The Oklahoma City Council voted Tuesday to approve operator agreements for the Henrietta B. Foster Center and Diversion Hub as a part of MAPS 4.

The City selected Oklahoma nonprofit organization, Oklahoma County Diversion Hub Inc., as the operating partner for the Diversion Hub. The Diversion Hub is a multi-agency network helping people receive coordinated, life-stabilizing services as they navigate the criminal legal system. The $19 million project from MAPS 4 will identify and establish a purpose-built facility for the Diversion Hub. Programming could include case management, court case navigation, behavioral health, substance abuse, client support for employment and education services.

“The Diversion Hub not only provides critical resources for the community, but it also serves as a place where barriers are removed and transformative change is possible,” said Sue Ann Arnall, Oklahoma County Diversion Hub Board Chair. “By expanding services and bringing more local partners together, creating onsite access to comprehensive resources, we continue to grow opportunities for our neighbors involved in the criminal legal system in Oklahoma City.”

For the Henrietta B. Foster Center, the City of Oklahoma City selected Metro Technology Centers partnered with a consortium of local organizations as the operating partner. The approximately $15 million MAPS 4 project will renovate the existing building on North Lincoln Boulevard and NE 4th Street into a center focused on the development of new and existing small business and entrepreneurship opportunities for surrounding residents.

“We’re delighted to collaborate with Progress OKC, NE OKC Renaissance, SBDC Oklahoma and several local businesses and organizations to provide quality and necessary resources at the Henrietta B. Foster Center,” said Jeremy Cowley, Senior Director, Student Affairs and Workforce Development at Metro Technology Centers. “By providing workshops, technical assistance and connections to funding, our goal is to build a more connected, innovative and inclusive small business community in Oklahoma City.”

Both projects will begin construction in fall 2023.

About MAPS 4  

MAPS 4 is a debt-free public improvement program funded by a temporary penny sales tax that will raise a projected $1.07 billion over eight years. Oklahoma City voters approved the sales tax to fund MAPS 4 in a special election on Dec. 10, 2019, moving forward with a unique and ambitious plan to transform our community. The temporary penny sales tax funding MAPS 4 began April 1, 2020, and ends in 2028. More than 70 percent of MAPS 4 funding is dedicated to neighborhood and human needs. The rest is for quality of life and job-creating initiatives. The MAPS 4 Citizens Advisory Board and its six subcommittees will guide MAPS 4 planning and implementation, making recommendations to the City Council. The Council has final authority on MAPS 4. The MAPS Investment and Operating Trust developed a strategic investment plan to support long-term sustainable funding for MAPS 4 projects' operational expenses and maintenance. Visit okc.gov/maps4 for more.