Creek 51 certified by Oklahoma Department of Commerce
Certification from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce’s site certification program. The Site Ready Program guarantees prospective buyers that sites are ready for sale or lease and are considered “shovel ready”. To qualify for the certification, sites must meet specific requirements for the available workforce, access to utilities, and the site is properly zoned. The certification tells companies and consultants that development can occur with an expedited timeline. There are eight site categories for certification, each with unique requirements. Creek 51 Business Park has been certified as meeting all requirements for Light-Industrial uses.
Creek 51 Business Park is a 90-acre business park located on the West side of Broken Arrow in Wagoner County and is adjacent to Highway 51. City of Broken Arrow and Wagoner County officials broke ground on the development in October 2019, after working with developer Rex Robertson, President of Dallas-based Ford Development, to implement a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District to help reimburse the cost of developing the land. Utilization of the TIF as a financing tool made the project possible. Taxing entities including Wagoner County, Broken Arrow Public Schools, Tulsa Tech and the Wagoner County Health Department consenting to the district which made infrastructure improvements possible for the development.
Senior Vice President of Economic Development for the Broken Arrow Chamber and Economic Development Corporation, Darla Heller, said, “Broken Arrow is committed to creating and expanding opportunities for our citizens. This certification shows businesses that we are continually working to help pave the way for easy location and expansion in our community so they can focus on growing their business and creating jobs to Broken Arrow.”
“Our state is full of available properties and sites with features that could meet any company’s needs. With Site Ready certification, we help Oklahoma communities better market their assets and have a better opportunity to bring new jobs and investment to their area,” said Brent Kisling, Commerce Executive Director. “We are thrilled to add Broken Arrow to that list.”
“We are excited about this designation,” said developer Rex Robertson. “We are eager to talk to businesses and provide turn-key build to suit options at this site.” Once a site receives Site Ready certification, the site receives special designation on LocateOK.com, the state’s buildings, and the site’s database for business location.
In addition to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, BAEDC collaborates with partners to ensure that sites are promoted on a national stage. Public Service Company of Oklahoma provided the funding for Creek 51 application process. “As a component of our economic development efforts, we want to make sure that communities in our service area have the tools they need to promote viable sites to create jobs and grow wealth,” added Garrett Wright, Economic and Business Development Manager at Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO). “This investment further solidifies the competitiveness of Broken Arrow. We all win when this happens.”
