Negotiations Continue For Stadium Trust

Negotiations continued Tuesday on the stadium trust that will be in control of Tulsa's downtown ballpark. The News On 6's Emory Bryan reports the discussion is about developing the land around the ballpark, which is part of the overall deal.

It's down to a deal between the Tulsa City Council and the donors willing to pay for half the stadium, if they can also have some control of the development.

Stan Lybarger with Bank of Oklahoma is working out the deal with the donors, and is set to serve as one of the trustees. The city councilors have to approve the purpose and powers of the trust.

The ballpark site is on seven and a half acres at 100 N. Elgin Avenue.

The trustees will have authority to develop the area, including the block of land surrounding the ballpark.

They cannot buy land outside that one block boundary, nor develop land along Greenwood Avenue.

"It was never intended to go beyond the immediate area of the ballpark and because of the site being as small as it is, it's very important to develop the surrounding area to not blight a $60 million investment," said Lybarger.

In the months since the announcement, the city was negotiating with the Drillers, the site was selected and the council approved a downtown property tax to pay for construction.

On Saturday, the Drillers announced a deal with the city and the last step is approval of the trust to run the project.

"The next few years are crucial for us in terms of building the ballpark, moving things ahead, making the many decisions that are needed to get this ballpark built," said Drillers Owner Chuck Lamson.

Lybarger urged the council to act quickly, but it will be at least two weeks before the trust can be approved.

And that's because the council needs two meetings to approve it and they're off next week for Labor Day.

The agreement was to be finalized late Tuesday afternoon, so it can be on the council agenda for the first time this Thursday.