Oklahoma Route 66 Commission Awards Second Round of Grants
Rendering of the Welcome to Hydro attraction provided by the Hydro Chamber of Commerce.
On Thursday, the Oklahoma Route 66 Commission awarded their second round of grants to help revitalize Route 66 in Oklahoma. In all, thirteen different projects were selected to receive funding and every community along Route 66 in the state will see a benefit from at least one of these projects.
The Oklahoma Route 66 Association’s grant request, a Neon Sign Grant for the state, was one of the projects selected for funding. The Association’s original request from 2023 was not selected, with feedback that the Commission needed more detail. However, after taking submissions earlier this year, we were able to present nine signs as a part of our request and our overall project was selected for funding. We’ll have more details to share once these individual sign projects get underway.
Other projects selected for funding are as follows (for more details check out this list):
Oklahoma Department of Transportation / Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission project to provide two thermal plastic Route 66 shields to every community along Historic Route 66 in Oklahoma.
Town of Hydro project to create a “Welcome to Hydro” roadside attraction park using an authentic Route 66 truss bridge as a centerpiece.
Enhancements and development of the Blue Whale site and gift shop in Catoosa.
A 66 foot tall dinosaur statue and enhancements for the Tulsa Route 66 Main Street corridor.
Preservation and restoration of vintage service stations in Davenport and Vinita.
A bison sculpture and splash pad park in Wellston.
A mural project in Warr Acres.
Other neon sign initiatives from the City of Stroud, the Oklahoma History Center, and SWODA.
Historic preservation of the Tillman-Watson Cemetery in Luther.
More than 80 grant requests were received totaling many millions of dollars above available funding. After the Commission’s selections were made, all but $179.64 of available funding was spoken for. The grant fund is replenished with up to $6.6 million annually. In November, the Commission will meet again to discuss any potential changes to the rules for awarding funds and to discuss any changes to future grant cycles.
