Developers Hope To Revitalize Part Of North Tulsa

A planned officer and apartment building would be a positive development for north Tulsa and it could take shape next year. The development would be near 36th Street North and Hartford.

There used to be business up there and more homes, but that was a long time ago.

Now a developer, with Tulsa Roots, wants to start turning that around.

The project, planned for 36th Street North, is the kind of development that would fit in any part of Tulsa, and that's on purpose.

Antoine Harris with Alfresco Community Development hopes to develop an office and apartment building in a part of town long overdue for revitalization.

“We have a pathway to success, we're not just jumping off, we have a pathway and we're taking it in stages,” he said.

Harris, James Cooper and Lana Turner-Addison all played a part in getting the project to this point.

They have a design and interest from banks on the financing and said they're confident two medical offices and a bank will lease space.

Above that would be 54 apartments for middle income tenants.

The design has covered outdoor space on the roof, room for gardens, covered parking and gated access.

"That's a major requirement. We have to get housing to attract the people we want in the corridor," Cooper said.

The land sits along the 36th Street North corridor, where the city has money for infrastructure if developers start building.

The nearby Wayman Tisdale Clinic, from OU, was the last major investment in the area, but the new building, on the site almost just across the street, would be another step towards rebuilding the economy of north Tulsa.

"We need business, retail development, and we need to find a way to generate sales tax in our community," Turner-Addison said.

The development team has the backing of City Councilor Jack Henderson, who wants to get the infrastructure money moving.

If all goes well, they all hope to be at a ground breaking next spring.

The next step on the project is to go before the city council to start on infrastructure money. That could happen as soon as next week.