Iron Gate Not Expecting Approval For New Building

A Tulsa soup kitchen and food pantry trying to move its charity from the basement of a church faces a big hurdle Thursday.

The city board that handles zoning requirements will hear Iron Gate's request to build a new facility downtown.

Iron Gate's Board Chairman said they don't expect to win at the Board of Adjustment hearing. He said three of the five members recused themselves, and it will be up to a judge to grant them the right to build at 7th and Frankfort.

For nearly four decades, Iron Gate has been serving meals to Tulsa's homeless and working poor in the basement of Trinity Episcopal Church.

Board members started looking for a new home two years ago, after realizing the operation had outgrown the church basement.

Now in their second search, Shane Saunders and his board hope to move two-and-a-half blocks to 7th and Frankfort.

So far, $9 million from private donors has been raised.

"The courtyard alone is bigger than my current facility,” he said. “We will get everybody in, off the street, out of the elements. We will end the bread line in the City of Tulsa. Not only is that important for the dignity of our guests, but it alleviates the concerns of our neighbors who, frankly, don't want to see this issue in front of them."

Last week, the Downtown Coordinating Council voted to deny a recommendation to the Board of Adjustment for the proposed building.

11/9/2016 Related Story: Iron Gate Soup Kitchen Hits Roadblock For Another Tulsa Location

Neighboring landowners expressed concerns about traffic and the soup kitchen affecting future development.

Saunders said, "The problem is we've been here for 38 years. A lot of this development has grown up around us."

He said they don't expect to get the green light at the Board of Adjustment meeting; a judge may be making a ruling from the bench.

"It is impossible for us to get that third vote, so, tomorrow we're going in to get our file stamp copy rejecting our application so that we can go on to district court," Saunders said.

The meeting is Thursday at City Hall at 1:00 p.m.