Durant Area Chamber of Commerce
DURANT – Business owners, residents and community members with an interest in creating an arts district along South Ninth Avenue (S9A) are invited to a community workshop on June 14 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Donald W. Reynolds Community Center & Library located at 1515 W Main in Durant.
The workshop is the third held in a series of meetings about the project. The focus of the workshop will be to review the draft master plan for the arts district along South Ninth Avenue. Community participation from residents, business owners and interested community members is crucial for developing an inclusive theme for the district and identifying improvements desired for the corridor.
Last year, several partners in Durant came together to apply to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Our Town Grant. The City of Durant, Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival, Durant Area Chamber of Commerce, Choctaw Nation, Durant Main Street, Durant Independent School District, Imagine Durant, Red River Arts Association, SHARE, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Texoma Arts Association noted that Durant is a special place and that this opportunity to connect art, history, and culture on S. 9th Avenue should not be missed.
The NEA grant is for a planning process to create a vision, identity and theme for South 9th Avenue, identify locations and concepts to improve and create a district, and create a plan for this area. The key to this process is having community participation. The master plan will help Durant have a guide for the types of projects and opportunities for the corridor.
For more information, contact Janet Reed at the Durant Chamber of Commerce at 580-924-0848.