Help Wanted: Your Input Needed to Help Brand the "New" Downtown Owasso

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We are at a unique time in Owasso’s history where we are looking at the redevelopment of our downtown and Main Street. We have buildings being demolished to make way for new investment and new life in our downtown area. As we look towards our future, we want to create a name or a ‘brand’ for our district. Think about other cities you have visited and their special districts. Tulsa has Blue Dome, Brookside, Cherry Street, the Brady District and more. OKC has Bricktown and Broken Arrow has the Rose District. Each has a unique name and a unique logo that brands the area and makes it unique.

A Committee made up of people from across the Owasso community have met, brought ideas, discussed and created this list of finalists for branding the downtown Owasso area. Here is a list of names and a brief description of the finalists.

Depot District – This idea has been around since the early days of branding discussion. It pays homage to Owasso’s history and its connection to trains. Like Owasso’s trains or not, we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the railroad. The Owasso Depot has been gone for many years, but our downtown grew around the depot and our history is full of train connections.

The Hub – This name came about later in the process and has picked up a lot of interest. The word Hub means the central part of a wheel, the focal point or a center of commerce. It is synonymous with downtown, the heart, the center or the place where all things meet. It is also a bit of a throwback to our train history with the hub being our depot and the downtown that grew around it.

Main Place – Throughout this process, the committee has struggled on whether or not to include Main Street or the word Main in the brand. The downtown district is a much larger area than just Main Street, but Main Street is often the heart of a downtown area. This idea also uses the word ‘place’ as we try to create our own special place in Owasso.

Redbud District – The redbud tree is uniquely Oklahoman as it is our State tree and is prominent in the Oklahoma landscape in the springtime. Redbuds aren’t necessarily unique to Owasso, but are reflective of Oklahoma and our history. Imagine the streets lined with redbuds as we rebuild our downtown.

Scissortail District – The scissortail-flycatcher is an Oklahoma icon and our State bird. Scissortail is a name that is uniquely Oklahoma and green country is full of these birds. It’s shape is so unique that it’s easy to see how it could be a great name and icon for Owasso’s unique new downtown.