Tulsa city councilors have a $6.6 million surplus from an overperforming sales tax package approved a decade ago. On Nov. 18, they’ll decide whether to use those funds to create afterschool programming and bridge funding gaps in ongoing projects.
In April 2016, Tulsans approved three sales tax propositions: two permanent taxes dedicated to public safety, street maintenance and public transportation, as well as a temporary tax for economic development that ends at the end of 2031. Due to the temporary tax’s overperformance, councilors have $18.5 million available to appropriate toward economic development projects.
During its Nov. 18 meeting, councilors will decide whether to appropriate about $6.6 million from that fund to the following “time-sensitive” projects:
- $2 million toward The Irving, a $59 million mixed-use development in Brookside with a 235-space parking garage to be located at 3237 S. Peoria Ave.;
- $1.5 million toward a childcare center at Tulsa International Airport to serve employees;
- $1.5 million to close the funding gap on the BOK Eastside Center for Entrepreneurship business incubator at Plaza Santa Cecilia;
- $1 million for afterschool programming at Tulsa Public Schools and Union Public Schools; and
- $750,000 to build a floodgate replacement for the Mohawk Park Golf Course.
The first reading of the ordinance that would make those appropriations was held during a council meeting last week. The public can comment on the budget item at the Nov. 18 meeting, which kicks off at 5 p.m.
Afterschool programs raise questions
The proposal to use $1 million in tax dollars for two multiyear afterschool pilot programs at Tulsa Public Schools and Union Public Schools drew the most discussion at a Nov. 4 committee meeting. Councilors — primarily District 7 Councilor Lori Decter Wright — voiced concerns about competitive bidding policy.
The city’s investment for both afterschool programs would be about $340,000 in the first year. If approved, eight- or 16-week programs could begin in the spring semester, Deputy Mayor Krystal Reyes said.
She said The Opp Project, a component fund of the Tulsa Community Foundation, and the Yes For Tulsa Kids! Coalition, a new organization operating some programming in Tulsa and Union school districts, helped put together these afterschool program proposals. Decter Wright asked Reyes whether the city would open the bidding process and request proposals from other groups or agree to “sole-source” the contract with those two organizations.
“We could go the RFP route, and we also could do the sole-source route if the case could be made that there is only one entity that can do intermediary,” Reyes said. “A sole-source would need to go through a committee and be approved, too.”
Decter Wright said it seems as though the decision has already been made to sole-source the project.
“Assumptions have been made that funding is going to be approved and we’ll just hit the ground running with our sole-source,” she said. “I’d rather just state that explicitly. I don’t know why we’ve been going in circles about it.”
District 6 Councilor Christian Bengel said there needs to be transparency in who is running these programs.
“I think this is a great program,” Bengel said. “As long as we’re transparent about how this is all working and we’re reporting back, everything is transparent — I think this should be an easy no-brainer.”
District 5 Councilor Karen Gilbert said she needs more information on The Opp and the Yes for Tulsa Kids! Coalition.
“I know that a big reason we probably chose them is that they’re already embedded in our schools, but still, I just need more information … on their funding sources and how many schools they’re embedded in,” she said.
$2M proposed for Brookside parking
The Irving is a $61 million four-story office-retail development proposed for the site of the former Bank of Oklahoma branch on Peoria Avenue in the Brookside neighborhood. Two million in public funds is proposed for the development. Erran Persley, the city’s economic development director, said the project is expected to open in April 2028.
District 9 Councilor Carol Bush, who represents the area, said there has been “no pushback whatsoever” against the project, citing the need for parking.
“I used to have a business down there. I opened my business in 1987. We’ve been talking about parking on Brookside since then,” Bush said.
Persley said the city administration views The Irving as a public-private partnership due to the parking component, which includes 235 parking spaces that would be free to the public. The council approved $450,000 in Community Development Priority Project funds for the parking during last week’s meeting.
Bush said she thinks The Irving and the Armstrong Bank property at 36th Street and Peoria Avenue — the former Brookside Baptist Church site — will be catalysts for economic growth in the area.
Tulsa airport calls for a childcare center, with $1.5M from city
Alexis Higgins, CEO of the Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust, said outside funding is needed to build a childcare center for airport employees and possibly others. TAIT is seeking $1.5 million in city sales tax funds to put toward the project.
“I can’t use airport dollars to build a childcare facility, but I can try to navigate through community partners and try ways to support working families,” Higgins said.
Beyond the airport, Higgins said other large employers that would benefit include the IC Bus Plant, the Amazon facility and Hayden Industrial. Higgins said she prefers that a childcare site support airport and airline employees first, but she said other airports with childcare programs tend to be open to outside employers.
“There are 6,600 more employees beyond the 11,000 that I mentioned here that work around airport property. This is a great opportunity, I think, to take funds and invest it back in the community and create a resource,” Higgins said.
“We certainly would appreciate the support. It gives us leverage when we go to the state and ask for some matching dollars.”
District 3 Councilor Jackie Dutton said this project would help combat the childcare desert in northeast Tulsa.
Eastside business center needs $1.5M to close gap
The budget amendment proposal includes $1.5 million for a business incubator at Plaza Santa Cecilia, at 21st Street and Garnett Road, that would cater to immigrants.
The nonprofit Eastside Rise, a nonprofit at the Tulsa Community Foundation, has long planned to build a business incubator now known as the Bank of Oklahoma Eastside Center for Entrepreneurship.
When the project was announced in February 2024, the city of Tulsa invested $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds; Tulsa County provided $120,000 in ARPA funds; and the George Kaiser Family Foundation gave $1.4 million through Elevate East.
Since then, the Bank of Oklahoma has donated $500,000 to the project. Reyes said the city’s economic development funds would help bridge the funding gap in the roughly $4 million project, which she hopes will open in August 2027.
Bengel, who shares the Tulsa Global District with Gilbert, asked for councilors’ support.
“It will change that corridor, and it is a destination district,” he said.
Decter Wright said city leaders don’t talk enough about starting and growing businesses within the community.
“There has been a lot of conversation about (investing in) bringing outside employers in, and we don’t talk enough about growing from the inside out,” Decter Wright said.
District 8 Councilor Phil Lakin recused himself from the discussion during the Urban and Economic Development Committee due to his position as CEO of the Tulsa Community Foundation.
Mohawk Park seeks floodgate to prevent closures
Randy Heckenkemper, who operates the city-owned golf courses at Page Belcher and Mohawk Park with Nick Sidorakis, proposed a $750,000 floodgate at Mohawk Park to prevent further closures when Bird Creek floods.
Heckenkemper said the course was closed for more than 60 days in 2025 due to flooding, leading to a $300,000 loss in revenue. So far this year, the course has been closed for more than 50 days.
Several of the projects named in this story are funded in part by the George Kaiser Family Foundation. The George Kaiser Family Foundation has also provided funding for the Tulsa Flyer. News decisions at the Tulsa Flyer are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
