Plans Approved For Development At 71st And Riverside In Tulsa

The Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission approved commercial development at 71st and Riverside Wednesday afternoon.

The vote came at a meeting after the commission heard public comments about the 12-acre section of land along the Arkansas River.

Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett was one of the first to speak at the hearing saying he is 110 percent in favor of the project.

The developers presented a detailed site plan for the land, including a rumored REI anchor store, other businesses and a lot of parking.

Others spoke against it, saying the land should remain green space.

The only responsibility of TMAPC today was to vote yes or no as to whether the site plan complies with the development standards, and the commission determined it did.

"Here is an opportunity to take a heavily traveled, high traffic corner to bring in quality development and bring in revenue which really is what we all need for all the city services we provide," said Clay Bird, Office of Economic Development.

The Executive Director of the Smart Growth Tulsa Coalition, Bill Leighty, said the group will still try to slow the process down for more consideration.

He said they're all for development in Tulsa, just not along the river.

The next step is a vote by the Tulsa Public Facilities Authority, which owns the land, on whether or not to sell it to the developer. That meeting is set for August 11, 2015.