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<p class="MsoNormal">As the Director of the Oklahoma Main Street Center, I want to congratulate Kendall Whittier Main Street, Ed Sharrer, and the Board of Directors on being a Semifinalist for a 2019 Great American Main Street Award.
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<span style="color:#1D2129">Tulsa’s Kendall Whittier District, once home to the city’s first suburban shopping center, is now a model destination district for arts, culture, shopping and, of course, food trucks. By adapting the framework of the Main Street
Approach to the needs of a diverse, creative, urban district, Kendall Whittier Main Street has created economic vitality, inclusive opportunity, and community transformation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:4.5pt;background:white"><span style="color:#1D2129">Founded in 2010, Kendall Whittier Main Street has an impressive reinvestment ratio of $39.11—every $1 of public investment ($900,000) has generated $39.11 in private
investment ($35.2 million)! They have also significantly reduced their vacancy rate from 65% to 3% exclusively through locally-owned businesses.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:#1D2129">The 2019 Great American Main Street Awards Winners will be announced at the 2019 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MainStreetNowConference/?fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARB7xWq4rYHMnZVKXjJPU3MliJBgesCKBqPmvQo3MtXp5PGGPN9pIUKOb5W47wouOvD-z2WIT3aH7PI2sV9c6C4djltaIFc-HDJMuZn0_XTnqEmcwH1NNjnFVqWVYk1nWsPuJ_PieJDi&__tn__=K-R"><span style="color:#365899">Main
Street Now Conference</span></a> in Seattle March 25.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="575" height="482" style="width:5.9895in;height:5.0208in" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image003.png@01D4392E.BEC1FC90"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Have a good day,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Buffy<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Gadugi",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Gadugi",sans-serif">Buffy Hughes<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">State Main Street Director<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oklahoma Department of Commerce<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">900 N. Stiles Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73104<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: <a href="mailto:Buffy.Hughes@okcommerce.gov">Buffy.Hughes@okcommerce.gov</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">P: 405.815.5249<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C: 405.664.1260<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:125%"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#4BACC6">OKcommerce.gov/main-street</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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