Being able to live in downtown Enid is one step closer to reality.
Members of Enid Metropolitan Area Planning Commission approved Monday night a use by review application for 116 E. Randolph for residential multi-family use. The plan will have to be approved by Enid City Commission.
The applicant, 116 E. Randolph, LLC, by Gary Dezarn, proposed to develop 18 one-bedroom/one-bathroom units in the building, which previously housed Sears and StarTek.
“It’s actually eight months I’ve got into this,” Dezarn said during the meeting. “This is the third building I’ve looked at, and this is the most feasible. It’s got the infrastructure in it. I’ve done my homework.”
The deal is not yet finalized, though, Dezarn said, and more steps will need to be taken before the building comes to life with tenants.
Dezarn told MAPC members on Monday he was looking at setting a rent price between $950 and $1,200 per month and targeting members of Vance Air Force Base as tenants.
Parking for the facility is located across the alley and to the north, which the city of Enid owns. Dezarn has leased 23 parking spaces for dedicated spaces for tenants, though a total of 81 spaces are available for the public in the parking lot.
Natalie Rapp, executive director of Main Street Enid, said she’s excited that downtown Enid has the opportunity to add the multi-family residential space and that it’s a “big step in the right direction” to grow the downtown district and expand what it has to offer.
“Downtown living provides an experience,” she said. “You don’t have to find a place to shop, dine or be entertained. You’re just a few steps away from anything you might need.”
Article by: Kelci McKendrick, Enid News & Eagle 7.19.20
Photo by: Billy Hefton