Oklahoma City, In The Press

[Laramie]

  Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt elected 2025-2026 president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors June 5, 2023.

         

  Press release from the City:

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  Mayor David Holt elected 2025-2026 president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors
  06/05/2023
 
  Today at the Annual Meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors in Columbus, the membership elected Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt to serve as the     
  2025-2026 President of the organization.

  In the near term, Mayor Holt assumes office immediately as the organization's Second Vice President. In 2024, Holt will become First Vice President. At the             
  Annual Meeting in the summer of 2025, Mayor Holt will become the 83rd President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

  "I am incredibly grateful and excited for the honor of serving in these roles," said Mayor Holt. "Mayors are the most visionary, effective and unifying leaders in     
  our country right now, and the opportunity to represent them is an opportunity I am very grateful to have. I thank my fellow mayors for their belief in me. This
  also presents an opportunity to tell Oklahoma City's story, and it's a reminder to Oklahoma City that we have an incredible platform as America's 20th-largest         
  city."


  A member of the Osage Nation, Mayor Holt will be the first Native American President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. During their year in office, the   
  President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors speaks for the nation's mayors and their cities. Some of the most notable names in United States mayoral history
  have held the position, from LaGuardia to Daley to Landrieu. Holt is the second Mayor of Oklahoma City to hold the position, joining Mick Cornett, who served 
  as President from 2016 to 2017.

  Mayor Holt was elected to the Advisory Board of the Conference in 2019 and was elected a Trustee in 2020. In 2021, he served as national co-chair of mayoral         
  efforts to pass the Bipartisan Instructure Law. He serves as Vice Chair of the International Affairs Committee, Co-Chair of the Task Force on Electric Vehicles, is   
  a member of the Finance & Audit Committee, and has served as Chair of the Nominating Committee and as a member of the Site Selection Committee.

  Holt was elected as Mayor of Oklahoma City in 2018 with 78.5 percent of the vote and was re-elected in 2022 by a 40-point margin and with the most votes     
  for any mayoral candidate since 1959. When he took office, Holt was the youngest Mayor of Oklahoma City since 1923, and he will be one of the youngest U.S.   
  Conference of Mayors Presidents in history.

  In his professional life, Holt is the Dean-Designate of the Oklahoma City University School of Law. Mayor Holt is a graduate of The George Washington   
  University and Oklahoma City University. Mayor Holt is married to Rachel, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs. They have two children,   
  George and Margaret.

  Oklahoma City has a population of 694,800 and is the 20th-largest city in the United States.
                   

[Laramie]

     OKCTalk.com reports:

    Huge news: OKC may host Summer Olympic events
    Published on 06-05-2023 05:46 PM

    The Los Angeles 2028 Organizing Committee is considering moving the Games' canoe slalom events to the Riversport Rapids Whitewater Center in                                            
    Oklahoma City.


   

    Link to OKCTalk:  https://www.okctalk.com/content.php


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[Laramie]

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   Could OKC revisit an idea for the Boathouse District if the 2028 Olympics
  canoe slalom events are held at Riversport Rapids Whitewater Center.

     OKCTalk.com archives:

         

         
                 ^ The Grand Stands v
         

         


    Other events associated with the use of OKC Riversports Whitewater Center like 2026 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships.  

             2026 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships:  https://www.riversportokc.org/events/2026-icf-canoe-slalom-world-championships/




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[Laramie]

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    OKCTalk.com reveals latest Boathouse Row Master Plan:

     

                         

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[Laramie]

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    If OKC gets Olympic whitewater events, could others follow?

             OKCTalk.com report - link:   https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=959-If-OKC-gets-Olympic-whitewater-events-could-others-follow

. . . there has been much recent movement on the Oklahoma River to provide clear-span rowing for a full 2,000 meters, including plans for the complete replacement of the two I-35 bridges over the waterway. Renderings show suspension structures that would eliminate any columns in the river. It would also feature a viewing platform for river events.

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[Laramie]

     Oklahoma City's District Hotel Is the Queer Capital of the Plains

                             

                           

Since the 1970s, 39th Street, which was once part of Route 66, had a string of queer bars known as "The Strip."
Backing up to them was the 170-room Habana Inn. Built for travelers and conventions in 1968, the labyrinthine complex with its twin courtyards,
two pools and sunken restaurant was considered dated and obsolete by the early 1980s and was languishing.

Link to story:  https://www.riverfronttimes.com/news/oklahoma-citys-district-hotel-is-the-queer-capital-of-the-plains-40256617

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[Laramie]

       

         Top 20 Cities for Real Estate Development Over the Last Decade

                                    Oklahoma City City ranks 10th      

                   


          Oklahoma City, OK, rounds out the top 10 best cities for real estate development, following a decade of steady economic and population growth. Single
          family home construction performed exceptionally, with almost 33,200 building permits issued over the past decade, positioning Oklahoma City in the 6th
          spot nationally for this indicator. Commercial real estate development was active too. Oklahoma City saw the addition of 15.6M square feet of new     
          industrial space, 4.3M square feet of retail space and 1.3M square feet of storage space over the past decade.

 
          Link:  https://www.storagecafe.com/blog/most-active-cities-for-real-estate-development/


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[dbacksfan 2.0]

       

         Top 20 Cities for Real Estate Development Over the Last Decade

                                    Oklahoma City City ranks 10th      

                   


          Oklahoma City, OK, rounds out the top 10 best cities for real estate development, following a decade of steady economic and population growth. Single
          family home construction performed exceptionally, with almost 33,200 building permits issued over the past decade, positioning Oklahoma City in the 6th
          spot nationally for this indicator. Commercial real estate development was active too. Oklahoma City saw the addition of 15.6M square feet of new     
          industrial space, 4.3M square feet of retail space and 1.3M square feet of storage space over the past decade.

 
          Link:  https://www.storagecafe.com/blog/most-active-cities-for-real-estate-development/


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Am I reading that right that it was 15.6 million sq/ft of industrial over 10 years?

[Laramie]

                                       $700M project could bring economic boom, more entertainment to
                                                               downtown Oklahoma City

                       

                                            Video Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmEIKPrZuMw

[Laramie]

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    Southern Living - The 35 Best Things To Do in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

                 

                   

                   


    Link:  https://www.southernliving.com/best-things-to-do-oklahoma-city-8364716?utm_campaign=southernliving_southernliving&utm_content=manual&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_term=6536fb1a1014b10001967827

 

[Laramie]

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    This City in Oklahoma Belongs on Your 2024 Travel List — With a New Hotel in a
                 Gorgeous Building From the 1930s

                   

A few years back, my husband and I took a five-month road trip across the country when we moved from New York to L.A.
                   Since the journey coincided with storm-chasing season, I thought I might up my chance of seeing some severe weather by spending
                   a month in the heart of Tornado Alley: Oklahoma City.

                   
                     
                   

         Story link:  s://www.travelandleisure.com/the-national-oklahoma-city-hotel-review-8417803]https://www.travelandleisure.com/the-national-oklahoma-city-hotel-review-8417803[/url][/b]
 

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[Laramie]

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          OKC NAMED A SWEET SPOT FOR APARTMENT SIZE

               

               

Oklahoma City stands out by offering residents an impressive 1,993 square feet within the budget.
                  While Memphis's ZIP code 38109 leads with 1,996 square feet, showcasing a gradient from urban to rural living,
                  city centers often sacrifice space for convenience.

   OKC - Velocity link:  https://www.velocityokc.com/blog/economy/okc-named-a-sweet-spot-for-apartment-size/

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[Laramie]

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         Arts commissioners voted unanimously to recommend city council consider placing a 75-foot-tall sculpture at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds.  
         Projected cost:  $905,000 would come from the Arts budget.  --Oklahoman, February 21, 2024

                             

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[patric]

An Oklahoma City officer is under investigation for using force on an elderly driver, leaving the man seriously injured.

It started with the officer giving Lich Vu a ticket for causing a minor crash, but ended with Vu unconscious and in handcuffs.

Oklahoma City police released body cam footage more than a week after the encounter. There appears to be a language barrier, the officer later telling Lich if he doesn't sign the ticket, he will be taken to jail.  Lich appears to hit the officer's chest lightly and tells the officer to 'shut up.'

The officer then grabs Lich and forcefully takes him to the ground. Lich suffered "serious injuries" according to police.

In a report, the officer writing, "I perceived Lich touching me that things were going to escalate."

https://kfor.com/news/local/bodycam-reveals-officer-slamming-elderly-man-to-the-ground/