Scott Carter
The Norman Transcript

The City of Norman must adopt a controversial Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District to keep its economic development program strong, the executive director of the Norman Economic Development Coalition (NEDC) said Wednesday.

Don wood, speaking at a breakfast meeting of the Cleveland County Business and Industry Council, said over the past several years Norman has been successful in expanding its economic base.

“Our focus is on jobs,” Woods said. “Right now local businesses and industries are growing.” He citied two large call centers built several years ago in NEDC’s Norman Business Park as examples.

Wood said OfficeMax, the office supply giant, ahs hired up to 500 employees and added 10,000 square feet to its Norman Call Center over the past year, while ClientLogic, a business process service company call center, has doubled its 300-member workforce.

“We’ve seen its growth because of the quality of our labor force and because out community has made a commitment to help business,” he said.

Wood said the two call centers alone added 500 jobs in 2005, and Norman has added that same number of jobs in the first five months in 2006.

He said those jobs offset the losses from General Motors, Shaklee and Saxon Publishers. “More than 200 Norman residents lost their jobs with GM in February, along with 150 with Shaklee in 2005 and 200 with Saxon in 2004. However, those workers will have the opportunity for retraining.”

Wood said almost $2 million in state employee retraining funds is available to help the displaced workers. “The good news is most of these people are going to stay in the community.”

Still, Wood said, Norman needs to do more.

For the city to “reach its potential” Wood said it must adopt the University North Park Tax increment Financing District. “This is not a corporate giveaway. It’s about making our community stronger.”

The proposed TIF District NO. 2 would cover 585 acres of land east of Interstate 35 between Robinson Street and Tecumseh Road. The district-a $54 million proposal-would include about $10.5 million to fund traffic and road improvements for the I-35 access ramps at Robinson Street and Tecumseh Road.

“One of the main reasons Norman didn’t land Dell Business Service Center (that went to Oklahoma City) was because the roads and infrastructure weren’t there. We were not ready.”
Besides funding for road improvements, the TIF district would include $15 million for a convention center-which would be attached to the newly announced Embassy Suites Hotel; $7.5 million for the Legacy Park Development efforts and another $7.5 million for community lifestyle improvements.

“The goal is to make Norman spectacular,” he said “and to continue our focus of creating jobs.”

Wood said the NEDC also is working to develop between $5 million and $10 million in venture capital funds for business development. “We want to create new businesses by licensing technology form the University of Oklahoma. The potential is great; special opportunities are always bubbling up.”