Transforming Your Hometown
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ACOG created the Community Economic Resiliency Initiative (CERI) Program, which was funded by the EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance Grant, to offer municipal governments the opportunity to develop planning demonstration (demo) site projects that would model strategic community and economic investment with a focus on Placemaking and Cultural Heritage Tourism.
ACOG partnered with the Oklahoma Main Street Center and the University of Oklahoma Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) to provide a toolkit of services to the selected municipalities that served as the foundation for effective economic revitalization and resiliency.
2021: Inaugural CERI Planning Demonstration Sites
During the March 2021 Board Meeting, the ACOG Board approved three (3) planning demo site projects in the following communities:
• City of El Reno – Sunset Drive/Route 66 Corridor Study
• City of Guthrie – The Elbow Recreational and Cultural Area Plan
• City of Harrah – Sweeney Switch – Downtown Plan
2023-2024 CERI Program
ACOG designated a portion of the awarded 2023-2025 EDA Planning Grant to provide valuable planning services to the municipalities within our region. As a result, ACOG reserved $45,000 to fund two cities to take part in the 2023-2024 Community Economic Resiliency Initiative (CERI) Program.
The ACOG Board approved two (2) planning demo sites projects in the following communities:
- City of Choctaw – 23rd Street Corridor Plan
- City of Noble – Main Street Project: Heart of the Community
A Message from the city of guthrie, tourism director
“When the City of Guthrie applied to participate in this program, we had the general idea of what we wanted to accomplish. CERI allowed us to work with the funding from ACOG and the OU Institute for Quality Communities and helped the City listen to the community to take the bare bones of this idea and let the community drive it. It allowed us to look at The Noble Park Elbow project, the historically African American neighborhood and create a way our people to tell their story.”
Justin Fortney
CERI Planning Demo Site Project Reports
CERI: Award Winning Program & Accomplishments
CERI Wins Impact Award
ACOG received the 2022 AliceannWohlbruck Impact Award from the National Associaion of Development Organizations (NADO) for the CERI Program.
NADO is a Washington, DC-based membership association of regional development organizations that promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies. The Impact Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and their partners for improving the economic and community competitiveness of our nation’s regions and local communities.
Tools CERI Planning Demo Site Cities Receive
At the end of their project, the CERI Planning Demo Site Cities are given a professionally developed road map that outlines the community’s vision and final recommendations garnered from their citizens. These recommendations are supported by community outreach, professional development and historical research, and suggested future grant funding opportunities that prepared these cities for the implementation phase.
- Updated city planning techniques and best practices shared with each community.
- Economic development and transportation safety research conducted on behalf of selected cities.
- Urban design, streetscape, and development strategies created for each municipality.
Contact Community & Economic Development Staff
Association of Central Oklahoma Governments
(405) 234-2264
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4205 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
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