Tulsa City Council Wants Stakeholders To Decide To Keep Or Lose 'Brady'

The Brady District name really came out of history, and some would like to see it go back there--a forgotten name from the past.

The Brady name is stamped all over the north side of downtown, on everything from the name of individual businesses to the overall Brady Arts District.

It's because of Tate Brady's role in developing early Tulsa, but lately the man's reputation has fallen because of his possible ties to the Ku Klux Klan.

Several city councilors want to see everything Brady changed to anything else.

"I personally feel it would be in the best interest of the city of Tulsa to take the Brady name off, to change it to something else," said Councilor Jack Henderson.

The question for councilors is how to do that since city government has control only of the name of the street.

The council considered using their clout to push for change, but decided Thursday to wait and let the Brady stakeholders make the hard decision.

5/16/2013 Related Story: Residents Appeal To City Council For Brady District Name Change

"I think it makes perfect sense that the ones affected most by the name, the ones who have the most to do with it, be the ones to make a recommendation to us about where we go from here," said Councilor Blake Ewing.

But that generosity comes with a 90-day deadline, for what several councilors called the "right" decision.

Henderson said if the business owners didn't decide the name should change, the council might decide for them.

"We'd be right back to where we started and the council would have to take an action, other than trying to let the people we're indicating now we want to have an opportunity to do something about it," he said.

The Brady Merchants Association is talking privately about the controversy, but has not said whether they would agree to a change or fight to keep it.

The two councilors who represent the Brady District, Ewing and Henderson, will ask the property and business owners to come to them with a recommendation in 90 days.

OK Talk: Should downtown Tulsa's Brady Street be renamed?