OKLAHOMA CITY — On Jan. 15, the historic Calle Dos Cinco Capitol Hill district broke ground on its long-awaited multicultural plaza.
City officials and community leaders gathered to view plaza renderings for the $2 million Plaza Calle Dos Cinco and walk to the site on Harvey Avenue, between SW 24th and SW 25th Streets, for the official ceremony.
Capitol Hill, a historic neighborhood in south Oklahoma City with its business hub on SW 25th Street, also known as “Calle Dos Cinco,” became a center for Hispanic culture and activism before experiencing decline in the 1980s and 1990s.
Today, city leaders, community members, and business owners are driving revitalization efforts.
The district is experiencing new life with improved sidewalks, venues like Resonant Head, the renovated Yale Theater, and new businesses like the Capitol Co-Op. At the heart of these efforts is the new plaza, which celebrates Hispanic heritage, supports local residents and businesses, and serves as a vibrant hub for gatherings and performances.
“The vision for the Calle Dos Cinco Plaza was born from a deep love for our community and a commitment to preserving this rich cultural tapestry,” Gloria Torres, Capitol Hill Business District Executive Director, told the crowd at the historic groundbreaking. “This plaza is a testament to the resilience, vibrancy and unity of historic Capitol Hill. It represents a gathering place where stories are shared, traditions are celebrated, and connections are forged.”
The City Council approved closing a block of Harvey Avenue north of SW 25th Street to create a plaza with entryways and removable bollards to block vehicle traffic. The plaza will be a vibrant gathering space reflecting Hispanic culture, featuring colorful Talavera tiles, an arched entry, a gazebo with a band stage, and ample seating.
Inspired by traditional Latin American outdoor spaces, it will include fabric ribbons, native plants, and ornamental grasses. The ornate façade of the Templo de Alabanza church will serve as a visual centerpiece, with overhead lighting and decorative features throughout, creating an inviting atmosphere for the community.
Construction will also begin on a $400,000 trail spur connecting the plaza to Wiley Post Park, improving neighborhood access to its amenities, which have been largely inaccessible for years with only one entry point.
“Everyone has always felt such a strong connection to Wiley Post Park,” Melinda McMillan-Miller of the Parks and Recreation Department said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “It has such a massive amount of history, and we’re so excited to have the trailhead put in and get that spur put in place so that we were able to give all of you direct access to a fabulous, great park.”
20 Years in the Making
At the groundbreaking, many highlighted the collaborative journey that began 20 years ago when the Capitol Hill board first introduced the plaza concept.
Miriam Campos, board president for Calle Dos Cinco, recalled those early conversations and expressed excitement for the plaza’s transformative impact. She highlighted the importance of Hispanic culture in Capitol Hill and the need for a bilingual, inclusive hub that celebrates diversity and serves as a cultural centerpiece for Oklahoma City’s Hispanic community.
“This achievement is a testament to the power of collective vision and collaboration.” Campos said during her speech at the groundbreaking. “It’s truly uplifting to see our community unite and create a vibrant Plaza in Oklahoma City destined to become a captivating destination for visitors from near and far. It is an honor for me to serve the district and help create a space that our community can be proud of.”
The new plaza is set to open next August, just in time for the annual Fiestas de las Américas in September, which has generated excitement across the community. The plaza is expected to play a key role in the festival, which includes vendors, performers, a marching band, and more.
“I think this plaza definitely represents a sense of community and how we can come together,” Brenda Rodriguez, Miss Teen Fiestas De Las Américas, told Free Press in an interview. “I think cultural events in the plaza are going to be very exciting to show what our culture is and what we can do.”
Councilwoman Jo-Beth Hamon, representing Ward 6, attended the groundbreaking, highlighting the importance of amplifying community voices and expressing pride in advancing the project and excitement for its design and future impact.
“Something that I love to see about the design of this plaza is that it is reclaiming and preserving those Latin cultural, artistic elements that fight against and push back against that erasure of culture, of history and of the lineages that people bring with them,” Hamon said.
A Strong Neighborhood
The Capitol Hill Business Improvement District (BID) has played a key role in bringing the plaza to life. The BID will manage its maintenance, ensuring it stays clean, safe, and welcoming, while promoting local businesses and preserving Capitol Hill’s cultural heritage. Covering Walker Avenue to Shields Boulevard and SW 24th to SW 27th Streets, the BID identified the plaza as a crucial economic driver for the area.
Kendra Wilson-Clements, BID Board Treasurer, CEO of We the People Consulting, and Choctaw Nation citizen, shared her excitement for the Calle Dos Cinco groundbreaking and its future with Free Press.
“It is just going to be beautiful to be able to walk in this space here and see that Plaza full of entertainment, food trucks, families, singing, and revitalization of culture that has been asleep for so long,” Wilson-Clements told Free Press.
Wilson-Clements expressed pride in the historic moment, highlighting the community’s resilience, with the plaza groundbreaking symbolizing a major victory after years of stigma and barriers.
“It’s really been a struggle trying to garner the attention and the funding and tell the story of the plaza,” Wilson-Clements told Free Press. “It’s always a challenge to secure funding from city, state and federal funding sources, and even more so challenging when it’s an underserved community.”
Wilson-Clements said things really started to gain momentum once they secured the city’s interest. As projects progressed south of the river, including developments like Lower Scissortail Park and the Wheeler District, community investment and interest in the area grew, sparking greater appreciation for its history.
“The BID board has been very responsible for revitalizing the business district because, at one time the area was flourishing, and then it really died off,” Wilson-Clements said. “Being able to be a part of bringing that back has been awesome.”
Capitol Hill gained momentum for the plaza project after joining the Strong Neighborhoods Initiative (SNI) in 2017. Shannon Entz, Program Planner for Neighborhood and Commercial District Revitalization, expressed pride in the city’s involvement. Since 2010, SNI has worked with communities to develop neighborhood improvement strategies, focusing on catalyzing private investment in underserved areas like Capitol Hill. Leaders are excited about the revitalization’s positive impact, with the $2 million plaza funded by ARPA and Community Development Block Grants to enhance housing, infrastructure, public spaces, and quality of life.
“The SNI team is proud to work alongside Capitol Hill and bring resources to this project.” Entz said during her speech. “It’s been my belief that our Hispanic community deserves to be celebrated and have a beautiful space they can call their own.
The project’s success was made possible through the collaboration of community leaders, local property owners, and business owners, many of whom attended the groundbreaking, joined by residents who have eagerly awaited this moment for over two decades.
Zoe Elrod covers events and happenings around Oklahoma City for Free Press bringing her skill as a reporter and photographer. Zoe has spent her career covering local musicians, artists, politicians, and everyday folks.