Muskogee Leaders Investing Millions In Redevelopment

Muskogee city leaders are tackling the redevelopment of a blighted part of town and they hope that millions of dollars reinvested will lead to a bigger rebound.

The Muskogee City Council created a tax increment finance zone for roughly 90 acres on the north side of town.

It's the first major step in a plan to enable the city to finance $16.5 million in bond money to improve the area.

Muskogee City Attorney, Roy Tucker said, "It's part of our efforts to redevelop portions of the city that haven't seen redevelopment in a number of years."

Tucker said Muskogee will make a number of improvements to the area, which will attract developers.

"It will allow us to put in new streets. It will allow us to put in newer sewer, sanitary and storm water. It will also allow us to have the money available to purchase property from owners in that area," he said.

The funds could also help the city with the high costs associated with demolishing property that has gone through the condemnation process.

The strategy is that more development, both residential and commercial, will lead to increased sales and property taxes collected.

Most of the tax money collected above what's currently generated in that zone will then be used to pay off the bond money over 20 years.

"In instances where you have a blighted area, such as we have here, there has to be some public assistance in order for it to be economically feasible for those developers to come into Muskogee and make those developments," Tucker said.

The area stretches from the Shawnee Bypass, south to Talladega Street, and East/West 11th to Chicago.