Today's episode is a great one! We interviewed Gary Hamer, the current Director for Strategic Planning at Partner Tulsa, but his previous role with the City of Tulsa led to the implementation of a locally owned, full service grocery store in an underserved area of Tulsa, Oklahoma. In this episode we cover how Gary, as a planner, was able to use federal funds to assist in building a community led grocery store, lessons learned and the importance of community engagement and community leaders, as well as the impact of local businesses to the economics and livability of a city or neighborhood.  

Learn more about the Oasis Grocery store:

• Planning Magazine: Partnerships and Federal Funding Build an Oasis in a Food Desert 
• He Opened the First Black-owned Grocery Store in Tulsa in 50 Years (video)
• Oasis Fresh Market Opens in North Tulsa (video)

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