New investment is showing up across the east side from the business incubator at Plaza Santa Cecilia to new beat boxes in the Tulsa Global District. But a longtime tribute to Route 66 has been closed to visitors for about three years, awaiting a renovation that has yet to be designed or funded.
Despite being closed, the Route 66 Interpretive Plaza, at 9397 E. 12th St., was highlighted during 918 Day as one of 13 locations across Tulsa for people to visit and receive a stamp.
“Our goal for including the Route 66 Interpretive Plaza as part of 918 Day was really to showcase a Vision 2025 project that had been completed to get public input on very early discussions about funding packages, future funding packages and what potential projects we could put together for that,” said Samantha Extance, destination districts manager for the City of Tulsa. “This is definitely one that we’re looking at and researching.”
The Interpretive Plaza, which opened in 2012, features five plaques with historical context explaining the Mother Road. The plaza is near walking trails and Redford Pond, which also remains temporarily closed due to “excessive littering and abuse.” The parking area was closed, as well, due to vandalism, Extance said.
“The area itself has been a flood plain retention area, and so I’m not sure how long it’s been that way, but it’s kind of a natural park in itself even though it’s not technically a park,” Extance said.
This limits the projects the City can do on the property, Extance said. For example, it can’t build a big performance stage, as it might in other places.
Community members offered some suggestions for how to improve the space during 918 Day. Those options include trail enhancements, plantings of native or other drought-resistant plants, and determining whether east Tulsans want community programming in the area.
The community feedback will help city officials develop recommendations for funding packages, Extance said.
There are no plans to gather further community feedback unless funding comes through. There is also no timeline to reopen the parking lot.
“I think that will depend on funding,” Extance said.
Paulina Baeza, a principal planner at the City of Tulsa’s Department of Planning & Neighborhoods, said city councilors representing the east side reached out to the planning team to help identify projects for which they may advocate in future funding packages or grant applications. District 3 Councilor Jackie Dutton did not respond to requests for comment about the project, which is in her district.
“We’re starting to build some project proposals, which include streetscaping improvements along certain segments of Route 66 as well as the Global District to make it more walkable, more attractive. I mean, it brings so many people,” Baeza said.
The planning team is putting together general propositions with improvements and price costs for future funding packages and applications, she said. The city is working with a consultant who is very interested in improvements along Route 66 and the Interpretive Plaza.
The planning department is taking inspiration from Carpenter Park in Springfield, Illinois, which is on an old alignment of Route 66 that was closed. It was revitalized with natural trails and additional enhancements with historic signage.
“It has completely transformed that little stretch into this lovely little oasis where you can walk and jog and meet up with friends and just enjoy the outdoors and learn a little bit about Route 66,” Extance said. “So we’re hoping for the same thing for the plaza, because it’s so beautiful.”
This article was produced as part of a partnership between the Tulsa Flyer and La Semana, a Tulsa-based bilingual Spanish-English newspaper serving Latino communities in Oklahoma.
News decisions at the Tulsa Flyer are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
