The Citizen – A story of redevelopment and restoration after the OKC bombing

As featured in the Journal Record

This month marks the opening of The Citizen, a sleek twelve-story mixed-use tower located directly across from the Oklahoma City National Memorial. This modern development embodies the city’s commitment to growth and innovation, housing business development and accelerator organizations, a hotel and a social club, and serves as a symbol of forward-thinking urban renewal.

As we approach the 30th anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, this newly opened development serves as an encouraging symbol of progress and recovery. This act of domestic terrorism took the lives of 168 people and injured hundreds. The blast left over 324 buildings damaged or destroyed in a sixteen-block radius. The destruction raised concerns about downtown’s future, and with the approval of the first iteration of MAPS in 1993, left residents wondering how recovery would impact the city’s renewal.

The Citizen is ushering in a new phase of redevelopment for the area. Located at NW 5th and Robinson Ave., the 160,000-square-foot mid-rise building will bring a new blend of work, leisure and luxury to the city, with space dedicated to a private social club, upscale dining, a boutique hotel, retail space, and an executive workplace. The Citizen’s social club has already drawn international speakers to connect with members, including the Prime Minister of Australia and various industry experts.

Fostering developments like The Citizen helps enhance the economic profile of the city for potential investors and organizations looking to move their headquarters to a more central location in the country. The dynamic new building in the heart of the city and across the street from the memorial site shows off OKC’s resiliency and determination to start anew and drive prosperity.

Read the rest of the column in the Journal Record

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