Iconic Momentum: Growth, Grit, and a City on the Rise
Story by Lori Henderson | Executive Director PCDA, Contributing Writer
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Ponca City’s economy, along with the national and global economy, has no doubt gone through some shifts in the last 10 years. We’ve survived a worldwide pandemic, government shutdowns, inflation and high interest rates, all in the last decade. And while those shifts were sometimes difficult to manage, adversity has made us more resilient and innovative than we were before whether we liked it or not. But as we continue to move forward from those issues, we take what we’ve learned and continue to make strides in our local economy.
Supply chains were a significant issue during the pandemic. When manufacturers could not get the components needed to complete their projects, mainly because those components came from overseas, production slowed and stopped in many sectors. It wasn’t until local or regional manufacturers partnered together to create these components locally that projects started to be completed and sent out once again. While those locally sourced supplies sometimes cost more, they were a more reliable source that did not depend on shipping over oceans to get projects completed. Ponca City industries have long worked well together, but the pandemic turned our industries into even better partners that continue to work together to get things done.
As the economy bounced back and the entire world shifted, Ponca City Development Authority began shifting, as well. Our normal focus could no longer just be about creating jobs. With workforce shortages hitting cities and towns across the U.S., creating good paying jobs were and still are vital to the local and national economy. But growing our own economy now also consisted of population attraction, community growth and development, retail development, housing development, growing and keeping our own workforce and community “stickiness”.
PCDA has partnered with Ponca City Public Schools to coordinate an internship program for high school juniors and seniors. This gets our local students out into the community to realize employment prospects that they didn’t know existed in their town and showing them there are plenty of opportunities to stay and be successful. It teaches them how to work and act in a professional environment and they receive school credit for their efforts. When the program started, there were five students in the program. In this semester alone, there are 157 students out interning with local businesses.
In 2024, PCDA added two capabilities to our public trust – housing and retail recruitment. These “tools” were added to our toolbelt because Trustees and City Commissioners understood that growing our economy included a wide range of needs in our City and for potential citizens alike. Ponca City needed to have all the things potential citizens are looking for to attract them to our area and to get them to stay.
PCDA partners with the City of Ponca City on the Housing Incentive Program (HIP 2.0). In 2024, PCDA pledged $1,000,000 over three years to fund these incentives. This program offers incentives to housing developers to grow Ponca City’s available housing stock, a vital part of recruiting people to PC. If folks don’t have nice places to live, they won’t want to move here. The program is run and vetted by the City Development Services Department. Developers must fill out an application with information about the project, which can include new builds or certain rehab projects on existing homes. Once a project is approved by Development Services, it moves to the City Commission for approval, as well. And once it passes to City Commission, it comes to the PCDA board for additional incentives. These incentives help reduce the developers risk of building in a smaller, more rural area.
In a normal year before HIP 2.0, Ponca City saw an average of 5-7 new houses built, which mostly consisted of larger custom homes. In the 16 months since PCDA has partnered with the City and HIP 2.0, 27 housing units have been incentivized with more applying each month. These units have been popping up all over town and many have already been sold, showing a definite need for quality, affordable housing in Ponca. PCDA and the City will continue to incentivize these projects to help grow the housing stock and attract more families to our community.
In addition to housing, PCDA has become the retail recruitment lead for Ponca City. We attend retail shows to get face-to-face time with potential retailers and we work with local property owners on potential sites for new business. There is a lot of interest in our market from retailers and we will do all we can to bring some great new places to town. These agreements take time, but we’ve already started the process so keep your eyes open for new additions!
PCDA also purchased the former AMC Theater building at 5th and Prospect, made some infrastructure and mechanical improvements and have partnered with Icon Cinemas to reopen the theater. The theater will include four screens, big comfy leather recliners, an expanded array of snacks and food and the ability to serve beer and wine. Icon is aiming for a mid- to late-November opening date, just in time for the holiday movie season. PCDA is excited to bring this and other retail opportunities to Ponca City in the coming months and years.
PCDA also realizes the importance of a vibrant downtown district and continues to support projects that beautify and strengthen the downtown economy. City Central, once a building that saw 16% occupancy, now sits around 94% occupancy and sees an average of 4,000 visitors per month to the downtown area. These people work, visit, eat and shop downtown. The City of Ponca City recently invested, along with specific grant funding, in the replacement of corner nodes in the downtown district, better parking on Grand Avenue and a “road diet” that helps the flow of traffic in the downtown area. These improvements make a huge impression on visitors to our City and improves the quality of life for our citizens. Ponca City Main Street is continuously hosting events that bring thousands of people (and potential shoppers) to the downtown area for events like Ladies Night, Goblins on Grand and Ice on the Plaza.
Our industries, still PCDA’s meat and potatoes of the economic development realm, are doing well in today’s economy. Our industries employ our citizens, make products that leave Ponca City and bring money in and support our community. Many of them continue to stay stable or grow as they add new equipment, new employees and new customers. This year and next year alone, Ponca City industries are have created or are slated to create around 150 jobs, employing our citizens at higher wage rates and making that American Dream possible.
One such industry is Century Products, who came to Ponca City from Shidler to grow and expand their agricultural products manufacturing business. Century manufactures livestock tanks, hay feeders, mineral feeders and automatic waterers, animal huts and culverts for use in the agriculture business. When Century moved to Ponca City, they came from a 7,000 square foot building and employed 11 people. Since then, they have purchased multiple buildings, including the former 230,000 sq ft Smith Bits building, added new pieces of equipment that has increased their manufacturing output and employ 43 people. Century is just one example of our growing industries that are a vital part of our local economy.
PCDA will continue to work hard to do our part in bringing new opportunities to Ponca City through industrial, retail and housing recruitment and expansion. Ponca City has long weathered the ups and downs of economic shifts. We’ve diversified our industries so any hits we take are smaller and more manageable. Our industries have expanded their capabilities and use Ponca’s highly skilled workforce to grow, expand and succeed in a global market. Our city is filled with people that care about our community and the people in it. They invest their time and money in projects and organizations that better our town for future generations. The future is bright for Ponca City!
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