Money Promised For Franklin Center

A plan to build a center to study race relations and remember the race riot has new life.  The News On 6's Emory Bryan reports there's a pledge of money to get it going.

There's now some hope that money for a memorial will finally be available.  It's private money that is part of the deal to build a ballpark in one of Tulsa's historic districts.

An empty field on the west side of Greenwood has long been the planned site of a new race riot memorial, but backers have never had the money to build it.  But, while negotiating the deal for a ballpark in Greenwood, Tulsa Mayor Taylor and Chamber President Stan Lybarger agreed to raise $780,000, half of what's needed for the first phase of the project.

"We could start as soon as the mayor and Mr. Lybarger put the check for $780,000 in our hands and if they do it in a month, we'll start in a month," said Franklin Memorial fundraiser Julius Pegues.

The seed money for the memorial came from the legislature, but the money to finish the job has been tied up in Oklahoma City for years.  With the development of the ballpark, and the pledge of donated money, it seems the pieces are now falling into place.

Backers already have the land and commissioned art ready for installation.  They hope to tell the story of African American life in Oklahoma, including the race riot, and at the same time, honor the historian and Oklahoma native John Hope Franklin.

Now it's become part of the ballpark development with the Franklin Center and Reconciliation Park on land just northwest of the new ballpark.

The Greenwood Chamber believes the ballpark will help business and draw people to the memorial.

"It really magnifies the importance of the district and exposes and creates visibility and creates much needed foot traffic," said Reuben Gant with the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce.

Reconciliation Park would take only a few months to build once the money is in place.  After years of waiting, backers hope finally they'll get to see some progress.

The money for the memorial started with state tax money, but this new phase of fundraising is entirely from the private sector.  It is not part of the property tax that will be charged to build the ballpark.