Jenks State of the City 2024

Jenks, Oklahoma, is buzzing with activity, celebrating a year of remarkable growth and progress. The city's annual State of the City address highlighted significant achievements across public safety, economic development, and infrastructure. From new businesses and community projects to a focus on resident well-being, Jenks continues to solidify its reputation as a top place to live, work, and raise a family.

A Thriving Community on the Rise

Jenks is really growing, and it's easy to see why. We're one of the fastest-growing cities in Oklahoma, with our population now estimated to be around 29,000. It's pretty cool that we've been named Oklahoma Magazine's "Best of the Best Small Town" for five years straight. We're also a Tree City, a Purple Heart City, and recently became a Film Friendly City, which is exciting for future movie projects.

One of the biggest things that happened this past year was the opening of the Tulsa Premium Outlets. This project was a long time coming, over ten years in the making, and it finally opened its doors on August 15th. It's expected to bring in a lot of tax money and visitors, kicking off a new era of economic success for Jenks. If you haven't been, you should check it out – there's something for everyone.

Prioritizing Public Safety

Keeping everyone safe is a big deal here, and Jenks recently got some great news: SmartAsset ranked us the safest suburb in Oklahoma. They looked at things like crime rates, drinking, and traffic accidents, and Jenks came out on top. We can thank our dedicated police and fire departments for that.

Our city council made sure to add more staff, bringing on five new police officers and six new firefighters thanks to a SAFER Grant. This helps us keep up with our growing city.

Here's a quick look at what our public safety teams have been up to:

• Police Department:

• Fire Department:

Investing in Infrastructure and Development

Our city's growth means a lot of work for our engineering and public works teams. They're busy planning and building all the things we need to keep Jenks running smoothly.

Here are some of the big projects completed this year:

• Main Street Improvement Project: This wasn't about widening the road, but making it safer and improving drainage.

• Northeast Mall Entrance Redesign: This helps traffic flow better in and out of the new outlet mall.

• Aquarium Place Overlay: Improvements from Elm Street to Aquarium Drive.

• New Sidewalks and Trails: A new sidewalk on Elm and a trail connecting Park West to Elm Street and 101st Street.

• Florence Avenue Culvert Repair: A quick fix that kept things moving.

• Neighborhood Pavement Repairs: Over 12 neighborhoods saw improvements.

• Central Park Upgrades: A new pavilion, picnic tables, playground equipment, and landscaping.

• Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements: A $1.9 million investment over the next 20 years to keep our water clean.

• Lions Park: New paved parking and a fence around the pickleball court.

• Purple Heart Memorial: A beautiful new memorial at Veterans Park, built quickly to honor our wounded and fallen service members.

Our Public Works team also keeps everything above and below ground in shape, from roads and drainage to water lines and parks. They're the ones filling potholes and making sure our toilets flush!

Economic Growth and Community Vibrancy

The Jenks Chamber of Commerce plays a huge part in our city's economic life, helping businesses and boosting tourism. They host over 90 events each year, bringing people together and strengthening our community.

We've welcomed a bunch of new businesses this past year, adding to our local options. Some of these include:

• Roy's Chicken

• Ace Hardware

• Cedar & Lily

• Frontier Justice

• Oklahoma Medical Eye Group headquarters

• The Lodge Eery

• Melody

• Lenny Lane

• Mule Market

• City Hall Steakhouse (coming soon!)

To help our downtown area, the Jenks Economic Development Authority (JEDA) and the Chamber launched incentive programs. They invested $750,000 in Commercial Kitchen Grants and $50,000 in Business Improvement Grants to help businesses with things like signage and building upgrades. There's also a Downtown Master Plan in the works to guide future development.

While Jenks is growing, we're also trying to balance new residential developments with the needs of our current residents. The city council even said "no" to a residential project recently, showing they're listening to feedback.

The Oklahoma Aquarium continues to be a major draw, welcoming over 400,000 visitors last year. They're big on education, with over 30,000 students visiting on field trips, many through their scholarship fund. They also opened a new jellyfish touch pool and are working on an Aquatic Research Center, even partnering with NOAA on shark research.

Looking Ahead: Future Projects and Communication

There's a lot more coming to Jenks! The city recently bought The Ranch property, which will become a new public space, potentially with a Chamber office and access to a conservation area.

Exciting new entertainment spots are on the way for the River District, including High Five and Camp Pickle, with construction possibly starting this year. You'll also soon have another coffee option with Seven Brew under construction. And believe it or not, a full-service hospital is planned for the Gateway Development District. The Jenks Food Hall concept is still in the works too, promising a cool new dining experience.

One of the biggest projects on the horizon is the widening of Peoria/Elm from 111th to 131st Street. This will be a huge construction effort, likely starting in January 2025, so residents in that area should prepare for some patience! The city plans to keep everyone updated through various channels.

Speaking of updates, the city has really stepped up its communication game. Our social media presence has grown a lot, with Facebook reach up 264% and Instagram engagement up 777%. We're encouraging more residents to sign up for our alert system for important updates. We've also held "lunch and learns," "walk-in talks," and public safety town halls. A popular initiative is "Ask Jenks," where council members answer common questions on social media.

Jenks is on an amazing path, thanks to the hard work of city staff, the Chamber, council members, and all the businesses and residents who choose to invest here. The goal is to keep Jenks safe, keep taxes low, and grow our economy responsibly, ensuring it remains the best place in Oklahoma to live for generations to come.