The Vision 2025 package includes money for Collinsville

Tulsa's Vision package has several big items for downtown Tulsa - but something for almost every smaller community in the county as well. News on 6 reporter Emory Bryan has the story. <br><br>It's

Tuesday, July 22nd 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa's Vision package has several big items for downtown Tulsa - but something for almost every smaller community in the county as well. News on 6 reporter Emory Bryan has the story.

It's not every day that a fire station burns - so it's something of a tourist stop - says Ed Schmauss of Mikeâ€™s Automotive, who works across the street. â€œIf they had charged for all the film that's been shot, they could have had their $2.3 million and rebuilt it already.â€

But the City of Collinsville couldn't figure out to pay for a new building, until the Vision plan came along. The December 2001 fire burned out the building that housed not only the fire station, but the police department and city hall as well. The police department is moving elsewhere - but the burned out building is still there.

If voters approve the Vision package, that would all change. When the building burned, Collinsville had insurance, but that's been used for temporary office space over the last two years.

The city manager says Collinsville is going to have to build a city hall, and paying for it with the Vision plan is probably the best option. Mike Tinker, Collinsville City Manager: â€œthe folks in Collinsville know that one way or the other they're going to be financing a city hall, so I think they'll support this issue.â€ The city didn't want to bulldoze the building because it's so old - and the exterior was largely intact.

Money from the Vision package sales tax - $2.3 million - would pay to rebuild it, creating a new city hall and fire station, with more room inside for community meetings.

Ed Schmauss is ready to see something happen. â€œSomething done, either remove it or fix it, one of the two.â€