The New Orleans Square area was once central to development of Broken Arrow. As the community expanded outward, traffic in the New Orleans Square area diminished. Farhad Daroga Special Projects Manager stated, “New Orleans and Elm was once the heart of the city. The revitalization of South Broken Arrow is being accomplished through studies of the area for future developments as well as gaining the
support of citizens and stakeholders. In August 2017, the Broken Arrow City Council approved an economic development feasibility study for the Elm Place and New Orleans shopping area. This initiative is in response to increased vacancies, aging infrastructure, and citizen concerns. In March 2020, City Council approved the name “New Orleans Square” as recommended by the New Orleans Square Advisory Committee after a city-wide citizen survey. With the area expected to grow by 10,000 people by 2028 and an unmet demand for over 582,258 square feet of quality retail, New Orleans Square is in a good position to revitalize. As with the Rose District effort, the New Orleans Square revitalization will include multi-year projects that requires commitment, perseverance, and a willingness to invest in the future from both the public and private sectors. This area will once again become an important and sustainable hub for retail, commercial, and residential development in South Broken Arrow.
“New Orleans Square is in the beginning stages of rebranding & the revitalization of this area is already happening on every corner!” said Christi Gillespie, Vice Mayor and City Councilor for Ward 3, which includes New Orleans Square. Throughout 2021 multiple tactical urban projects and events were organized by the City of Broken Arrow in an effort to attract attention to the area. The most successful being the patriotic Block Party which drew upwards of 15,000 people to the area to enjoy music, live music, steak cook-offs, and fireworks. This is all in effort to revitalize the area and attract new businesses and consumers to shop local in South BA. The end of the evening also was the branding reveal of the logo for the New Orleans Square area. The efforts of city leadership proved successful when the area saw an 18% increase in sales tax revenue. The City of Broken Arrow is proud of the progress that has happened this year and is excited to see New Orleans Square grow in the future.
