Oklahoma City Re-"MAPS" Its Future Those thinking of Oklahoma City as a dusty prairie town would be amazed to learn how much water there is. And where there's water, there's usually growth. A canal winds through the city's cultural center, known as Bricktown — a recently renovated section of the city featuring restaurants, entertainment venues, a 12,000-seat ballpark and other amenities. The ambience is not unlike that of San Antonio's Riverwalk district, say the locals. And the Oklahoma River, once a dry riverbed, is now a seven-mile long waterway on which collegiate regattas are held and by which significant urban development is taking place. After all, "waterfront property" has a better ring to it than "ditchfront property." A rendering of the Native American Cultural Center, which will anchor the eastern end of Oklahoma City's redeveloped riverfront.       The canal, the ballpark and the revitalized river are just three of the nine Metropolitan Area Projects, or MAPS, that have been completed in recent years thanks to $2 billion in public and private investment and the vision of former Mayor Ronald Norick. Other MAPS components are a trolley system, a remodeled music hall, renovation of a convention center, improvements to the state fairgrounds, opening of the 20,000-seat Ford Center event venue and a library.       Under Norick's leadership, city voters in 1993 agreed to a temporary one-cent sales tax, which netted more than $300 million in revenues. The projects took 10 years to complete, including a setback in 1995, following the bombing of the federal building. "Not everyone supported the tax," says Norick, "but those who didn't don't have much to say about it today." Combined, the nine projects have transformed Oklahoma City's central business district into world class destination, — one that is catching the attention of corporate site seekers, such as Dell Computer (see box below).       Though not the most expensive of the nine projects, the $54-million rehabilitation of the former North Canadian River will likely have the greatest impact, thanks to the property now available for development. And not all the development will be office space. A $135-million Native American Cultural Center is in the works as is an airpark, a 26,000-foot (7,925-meter) skate park and a boathouse being built by Oklahoma City University.       "The Native American Cultural Center will be the anchor on the eastern end of the waterway," says Pat Downs, director of development at the Oklahoma City Riverfront Redevelopment Authority. "The first phase of the center will be open in time to mark the state's centennial in November 2007."       Downs predicts that over the next decade, the area will see "approximately $1 billion in resultant development projects." The Dell campus alone is estimated to involve a $45 million to $50 million investment; other projects announced so far bring the total after just one year to about $170 million. "That's a pretty good start," says Downs.       MAPS investment has triggered a spate of private development projects in Oklahoma City, which is pushing the modernization wave beyond the central business district. A new federal campus opened in December 2003 to replace the Murrah federal building; the Oklahoma Health Center — home to the Presbyterian Health Foundation Research Park and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center — is in the midst of a $270-million expansion; and the Oklahoma Museum of Art — home of the largest Chihuly blown glass exhibit in the world — is undergoing a $22-million upgrade. Will Rogers World Airport is in the midst of a $100-million renovation. For more on current and planned projects in Oklahoma City, visit www.okcchamber.com.

Last? Not So Fast Anchoring the western end of Oklahoma City's river-redevelopment project is a corporate campus Dell Computer began occupying in August. Since selecting Oklahoma City in 2004 as the location for its newest customer-contact center, Dell has announced two expansions, the latest in July for a third 120,000-sq.-ft. (11,150-sq.-m.) building. The latest expansion announcement will bring the total number of employees in Oklahoma City to about 1,000 by 2006, which isn't bad for a city that was barely even on Dell's radar screen when it initiated the site search.       "In the beginning, Oklahoma made the list simply because of the population," said Kip Thompson, Dell's vice president for global facilities, at the time the initial announcement was made in 2004. "And frankly, Oklahoma was at the bottom of the list."       Proximity to Dell's Texas headquarters, plentiful labor supply and relatively low cost of living prompted a closer look at the Oklahoma City area, giving business recruiters a golden opportunity to shine.       "What we found here was a real 'can do' attitude," noted Thompson. "That has been manifest in virtually every interaction we have had with state officials, with [state work-force training program] CareerTech, with the universities — across the board. Step by step, the process has been one of true engagement. We've found [in Oklahoma] an ability to listen, to understand what our issues are and to solve them."