Alva Arena Authority-Woods County Government

PROJECT PURPOSE

The purpose of this project is to obtain funding support for the development of the Alva Arena, which is a municipal and county owned project. The land has been acquired, the architectural and engineering plans are completed, and the project is ready for development. It will be located on the east edge of the City of Alva in Woods County. This large project will be built and administered by the Alva Arena Authority. The Arena is a multi-event, public space that will enable the region to sponsor and attract large events and programs to the area. This facility has been designed to showcase and host numerous activities that will promote the region's economy. One of the predominant aspects of the facility will allow for the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Rodeo program to host numerous rodeos and related events, which will bring thousands of competitors to the region. The NWOSU program is one of collegiate rodeo's most successful program, and it attracts over 190 student athletes to the university each year from across the United States. Additionally, these types of events and programs draw auxilliary businesses which are needed to serve this population such as feed and equipment dealers, wood chip businesses, food vendors, and event management staff just to name a few. Other events and activities that the Arena will host include livestock shows and playdays, professional conferences and meetings, and public entertainment events. These events will support the region's hospitality industry, which has grown over the past 15 years. Woods County is situated within 35 miles of four state parks. Further, it is home to some of the nation's best hunting opportunities. The outdoor recreation industry has enabled the region to diversify its regional economy, and the Arena will further enable this industry sector to grow. The number of jobs that will result from the Arena's development is 12 to start, and expectations are that the auxiliary workforce will grow by 22 to 40 depending on the types of events and programs scheduled. This project adds to an industry cluster that Woods County has determined will diversify the economy, add to sales tax collections, and strengthen the hospitality industry in the region.

EVIDENCE

According to USDA agri-tourism articles and data, this type of project can provide opportunities for regions to diversify the area economy, provide additional sales tax collections, and assist in creating auxiliary businesses and jobs. Additionally, the travel and tourism industry has demonstrated numerous times that the public will travel to those communities that offer outdoor recreational opportunities and will plan travel/vacation options that provide a variety of programs and events. With Woods County's geographic location, and four state parks within an 45 minute drive, this project will further support the hospitality industry in the region and the creation of jobs and businesses that result.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

Woods County's Median Household Income has decreased nearly $10,000. per household from 2010 to 2020. The added economic stress of the pandemic has resulted in lost sales tax revenues to the City of Alva, and to Woods County and the State of Oklahoma. Jobs have been lost and it is difficult for skilled labor to find positions in the region which can support families. The Alva Arena Authority has been planning for this project for the past six plus years, and is ready to begin construction. Upon completion, this project will add jobs to the regional economy, support opportunities for vulnerable populations to obtain livable wage positions, and will assist in stabilizing the sales tax collections for units of local government. The retail business sector will experience growth in sales as will the hospitality industry. Both of these sectors have been seriously impacted by the pandemic, which has created problems for area lenders as well.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

The key metrics that will be evaluated once this project is completed include: increased # of jobs paying at or above the area median wage scale increases in sales tax collections for the city, county, and state stabilization of sales tax rates for the City of Alva over a five year period which will improve the City's ability to provde affordable services to the residents of the City. Municipal governments rely so heavily on sales tax collections for the provision of services, and this project will help stabilize sales tax collections. The data for these metrics will be collected annually by the City of Alva and Woods County for evaluation purposes and to guide programming plans.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma