Not sure if they'll vote on it tonight, but the City Council agenda for today includes a second hearing for funding a historic survey of downtown buildings. This is a way for all Tulsans to understand the historic value of our downtown structures, and to help identify those that might qualify for the National Register.
It's something that we've been needing for years. Time and time again, we have watched helplessly as one historic building after another has been demolished. Knowledge is power, and it can only help Tulsa if we understand the value of our historic assets, before making short-sighted and uneducated decisions to destroy them.
The price of the historic survey is $75,000. Of that amount, the Oklahoma Historic Society is offering $45,000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is offering $12,500, and the City of Tulsa is being asked to pony up $17,500.
At a recent City Council committee meeting, it seems there was some discussion about whether that money should come from the general fund or some other source. I wasn't there, so I'm not sure if there was actual opposition to the concept...or just dithering about where to pull the pennies from.
If you care about historic preservation in downtown Tulsa, please contact your City Councilor to tell them you support the historic survey.
http://www.tulsacouncil.org/home.php
Under Councilors tab click on your district and you can email them from the link under their lovely picture.
Already sent! [:)]
For more background info, and what the councilors are thinking, read the committee meeting minutes, item 11:
Committee Mtg - Urban & Economic Development (//%22http://www.tulsacouncil.org/inc/search/meeting_detail.php?id=I4LA7A69222008100202%22)
Wonder where the Tulsa Historical Society is? Not its location..I know that is located in a giant mansion on Peoria, but why no promised funds from them?
BTW, letter to my councilor has been launched.
So what happened?
It passed unanimously. Finally!
It passed.
I finally beat sgrizzle to a post...by 27 seconds!