Greenwood District To See Construction For Street Lights

The Greenwood District will soon see some construction for the lights along Black Wall Street.

The lights along the road will be rerouted to a new transformer North of Greenwood Avenue, and some portions of the sidewalk will be closed, but some businesses say they don't think it's going to improve the lighting at all.

Businesses in the Greenwood District say there aren't enough lights in the area, and the only way to make improvements is to install brighter lights.

Monday was Wing Supreme’s grand opening, and owner Eric Johnson already has some concerns about business, specifically at night.

“When you look at the corner of Archer and Greenwood, and you look down, it looks darker,” he said.

There are lights that cast some light along the road, but they don’t light up the sidewalks or buildings.

Johnson says because of the lack of proper lighting, he worries about safety not only for businesses but for people walking along Greenwood Avenue.

“After 5, when it gets dark, there's not as many cars, so I just think with more lighting, you just make the place more appealing to come to and more inviting,” said Johnson.

The Downtown Tulsa Partnership says the lights are currently powered through the building on the west side of the road but will be disconnected and rerouted this week.

The Greenwood Chamber of Commerce says this is positive news, but it doesn’t solve the issue businesses are facing.

GCC President Freeman Culver says existing lighting in the area does not emit enough light.

The Chamber of Commerce sent an email to business owners asking them to share their concerns with the Downtown Tulsa Partnership and the City of Tulsa.

In a statement, Culver says in part:

“Investing in our lighting will support the continued growth of Greenwood small businesses. The community must get involved if our city is to finally act for Greenwood. This problem has existed for over 4 years.”

Construction to connect the lights to the new transformer is expected to be completed before the new year.