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OKC has seen a strong demand and interest in flexible housing options and the variety of housing types has helped round out our inventory. There are several types of mixed-use developments across our city, creating a holistic urban experience where residents can live, work and play.
Live-work units are a concept that blends commercial and residential spaces, redefining the traditional boundaries of home and retail. Live-work units traditionally function with the ground floor serving as a commercial space while the upper levels are dedicated to residential living. Live-work units offer a unique lifestyle where residents can live above their own businesses and be part of a vibrant commercial community.
Oklahoma City has recently established a diverse portfolio of live-work units. 10 live-work units are offered at the Wheeler District, OKC’s vibrant, mixed-used community near the shore of the Oklahoma River. Wheeler District offers a range of housing options for those seeking convenience and quality of life in the city’s urban core. Single-family homes, townhouses and live-work units, as well as a mix of shops and office spaces, line the streets of this walkable and bikeable community downtown.
Page Woodson is another incredible success story that highlights a mixed-use development and the soon-to-be addition of 14 live-work units designed for retail, small business offices and other uses to serve the community. In addition to preserving one of northeast OKC’s important Black landmark and historical building, the revitalization of Page Woodson has added mixed-income apartment units to help meet OKC’s strong housing demand.
Finally, in the core of downtown, OKC has seen great success with the completion of the Muse and West Village apartments, mixed-use developments both offering live-work units.
Mixed-use developments play a pivotal role in addressing the affordable housing crisis, while also impacting residents’ quality of life. Communities surrounding mixed-income housing developments have seen reduced crime rates and residents report feeling more connected to their neighbors, creating a harmonious balance between living and working in OKC.
Creative solutions incorporating both commercial and residential uses will help to keep our core vibrant. The vision for OKC has always included housing opportunities for people with a diverse mix of incomes, interests and needs, and I am excited to see the progress continue in 2024.
– Kenton Tsoodle is the president of The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City.
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