TulsaNow

Last year, a small group of Tulsa Preservation Commission staff and volunteers who were concerned about the loss of historic architecture downtown came together as CORE Tulsa. Wanting to preserve Tulsa’s urban fabric, unique identity and economic viability, CORE members began researching ways to encourage protection of older buildings while limiting the spread of surface parking. (Sadly, Tulsa ranks #2 in the nation for the most surface parking as a percent of its total downtown space. A dubious honor, when you consider the cost to our architectural heritage and downtown’s future economic development!)

CORE Tulsa has been meeting, gathering input from stakeholders, and researching alternatives to the status quo. The result is a list of proposals recently submitted to the Tulsa Preservation Commission.

Some of the recommendations include:

1. Performing an inventory of existing downtown buildings, along with an analysis of the impact of demolition, prioritization of buildings at risk for loss, and identification of high-priority buildings for redevelopment. We should recognize that even small buildings are vital to Tulsa’s urban fabric and act as a catalyst for small businesses to start and grow.

2. Discouraging surface parking. Incentives should be offered for developers to include structured parking within their buildings, especially when building infill on surface lots. No incentives should be provided for developments that include demolition of buildings for surface parking in the Central Business District.

3. Recognizing that the Central Business District (CBD) is unique and deserves special consideration. District Standards for design review should be created to ensure compatible, high-quality development and redevelopment. Also, the Comprehensive Plan Update should include a preservation component, and the Tulsa Preservation Commission should have a seat at the table throughout the Comprehensive Plan Update process.

4. Identifying and supporting incentives for new development and redevelopment of existing properties. Allowing the market, rather than regulations, to be the primary force that drives such development. The city should also support efforts to change perceptions about downtown and the value of our historic buildings.

View the CORE Proposals: CORE_Proposals.pdf

When the CORE proposals were submitted to the TPC, a small, vocal group of commercial builders and property management representatives, such as the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, spoke out against the CORE proposals. While these special interest groups are loud and well organized, we know that there is widespread support among average citizens for preserving our downtown heritage. We also know that a unique and vital downtown will attract the young, highly skilled, highly educated workers that Tulsa needs to succeed in the global economy.

The problem is that our voices are often not heard. Too often, those of us in the “silent majority” who believe that our older buildings are unique and irreplaceable do not write letters or attend meetings to let our opinions be known. TulsaNow encourages you to read and consider the CORE proposals for yourself. We believe that you will find them to be common sense approaches, widely utilized by thriving cities throughout the nation. If these proposals make sense to you, please contact the Tulsa Preservation Commission, as well as the mayor’s office and your city councilor to express your support for the CORE proposals.

The next meeting of the Tulsa Preservation Commission will be at 11:00 AM, Thursday, September 14, 2006. Meetings are held at the Greenwood Building located at 111 South Greenwood Avenue in Tulsa.