City, Tulsa Authority for Economic Opportunity Launch Kirkpatrick Heights/Greenwood Master Plan

8/17/2021

(Tulsa, OK) – Today, the City of Tulsa, Tulsa Authority for Economic Opportunity (TAEO), and Tulsa Development Authority (TDA) announced the selection of Wallace Roberts & Todd (WRT) to develop the Kirkpatrick Heights/Greenwood Master Plan – a plan that will create a vision and action-oriented redevelopment strategy to guide the growth of 56 acres of land in and around Greenwood. 

The conceptual Master Plan will provide strategies for incremental development with a mix of uses, reflecting the planning and economic context of the area and will serve as a model for equitable and inclusive development. 

“This is one of the most historically important pieces of land in all of Tulsa, and it is crucial that we move forward with its revitalization in a way that benefits the surrounding community,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said. “To that end, I have asked 11 Tulsans who have committed years to this part of our city to guide this process through a Leadership Committee. Through this process, they will work with community stakeholders to determine how we as a city can best put this land to the use of area residents.” 

Leadership Committee members were selected based on their current and past leadership in Greenwood and North Tulsa and will be responsible for critical oversight over project strategy and direction.  

Committee members include: 

1. Dr. Lana Turner Addison, President of the North Tulsa Economic Development Initiative  
2. Reuben Gant, John Hope Franklin Center Interim Executive Director  
3. Vanessa Hall-Harper, District 1 Tulsa City Councilor and Tulsa Council Chair  
4. Jack Henderson, Former District 1 Tulsa City Councilor  
5. Brandon Jackson, President of TARA Custom Homes, Inc. 
6. Dr. Delia Kimbrell, serves on the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission 
7. Dwain Midget, City of Tulsa Working in Neighborhoods Director  
8. Ashley Philippsen, Impact Tulsa Senior Director of Engagement & Advocacy, Tulsa Development Authority Vice Chair And TAEO Board Member  
9. Burlinda Radney, Real Estate Agent, Tulsa Board of Adjustment Commissioner and Land-Use Expert  
10. Joe Williams, Former District 1 City Councilor  
11. Dr. Laverne Ford Wimberly, Longtime TPS Educator and first TPS African-American Female Assistant Principal  

Leadership Committee members will serve as a key working group and ongoing community ambassadors, leveraging their relationships and networks to engage residents and stakeholders in the project. Committee members will meet at scheduled intervals throughout the project, reviewing project components and reports in advance, and providing feedback and guidance to the consultant team and staff to ensure the project reflects community desires and expectations.  

“We are working to ensure that the Kirkpatrick Heights Greenwood Master Planning process offers an opportunity for direct community engagement potentially resulting in development that truly addresses the needs and desires of the community that historically has not been prioritized,” District 1 City Councilor and Leadership Committee member Councilor Hall-Harper said. 

Key project goals include:

• Preserve and celebrate the legacy of Historic Black Wall Street and the spirit of African American entrepreneurship, as well as build generational wealth 
• Promote sustainable infill economic development that builds on the once thriving commercial districts 
• Focus on underutilized parcels throughout that offer opportunities for infill, intensification, and adaptive reuse  
• Introduce much needed housing in a manner that limits fears of displacement, including housing affordable to all income levels to help alleviate the city’s cost burden 
• Bridge physical divides and counter past isolation through improvements that lead to a pedestrian-friendly environment, safe crossings and streets, enhanced transit connections, and visual access 
• Deliver a Public Realm and Public Space Plan that creates a network of public spaces that tells the stories of this neighborhood, while offering a comfortable, vibrant, and historically resonant urban landscape central to making the legacy of Greenwood come alive

“We are excited and humbled to be a part of this initiative that has the potential to repair historical inequities and build on the momentum of local advocates to develop a plan that creates avenues for equitable investment and build generational wealth,” said Garlen Capita, WRT’s Urban Designer and Professional-in-Charge. “We are committed to a transparent planning process that ensures that the voices, memories, and history of the Greenwood neighborhood are central to the conversation in developing a vision for the future.” 

World One Development, in collaboration with Standpipe Hill Strategies, will serve as WRT’s local engagement partner. 

“We are thrilled to have World One Development as the local engagement partner who has the credibility to make direct connections to North Tulsa residents and stakeholders as we work to support an authentic and effective engagement strategy that builds trust and ensures collective ownership of this effort,” Capita added.  

Key outcomes expected to come from the Master Plan include:

1. Recommended Development Program: that is economically sustainable 
2. Land Use/Zoning Recommendations: for land use throughout the Study Area, to include recommendations for density and transitions to and from surrounding uses   
3. Urban Design Standards: Recommendations for ensuring high quality urban design while maintaining flexibility and allowing for creative, incremental development  
4. Parking: Identification of opportunities and/or needs for structured parking, particularly shared opportunities which can reduce the cost of development and maintain density 
5. Transportation and Infrastructure: Recommendations for street grid patterns and design, focused on reconnecting to the existing neighborhood and multi-modal transportation options that allow for public transit, walking, and cycling 
6. Public Realm and Public Spaces: Recommendations for public realm enhancements and public spaces to highlight the history of the neighborhood, create and maintain a strong sense of community, and enhance the long-term economic viability of a mixed-use neighborhood 
7. Policy Recommendations: A set of policy recommendations to ensure the redevelopment of the area meets the goals of the City and vision of participants in the plan. Policy Recommendations will include: 
• Long-term ownership, governance and oversight of redevelopment  
• Long-term neighborhood and district investment and promotion 
• Tools for maintaining an affordable, diverse neighborhood 

More information on the project can be found at: www.OurLegacyTulsa.org