The talented attorneys and legal personal at Rivas & Associates and The Lawyers of Kendall Whittier should no doubt be smiling a little bigger as they stroll into work these days.
After all, it is not often one can say their Tulsa office location at 2417 East Admiral Boulevard is in heart of the one best main streets in America.
But that is exactly the distinction Kendall Whittier Main Street received when it was named one of just three nationwide winners of the 2020 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) by Main Street America® on Oct. 30.
A semifinalist for the award in 2019, Kendall Whittier Main Street joins Boyne City Main Street (Michigan) and the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association (Mississippi) as 2020 winners.
“Unbelievable honor,” Rivas said. “Kendall Whittier is a great area with a lot of diversity. It is so great to be a part of this community. Whether you work or reside in this area, no one takes it for granted and everyone has a deep appreciation for one another.”
That Kendall Whittier was one of three recipients to win the 2020 Great American Main Street Award shows just how far the area has come in a short period of time.
Ten years ago, Kendall Whittier had a vacancy rate of 65 percent, and a bit of a checkered past. The Tulsa World said the area had been considered the “dodgy part of town” in a 2017 article.
But in 2013 the neighborhood began to experience a resurgence of sorts and had 26 new businesses open up in the area between 2013 and 2017 as reported by the Tulsa World.
The growth opened the door for businesses and professional leaders like Lorena Rivas to flock to the area and launch her immigration law firm Rivas & Associates and The Lawyers of Kendall Whittier, a collaboration of immigration law, criminal law and family law attorneys.
Rivas and her team have only added to the value of the area.
The well-known Tulsa immigration law attorney was named to the Kendall Whittier Main Street Board of Directors on July 1.
The area is showing no signs of slowing down. Occupancy is at 100 percent today and the culturally-diverse area is home to a mix of galleries, breweries, restaurants, and non-mainstream retail as reported by Main Street America®
“We are thrilled to be here,” Rivas said. “It is such a thriving community. Although we’ve only been here since July, this neighborhood feels like home.”