Small-town feel might work in favor of Guthrie as economic, social times change
This is the first of a series of articles that will examine the challenges Guthrie faces in the 21st Century and what those changes could mean for Guthrie’s viability and vitality.
Jan Goodyear sits in his office on Division Street and works through his usual day of emails and phone calls. He has been part of Guthrie since 1973 and has made his mark in commercial real estate. He’s deeply connected here, and this reporter has seen firsthand how much he cares about building good relationships and helping people succeed in building up the community.
On this day, however, he sounds a slightly depressed tone: “I have a lot of friends in this business that tell me, ‘brick-and-mortar is dead.' Think of all the things you can just order now from Amazon. These shopping centers and strip malls will all be closed down within a few years.”
Asked if he thinks Guthrie’s downtown can sustain what it has in light of that change, he admits he doesn’t know.
This refrain has been commonly heard in small towns and large cities since the rise of e-commerce in the first dot-com boom of the late 1990's. The cry has intensified in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic lockdowns that challenged society’s notions of life, work and community.
Here, it leads to the question: how does Guthrie, the very definition and example of brick-and-mortar, surmount the coming changes and remain a strong and thriving community?
The love for the beautiful, historic downtown district binds everyone who lives here, and it has drawn in many out-of-towners, not only to see and appreciate its beauty but often to join the community permanently. But is that feeling for tradition and nostalgia enough?
Brittany Timmons has led the Greater Guthrie Chamber of Commerce since April 2020. Indeed, she reports that her first day at work was not at work. From that perspective, all of her time with the Chamber has been spent in the dark days of COVID and its aftermath. In spite of that beginning, she boosts Guthrie with a constant vivacious energy and gregarious personality, calling everyone who comes in the Chamber office “friend.”
“We’re on a really good upward trend here," she says. "We’ve seen tremendous growth in Guthrie and all of Logan County over the past two years” in spite of the pandemic, explaining that “it’s economic refugees coming in from high-cost states, or folks from the city who want the historic small-town feel.”
She moved her family to Guthrie for that very reason and she’s seeing the same attitude with the new residents.
With the growth, even in tough times, Guthrie still draws new business here. Off the top of her head, Timmons ticks off a list of eight new companies and storefronts that have opened since late 2020. She also emphasizes that the big names aren’t shying away, either, as both Starbucks and Burger King have opened new locations in Guthrie in the past year.
“All that, and there are other new and exciting possibilities for business and civic partnerships on the horizon here, coming soon,” she says.
When asked about what has enabled this environment, she talks about “forward-thinking citizens and business leadership, and very good city management we’re working with” who have collaborated in encouraging industry while preserving the city’s historic character.
Phil Nichols is another longtime resident with significant social and business ties, owning several businesses in and around Guthrie. He sees big concerns for the city going forward, particularly around expanding civic services, infrastructure and education due to the recent growth trend.
He concedes that Guthrie is challenged by its proximity to Oklahoma City and Edmond, and will likely always be competing for talent and business. However, he believes there are tremendous opportunities in the coming economic and societal changes.
“We have a beautiful set of downtown buildings that could actually make a cool landing spot for technology companies. It could make a great call center,” he says.
He also speaks of making Guthrie a hub for entertainment, citing existing events like the Bluegrass Festival and Red Brick Nights, shows at the Pollard Theatre, rodeos and events at the Lazy E, and the regular filming of movies in town.
Nichols and Timmons hit some common arguments. Both highlight the need to embrace local businesses of all sizes.
Timmons says, “I’m definitely the first person to say, ‘Shop Local!’ But when you buy from our Wal-Mart and Starbucks and any of the big brands, that’s still local tax dollars coming in to support your local fire department or police department or schools. ‘Shop Local’ is huge, but it isn’t evil to support the big boxes.”
She also says that while you can still shop online, you might be surprised what you can find locally, both in local stores or sold online by local stores, before you go to the big websites.
Nichols expresses a similar sentiment, highlighting the larger incumbent businesses like Companion Healthcare, Vance and Automax: “Those anchor businesses need our support. They create a lot of jobs locally.”
Another area where both agree is encouraging involvement and investment from the younger generations.
Nichols believes the millennials and Gen Z get a bad rap. “They think outside of tradition and are willing to take more risks with what they want," he says. "We need those younger folks involved, new blood to come in and do things."
There are several younger real estate owners and investors who could help with the internal transformation, he notes.
Timmons speaks of managing change, remembering history but not letting it tie us down. She also emphasizes that the current establishment needs to lead and enable the younger people to get them invested: “They need to see us doing things and moving forward. It’s a mentality thing.”