When civic leaders of Broken Arrow rezoned a portion of the city’s historic downtown into an arts and entertainment district, revitalization blossomed. But despite the influx of new businesses and visitors, the new Rose District was missing a key ingredient: youth. Specifically, the district lacked a residential aspect and any type of night scene to attract young adults and keep the district’s allure alive after five.
Narrate Design was tapped to design a new mixed-use building that will be the first to integrate residential units into the Rose District. The project is targeted toward attracting a combination of young professionals and empty nesters.
This “first” for downtown Broken Arrow presented several challenges. The City of Broken Arrow enforces strict guidelines for how developments respect its downtown area, which is older than the State of Oklahoma. Working with the project’s developer, Ross Construction Group, our team built upon our positive, collaborative relationship with the City of Broken Arrow to successfully navigate building codes. Moreover, we embraced the City’s wisdom to restore the Rose District’s vitality, rather than simply replace it.