Building New Life Into Downtown Tulsa

By Jamie McGriff, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Tulsa's Economic Development Department says it's working to recruit businesses to move their headquarters to downtown Tulsa.

That news comes as a number of abandoned buildings, some with great historical significance, sit empty in the downtown area.

Some businesses are considering the move.

Tulsa's Economic Development Department says as of last week, it has some proposals pending with some developers that are interested in building new office buildings on land that is now vacant.  

Thursday, the Tulsa Development Authority will consider new construction on vacant downtown properties.

There are three major buildings that the city is marketing, the Hartford Building, old City Hall and the Old Tulsa Fire Department headquarters.

The good news is that all of them have offers, so the city is in the process of making deals according to Mike Bunney, director for economic development.

"Old City Hall the proposal is a hotel, a hotel development in that site. The Hartford building would actually be part of a whole east, east side downtown re-development," said Mike Bunney.

That means it would be demolished, and a new office building would be built in its place.

Bunney says Tulsa Opera is offering a trade for the old fire department headquarters at 4th and Trenton. Tulsa Opera wants to trade land it owns near the airport for the building and then completely renovate the building for its headquarters and practice facility.