Neighborhood Boundaries and History of Name

The neighborhood is bounded by Robinson on the north, Porter Avenue on the west, Gray Street on the south, and Carter Avenue and the eastern edge of Cate Park on the east.

Just after Norman’s founding in 1889, the first Cleveland County Courthouse was built in what would become the neighborhood. The exact location is a matter of some dispute, but most sources agree the courthouse was once located at 250 N. Cockrel, now the site of Jefferson Elementary School. When the neighborhood was designated as a CDBG area and formed a neighborhood association in 1974, residents wanted their name to reflect that history.

Long-term Residents

First Courthouse Neighborhood has many long-term residents who are deeply connected to their community. However, parts of the neighborhood are experiencing conversions of owner-occupied housing to rental housing, particularly along the commercial edges. This trend is often a catalyst for decreasing levels of personal investment in property; declining real estate values, and decreased levels of property maintenance.

Land Use

Like every neighborhood, First Courthouse is characterized by its land use and built form, as well as its physical, social and economic conditions. Land use in the neighborhood is defined by three major patterns: single-family residential, commercial, and institutional. Land use conflicts stemming from Porter Avenue business expansion and hospital encroachment into residential blocks have dominated neighborhood concerns for many years.

Encroachment

Unchecked expansion of commercial uses is generally a destabilizing force in neighborhoods. Its ripple effect negatively affects property values causing property owners to lose confidence in their investments. This trend has been chronic along Porter Avenue and along the residential edge immediately east and south of Norman Regional hospital for decades. The Norman City Council adopted the Porter Avenue Corridor Plan and the Porter Corridor Zoning Overlay District (PCZOD) in 2010. The overlay district creates a strong tool that sets a limit line for commercial expansion into the neighborhood and requires a physical buffer between commercial and adjacent residential uses. This protection should help restore property owners’ confidence and boost their incentive to reinvest in houses near commercial edges.

Sense of Place

First Courthouse Neighborhood possesses an inherently strong sense of place with prominent features that shape its form and identity and make it a desirable place to live. This sense of place in First Courthouse is defined by features such as the dominant single-family pattern of residential land use, by streets lined by mature trees, by the presence of sidewalks, and by the neighborhood’s close proximity to Downtown and the Porter Avenue Corridor.

Infrastructure

First Courthouse Neighborhood is well-served by both physical and civic infrastructure. Physical infrastructure refers to the large-scale network of public services or systems such as water lines, storm and sanitary sewer systems, roads, alleys and sidewalks. Civic infrastructure refers to parks, schools, museums, recreational trails and other public buildings and institutions.

Proximity to Community Destinations

First Courthouse Neighborhood is close to Norman Regional Hospital and the Porter Avenue commercial corridor, both of which are within the neighborhood’s boundary. The neighborhood is also close to doctors’ offices, churches, schools, and Downtown Norman. Residents can easily walk or bike to reach many basic services and daily needs, including popular restaurants. However, this convenience comes at a price: increased traffic, noise, encroachment from expanding businesses, and demolition of houses for parking lots.