Downtown Events, Businesses Continue Under Tightened Security

The President is in downtown Oklahoma City for the night, and as you would expect, security is tight.

Several roads are blocked, but businesses and event organizers at the Myriad Gardens are powering through.

The security plan was created by federal agents several weeks ago. Local police are assisting.

Several businesses downtown are temporarily affected by this, but their neighbors in Midtown for example might see a little boost in revenue.

Over at Fassler Hall, one of Midtown's newest hotspots, they're preparing for what could be a busier than normal night.

“I think downtown is going to have its hands full with the way they’re having to block things off,” said general manager Dusty Freeman, who also manages Dust Bowl. 

Since parking along several downtown streets is blocked off, people may just head their way instead.

“It won’t hurt us,” Freeman said.

But that's not the case for everyone.

“It’s been very slow,” said Kenny Harris, manager at Caeli’s Sweets Eats & Bar.

So far, customers have been nonexistent for Harris' business downtown.

“Everything is private parking for businesses during the day, so all street parking is basically what people have access to,” Harris said. 

Around the corner at the Myriad Gardens, "Sonic Summer Movie Nights" went off without a hitch, even though a lot of people weren't sure it would happen.

“And we said, 'no, come on down. It’s easy peazy. Easy peazy to park. It’s kind of fun, exciting. We’ll still have our food trucks,'” said Leslie Spears, Myriad Gardens spokesperson.

Nearly a thousand people came out to watch "Back to the Future," all of them told to park south of the gardens and far west to avoid the northeast section that's blocked off for the President. 

“Exciting and a little bit different,” Spears said.

“Anytime there’s anything exciting going on in Oklahoma, in Oklahoma City especially, of course we want to kind of be a part of it,” Freeman said. 

Roads downtown will continue to be blocked off overnight and into Thursday morning before President Obama heads out to El Reno.