TRANSFORM TOGETHER
WILL ROGERS COURTS + WESTWOOD EXCHANGE
WHERE IS WESTWOOD EXCHANGE?
Just minutes from Downtown Oklahoma City, the Westwood Exchange neighborhood sits between the Oklahoma National Stockyards, the world’s largest stocker/feeder cattle market, Stockyards City Main Street, and the Wheeler District, a walkable and bikeable planned community redeveloped on a historic airpark.
WHY ARE WE HERE? OUR COMMUNITY TOMORROW
In September 2023, the Oklahoma City Housing Authority (OCHA) and the City were awarded a Choice Neighborhoods (CN) Planning Grant for the Rotary Park and Stockyards City neighborhood from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Together, public housing residents, community partners, and the broader neighborhood developed the Will Rogers Courts & Westwood Exchange Transform Together plan.
Westwood Exchange has experienced decades of disinvestment, marked by the closure of Westwood Elementary School, which was a significant setback for the community. Dilapidated buildings, stray animals, and violence have become common concerns. In the heart of the community is the Will Rogers Courts public housing community, home to 327 families. The buildings and infrastructure, which were built in 1939, have reached the end of their useful life.
For these reasons, OCHA started a process in 2023 to Transform Together, bringing the community’s vision of a bright future to life and preparing to apply for funding to implement the vision.
ENGAGEMENT
Steering Committee Kick-Off Resident Needs Assessment Collection Event
Resident Meeting Kick-Off Stakeholder Interviews
Stakeholder Interviews
Partner Open House
The Transform Together process has taken place over 16 months, and continues as the community commits to lasting transformation. The process featured six workshops that engaged target residents and the broader community in the process of planning and making decisions for the neighborhood. September
Design Workshop Week Back-to-School Block Party Will Rogers Courts Block Party Good Neighbor Lunch and Raffle
THE RESIDENTS OF WILL ROGERS COURTS
Will Rogers Courts residents are familyoriented, determined, and hopeful for a bright future. 211 households (65% of Will Rogers Courts households) completed an in-depth survey to help OCHA better understand the residents’ needs and visions for the future. Residents answered questions about their family’s access to healthcare, job training, early childhood education, after-school programs, neighborhood amenities, transportation, and healthy food. Understanding what the families of Will Rogers Courts need helped to lay the groundwork for partnership with local nonprofits and organizations that are eager to support the residents in achieving their goals.
There are 327 Families or Households in Will Rogers Courts
27% of Will Rogers Courts residents see a better sense of community as what the neighborhood needs most
Will Rogers Courts has a higher percentage of children (34%) than the neighborhood or City
Needs Assessment Results
Households in Will Rogers Courts on average are much smaller than the rest of the neighborhood
3,631 People live in the Westwood Exchange CN neighborhood
546 People live in Will Rogers Courts
37% of Will Rogers Courts heads of households are unemployed and looking for work
75% of Will Rogers Courts residents make under $10,000 annually
$5,279 Average Household Income
56% of Will Rogers Courts residents feel unsafe in the neighborhood at night
33% of Will Rogers Courts residents feel unsafe in the neighborhood during the day
55% of Will Rogers Courts residents do not have a bank account
44% of Will Rogers children aged 0-5 stay at home for childcare
83% of Will Rogers Courts residents do not feel that it is safe to let children in their household play outside
Will Rogers Courts Households rated the childcare quality 3.67/5
23% of Will Rogers heads of households do not feel adequately connected to healthcare resources
32% of Will Rogers Courts walk as their primary mode of transportation
71% of Will Rogers Courts residents don’t own a car
11% of Will Rogers heads of households struggle with emotional or behavioral wellness
36% of Will Rogers Courts residents are interested in community events
A TRANSFORMED WILL ROGERS COURTS
Will Rogers Courts will be redeveloped as mixed-income housing. To build a replacement unit for every existing unit and add affordable and market-rate housing, at least 712 new units must be built. Current Will Rogers Courts residents have the first right to return to the new housing, which is designed with affordable and market-rate residents living side-by-side in identical units and sharing amenities.
Safe parking & nice spaces between buildings In-unit washer and dryer or hook-ups
VISION FOR NEW HOUSING
GOAL 1
HOUSING GOALS
Will Rogers Courts is transformed into a mixed-income community where all residents have high-quality housing free from stigma GOAL 2
Will Rogers Courts residents and new residents have housing choices
84% of Will Rogers Courts residents are interested in returning to the site after future redevelopment
GOAL 3
The design of the new mixed-income housing feels like a connected neighborhood GOAL 4
New high-quality amenities build a sense of community and enhance residents’ quality of life
GOAL 5
The new mixed-income housing is highquality, resilient, and well-maintained
FLOURISHING FAMILIES
The People Plan focuses on supporting the residents of Will Rogers Courts. Engaged partners will help residents achieve their goals in education, health, financial well-being, and engagement. To ensure measurable progress towards these goals, the metrics will be tracked long-term.
The People Plan also focuses on supporting residents through the relocation process. With the support of OCHA, the Community Action Agency of OKC, and Brinshore Development, residents of Will Rogers Courts will have the first right to return to the new mixed-income housing, and every family will have the support they need to ensure they are stable and thriving.
72% of Will Rogers heads of household have been employed less than one year
44% of Will Rogers children aged 0-5 stay at home for childcare
GOAL 1
PEOPLE GOALS
Will Rogers Courts children have a pathway to educational success
GOAL 2
GOAL 3
Will Rogers Courts children participate in a variety of out of school programs
GOAL 4
Will Rogers Courts residents are physically and emotionally healthy
Will Rogers Courts residents are financially stable through family-sustaining employment, career mobility, and financial literacy
23% of Will Rogers heads of households do not feel adequately connected to healthcare resources
11% of Will Rogers heads of households struggle with emotional or behavioral wellness
A SAFE & ACTIVE NEIGHBORHOOD
NEIGHBORHOOD GOALS
Westwood Exchange residents feel safe and the neighborhood is free from violent crimes
Unhoused neighbors in Westwood Exchange are supported
Will Rogers Courts residents and neighbors have fresh, healthy, affordable food
Westwood Exchange offers a full range of neighborhood services, uses, and small business opportunities
Existing and new Westwood Exchange parks are programmed with amenities and recreation uses for residents of all ages
Neighborhood residents have convenient, safe, and affordable transportation options to reach destinations within and outside the neighborhood
There are opportunities for affordable homeownership in Westwood Exchange
New Community Green
A new green north of South Rotary Park will serve as a space for community gatherings and family-friendly activities. Located in the center of the transformed Will Rogers Courts, the green will offer programmable outdoor space for partners.
“We need to have a place to host live music, festivals, and community events”
Safe, Walkable Blocks that Encourage Interaction
“I want to see nice, safe spaces between buildings”
“More walkable areas are needed”
“This will improve peoples’ lives here — they will feel safer walking around the neighborhood”
TYPICAL
STREET TODAY
The transformed Will Rogers Courts will include smaller blocks and a street grid that connects residents to amenities and the broader neighborhood. Front porches and stoops face the street, inviting residents to interact with the neighbors as they walk or bicycle past.
Comfortable Streets in a Transformed
Neighborhood
New neighborhood streets will have street trees for shade, wider sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian-scaled lighting, and on-street parking to slow cars and create a safe and comfortable space for pedestrians along the sidewalk.
32% of Will Rogers Courts residents walk as their primary mode of transportation
“I want better sidewalks so I can walk around the neighborhood safely”
“Yes! It will be easier to get across the river!”
THE SPACE TODAY
“The riverfront parks are a long walk from here”
Trails Connecting to Westwood Exchange
The Stockyards Bridge and Trails project will convert the existing rail corridor to the north of Will Rogers Courts into a multi-use trail that connects to the riverfront trail, including a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Oklahoma River. Bikewalkokc, the City’s plan to improve walking and cycling infrastructure, refers to the area as a Pedestrian Priority Area, which enables the leveraging of MAPS4 and Better Streets Safer City funding.
A Home for Westwood Community Collaborative
The Westwood Community Collaborative provides programming and services focused on healthy families, including family stability services, education and mentoring programs, homelessness prevention, and employment support. OCHA is renovating a vacant building on SW 15th Street into a new Community Resource Center, which will serve as a home base for these programs.
THE BUILDING BEFORE RENOVATION
“We need classes to learn English, classes for kids, community spaces...”
“I love it, WOW!”
The Westwood Community Collaborative was awarded a $500,000 Breakout Challenge grant from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation to serve the community!
Gateway on Westwood Boulevard
A new neighborhood gateway at Westwood Boulevard and Exchange Avenue will welcome all to a transformed neighborhood.
“Make sure there is plenty of lighting, especially on Westwood Boulevard”
“This is a neat idea!”
WESTWOOD BOULEVARD TODAY
27% of Will Rogers Courts residents see a better sense of community as the neighborhood’s top priority
EARLY ACTION ACTIVITY
As part of the Transformation Planning process, residents helped to envision an early project that will show change is coming to Westwood Exchange. South Rotary Park is immediately across from Will Rogers Courts, but doesn’t offer spaces close to the housing that feel inviting. The Early Action project will reclaim a underused parking lot as a community gathering place and install improvements to make SW 15th Street safer to cross. The Westwood Community Collaborative will program the space.
Space to relax and a place to think
RECLAIMING A NEIGHBORHOOD GATHERING PLACE
The parking lot will be demolished and repaved, featuring a central gathering space with trees and landscaping. Around the space, a paved space will be painted with a colorful mural to serve as a place where mobile service providers and food trucks can park. A sidewalk will extend around the outside, allowing residents to walk from Will Rogers Courts to the new space. Neighborhood banners will be added to poles to make the space visible.
SW 15TH STREET SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS
Street improvements will slow traffic and ensure everyone can safely cross from Will Rogers Courts to South Rotary Park and the new space. These improvements will include a raised crosswalk, four speed cushions (two on either side of the crosswalk), and “SLOW” street alert painted on the pavement on either side of the crosswalk.
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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Oklahoma City Housing Authority (OCHA) and its partners are committed to pursuing funding to redevelop the Will Rogers Courts site and transform the Westwood Exchange neighborhood. In partnership with the Community Action Agency of OKC and Lilyfield, OCHA will support Will Rogers Courts residents throughout the entire process with Family Support Services, connecting every household to resources, service providers, and housing relocation support. Brinshore Development and OCHA will codevelop mixed-income housing in phases, beginning with the blocks along Westwood Boulevard at the SW 15th Street intersection.
The focus will remain on ensuring that all families are flourishing, improving the safety and creating an active neighborhood, and rebuilding high-quality, mixed-income housing.
Build out the Early Action Activity project in South Rotary Park
Apply for funding to implement the Transform Together plan
Expand programs and connect residents to partners who will support them in reaching their goals
Support residents through the phased relocation process
Develop a first phase of housing with a range of buildings and units to serve families and individuals
Help families move into the new housing and continue redeveloping Will Rogers Courts in phases
