Donors Line Up For Stadium Project

Mayor Kathy Taylor says the new downtown stadium is getting a big boost from private donors. The News On 6's Ashli Sims reports the mayor says downtown donors have pledged about $30 million. That's half the total price tag for the new facility.

If Downtown is going to play ball, Mayor Taylor says it's going to take a public-private partnership.

Dozens of donors are already stepping up to the plate, pledging gifts that range from $100,000 to more than $7.5 million. The list includes some familiar names, foundations that have given millions to Tulsa over the years.

The George Kaiser Foundation, Ruth Nelson and Herman Kaiser Foundation, the Warren Foundation, the H.A. and Mary K. Chapman Charitable Trust and the mayor and her husband's own foundation.

Some of Tulsa's energy giants have also lended their support.

Helmerich & Payne, the Williams Companies, Gas exploration and production company Samson Energy, Nadell & Gussman, as well as the Joe Craft Family, which has ties to coal producer Alliance Resource Partners.

Big business is also giving money to the project including Arvest Bank and the Bank of Oklahoma, Cox Communication, real estate company Case and Associates, Manhattan Construction Company, Ameristar Fencing, the Tulsa World's Lorton Family and Omni Air International, a charter air carrier.

This is the second time private donors have ponied up millions for infrastructure, the first was the failed river development.

One speaker at Thursday's city council meeting said if the city were to reject this gift again, they may have trouble rallying private donors a third time.