Greenwood District Ready For Homerun

The Greenwood District says it is ready to play ball with a new baseball stadium that will be added downtown.  The News On 6's Jeffrey Smith reports Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor met with hundreds of local business owners and real estate leaders to get their approval on financing.

The stadium would be built less than a mile from the BOK Center.  In order to get the Tulsa City Council to approve a downtown tax hike, Mayor Taylor is hob-knobbing with the city's movers and shakers.

Mayor Kathy Taylor is swinging for the fences.

"Those that will benefit most from it are the downtown property owners. And, we're here to ask them to help," said Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor.

Mayor Taylor wants to increase property taxes for downtown businesses by 7 cents a square foot.  It's called the Business Improvement District or BID.

"It's really all the property in the IDL is seeing an increase in value.  So now, it's time for the downtown property owners to step up and support it," said Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor.

The way things are now under a plan called TIF, taxes are based on the proximity to a central location.  Mayor Taylor says times are changing.

"The way the assessment works today makes absolutely no sense for current downtown," said Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor.

"In the long term, the small investments that we pay today will reap huge benefits in the future," said real estate developer Will Wilkins.

Wilkins says a uniform tax increase is the right play.  That's because the entire downtown will benefit.  But, some are quietly voicing their concern.

I have some questions, as to the structure of it, and the way it relates to different property owners," said property owner Kevin Coutant.

He says under the BID, his assessment would jump 10 fold.  However, at the same time, he wants a new stadium.

"It will be a catalyst for additional retail, restaurant, entertainment district," said Kevin Coutant.

While most are out-of -the-park with enthusiasm, many property owners are still sitting on the fence.

Some business owners say their tax assessment would jump from two cents under the TIF to seven cents under the BID.  Whether or not that's a fair proposal for all 50 blocks of downtown will be decided by the Tulsa City Council on July 10th.

Related Story:

06/26/2008  Drillers To Get New Home