
Peacock wrote that in the city’s broader discussion of exploring overlay districts, other areas of town could be companion items to the entertainment district beyond downtown, like the Lindsey Street corridor from east to west, the land in east Norman where Griffin Memorial Hospital currently resides and Ed Noble Parkway on the west side of town.
“If done strategically and with intent, then Norman can replicate that model in all areas of the city, lifting up all areas,” Peacock wrote. “Positive benefit in one area should yield positive benefit in adjacent areas in a self-feeding system.”
Peacock explained that defining specific districts in Norman, similar to Oklahoma City’s model, was a priority of his at the annual summer city council retreat, something he said he’s been attempting to solidify for years.
Peacock wrote that he wants specific zoning overlays to be placed over proposed districts, allowing them to retain and enhance the characteristics that make them unique.
Peacock believes placing business improvement districts — partnerships driven by property owners where businesses pay a specific tax to the city for maintenance, development and promotional purposes for the district — in those areas would provide a district the budget and staff to market business and organize events.
Ward 4 Councilmember Helen Grant, who represents downtown Norman, told OU Daily that they believe business improvement districts are premature, but should happen across the city in preparation for the SEC move. A business improvement district proposal was presented for downtown Norman before, but ultimately failed in 2022. Grant said another proposal is needed.
Beyond business improvement districts in Norman, Grant hopes the move to the SEC inspires more establishments to be safe spaces for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
“I want a vibrant patchwork,” Grant said. “I want a place for young families that gets them in the area and walking around. I want to see diversity and inclusion.”
Main Street at dusk on Sept. 16.
Despite rent and insurance increases, a new entertainment district to the north and expanded business plans across the city, Main Street will remain a constant anchor in the community, as described by Coggins.
In his over 30 years in Norman, Martin has watched Main Street morph and change as new opportunities arise. While he believes Main Street could be improved, he’s also seen it far from the bustling hub for the arts it is today.
“I’ve seen downtown when it’s really been challenged and not very vibrant, and right now is not one of those times,” Martin said.
Read more stories from fall magazine:
This story was edited by Alexia Aston, Taylor Jones and Karoline Leonard. Natalie Amour, Grace Rhodes, Mary Ann Livingood and Nikkie Aisha copy edited this story.
