EastPoint update: Northeast OKC redevelopment receives recognition on a global scale
New businesses, updated store fronts, fresh paint, innovative ideas, and positive momentum define NE 23rd street’s EastPoint redevelopment project. But more important than the project’s aesthetics are the people who stand behind it. A collaboration between developers at Chamber Member Pivot Project, the City of Oklahoma City, Chamber Member Gardner Architects, Restore OKC, and multiple other individuals and organizations have aided in the success and achievement which reaches far beyond the area.
The redevelopment project includes 2.7 acres and 41,202 square feet of space. Its efforts rejuvenated a single-story commercial structure in the northeast part of Oklahoma City, updating the building and filling it with committed tenants. Among other challenges overcome by the project, it was the first new retail space developed in the area over the past generation.
The innovative approach to development taken by the Pivot team and all others involved was a key element in their selection for both the ULI Americas and Global Awards for Excellence. Alex Rose, Senior Vice President, Continental Development Corporation in California chaired the juries of the Americas and Global Awards for Excellence this year. A developer himself, he understands the intricacies behind a successful development and accredits much of his own success to his nearly 30 years of involvement with ULI. “The awards for excellence are not simply design, construction, or architecture-focused types of awards. They look at land use in a holistic sense,” said Rose. “Every aspect that goes into the development of a project is part of what we are evaluating.”
Only two other developments in Oklahoma have received the ULI Global Award for Excellence. The Gathering Place in Tulsa won the award in 2019 and the Devon Tower won the award in 2015.
“The jury is looking for excellence and best practice. Two criteria stand out above and beyond the norm: to what extent does the project represent out-of-the-box thinking and how much replicability and adaptability does the project have,” said Rose. “Can other communities replicate it and have a positive outcome? If you aren’t creating something new, you may get to a finalist stage, but not a winner stage.”
Rose believes the EastPoint development fit and expanded on the criteria used to determine award recipients. “On the innovative side, you had a developer go into a dispossessed area and rather than coming in and saying ‘I know what to do. I know what the answer is,’ we felt the development team was led by the community,” said Rose. “They listened to the people living in the area, the local business, and the businesses with nowhere else to go. When you understand the story behind what was created, you begin to realize the level of excellence of the development.”
Jonathan Dodson, CEO of Chamber Member Pivot Project, began the EastPoint redevelopment project in 2016 with community leader and fellow developer Sandino Thompson and architect Jeremy Gardner, Principal of Chamber Member Gardner Architects, among many others. Dodson and Thompson met while serving on the Bricktown Urban Design Committee. “There aren’t a lot of minorities on these committees, but Mayor Holt has made a specific effort to make sure that the committees and commissions are more representative of the people in the community,” said Thompson. “One of the nice things about being appointed to that committee was getting to know the other members. I met Jonathan, and when we talked about what we were interested in working on and developing we found a lot of commonality.”
“Our biggest fear was gentrification that leads to displacement, which is hyper harmful,” Dodson said. “When you displace someone from their community, they are moved out of their safety net. If we were going to create a development and do it thoughtfully, we wanted to make sure that no one was put into a position where they were forced to leave.”
In the initial stages of the project’s creation, Dodson drove around with Sandino Thompson and Jeremy Gardner looking for places that would offer suitable potential for development in the east side of Oklahoma City. Several events led to the selection of the final location, including meetings with local community members to determine what was needed in the area. “Most people said they wanted access to healthcare, access to food, and access to retail,” said Dodson.
The developers felt the EastPoint area was a great place to invest in. “This development really gives a nod to inclusive development practice. Though we want developers to get paid for their work so they can be sustainable, we want to focus on making a meaningful impact within the community outside of making a profit,” said Thompson. “This is the kind of work that’s critical for areas that have not been invested in or have been disinvested in for years. Our project was different from other projects that may cost hundreds of millions. It’s valuable in that it’s not always how much money you can put into a project but it’s the impact that really matters.”
Michelle McBeath, ULI Oklahoma’s Executive Director, said, “We are thrilled to celebrate Pivot Project and the entire EastPoint ownership team for this incredible award. EastPoint deserves the highest honor and recognition for their innovative approach to development, dedication to equitable ownership, and commitment to the community.”
One of the major tenants within the development is a grocery store that provides locally grown produce and affordable food. At the opening of the Market at EastPoint in April, the grocery store brought means for celebration in an area that had gone years without much attention or adequate access to food. Caylee Dodson from Restore OKC played an essential role in opening the market through garnering operational support from Chamber Member Homeland Stores.
READ ABOUT THE OPENING OF THE MARKET AT EASTPOINT
“The Market at EastPoint is off to a great start. We knew there would be challenges in running a small, fresh-focused community store, but the feedback we get from our neighbors is positive,” said Marc Jones, CEO of Homeland. “The partnership with Restore OKC in this location has been rewarding. We think that the Market will only grow its impact in our community and serve as a potential model for other communities. We are excited about Northeast Oklahoma City changing from a food desert to an oasis of creativity with food access, justice and security,” added Jones.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NEW HOMELAND LOCATION
The grocery store is not the only asset the EastPoint project brings. The development also includes a health clinic, fitness center, cocktail bar, bookstore, coffee shop, and more.
Brittani Hunter, owner of Spiked. A Coffee Concept, is one of the development’s tenants. She took an entrepreneurship course during her time at Oklahoma State University, and part of the course included launching a pop-up coffee shop on campus. After graduating from OSU in 2017 with a degree in Sports Management and Marketing, Hunter didn’t anticipate her dream of owning a coffee shop ever coming to fruition. When she lost her job due to COVID, her friends encouraged her to open the shop. “I had never noticed the EastPoint building before, but one day I was driving around and saw it. I immediately called the real estate agent and she showed me the space the next day,” said Hunter. “I had a business degree, but I barely had any money. If all else failed, I thought I’d only be out a couple thousand. The other owners seemed super excited to have a spiked coffee shop, so things started falling into place.”
Hunter is keen on collaborating with the other tenants within the development. “I always tell people the other businesses are our cousins, so once you finish here, go check out the other places,” she said. “I purchase all our milk at the Market at EastPoint and am planning on partnering with Intentional Fitness to provide protein shakes and meet and greet sessions with their trainers.”
“I think the most important thing I can say for anyone interested in starting a business is: if you have an idea, just go for it. There is a community who will support you and help you along the way. There would be no Spiked if the minority grant program wasn’t available, and it’s been really encouraging working with and learning from other local business owners.”
The Minority Owned Business Recovery Program was administered by the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City, the city of Oklahoma City and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber in response to challenges brought on by COVID-19. Hunter was one of many minority owned business owners who received grants up to $25,000 to help small businesses with payroll, rent, retrofitting the business, purchasing sanitizing equipment or other operational needs.
Unlike many other developments, one of the most unique aspects of this one is its ownership structure. “Rather than being a development team focused solely on making a profit, they shared the equity and value of the project with the partners,” said Michelle McBeath.
Owners of the development include: Jonathan Dodson, David Wanzer, Ben Sellers, Sandino Thompson, Jabee Williams, Dr. Jeff Watts, Michael Davis, Garner Watson, Dr. Patrina Satterwhite-Walter, Dr. Quintin Hufhes, Chaya Fletcher, Crystal Buffs, Steven Harris, Brittani Hunter, Jeff Engle, Brandon Birdwell, Levi Ballard, Emmanuel Sosanya, Cordell Love, Greg Johnson, Courtney Strickland, Kenyetta Richard, and Steve Mason.
The value that exists in the partnership aspect of the project is a shared belief of many. “Because they constructed this as a partnership, the potential success of this project is much higher than a typical approach would have on this project,” said Rose. “It has huge potential for positive community impact because the developer made the tenants partners in both the literal and figurative sense. They were given the opportunity to acquire equity in exchange for the long-term commitment as a tenant. That struck us as not only innovative, but extremely replicable and adaptable.”
“The gravitational pull of wealth is usually comfort, but comfort doesn’t create joy,” Dodson said. “Pivot was willing to take risks to experience joy and be a part of a community that has much richer value systems than we see.”
Dodson attributes much of the project’s success to the relationships formed along the way. “Relationships matter. It is super simple, but we all get narratives in our head about what people think, or want, or act like. You end up living a fractured life,” said Dodson. “When you interact with a greater community of individuals with different philosophies, your life becomes much richer.”
The impact of the project has not only been felt within the community and recognized on a global scale, but it is visible. “My favorite part of the process has been seeing the community’s reaction and the community come alive. We have a great mix of tenants,” said Thompson. “We see people doing yoga on the weekends right off 23rd street where, for 20+ years, we haven’t seen that type of activity happening. Every Sunday, dozens of people are gathering at Kindred Spirits and enjoying each other’s company. It’s those intimate moments where community comes together.”
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