Tulsans Gather To Discuss Options For Kirkpatrick Heights Development

Nearly 50 people showed up to a community meeting Thursday night at the Greenwood Cultural Center, to learn about future development of the Kirkpatrick Heights area, which is north of downtown.

The project is still in the early stages, but some of the goals involve affordable housing, restaurants and spaces for families to gather. Another idea involves tearing down I-244.

At the meeting, people had the chance to look at a 3-D model of what the future could hold in the Kirkpatrick Heights area. They also saw several maps and different ideas of what to do with the 56-acre space.

The crowd heard from development experts from Seattle and Houston, to see examples of similar work has been done in those cities.

The City of Tulsa is working alongside a Philadelphia-based planning and design consultant to help with the planning process, but leaders said an actual developer for the project has not been determined yet.

Leaders said at the center of the project is the goal to honor the history of Black Wall Street and Tulsa Race Massacre victims and survivors.

"Now is the time to make an investment in this area to ensure that we keep the story of Greenwood and the Race Massacre alive for future generations. We have a chance to build a bridge to the future and that time is now,” Our Legacy Tulsa Leadership Committee member, Lana Turner-Addison, said.

One Tulsan at the meeting said there is still a lot she'd like to learn, and said she plans to go to every meeting about the project going forward.

"I am a member of First Baptist and Vernon, where one of the projects is going to be. And so how does it affect our church or what's going to go on for all we do at church? So I still am thinking,” Tulsa resident Renee Peterson said.

The next community meeting about the project is Saturday, April 9 at Carver Middle School. That meeting is from 10 am until 1:30.