Tulsans Show Off 'The Boxyard' During VIP Tour

The President of the Federal Reserve region that covers Oklahoma was in Tulsa Wednesday, January 11, 2017.  Her goal is to see exactly what we are doing as far as our local economy and how Tulsa is helping its small business owners flourish.

Esther George has been with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City since the early '80s. On Wednesday, she got a first hand look at one of downtown Tulsa's newest concepts - The Boxyard.

What she saw impressed her.

"This is amazing," George said. "Even with the downturn in oil and gas right now - efforts like this are sort of revitalizing."

Hearing from small business owners helps when she heads back to Washington to make those interest rate decisions.

"What's going on in this part of the country that might tell us something about the greater economy," she said. "So it is a great education for me to come here."

12/9/2016 Related Story: Tulsa's Boxyard To Open This Weekend

Almost all of the spaces here at the Boxyard are full many of the tenants have opened their doors to the public. After all, the grand opening was almost a month ago so I spoke with the tenants and asked them exactly how business has been.

"The day that we opened I had planned to get here on Facebook and Instagram and let people know we were open and I didn't have time," said Nathan McPherson, Boxyard business owner. "We opened the door and that was it, and we were slammed all day long." 

And McPherson says it is concepts like this that give start-up business owners the chance to make their dream a reality.

"This small square footage allows me to test something.  My neighbor, who is 23, this is her first venture she can also afford to get in and be an entrepreneur," McPherson said.

And with the shipping containers almost at full capacity - 

"It is an ingenious start for retail to come back downtown as a stronghold, and it will definitely work," said Boxyard business owner Nathan McPherson.