Sit-down restaurants, retail space and affordable housing. Those are three things north Tulsans living near a redevelopment site at the corner of East Pine Street and North Greenwood Avenue would like to see more of in their community.
Dozens of people gathered inside the Rudisill Regional Library Thursday night to share their concerns — and ideas — for the impending redevelopment of historic Moton Hospital.
It marks a new era for the site, which has historical significance dating back to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre where members of the American Red Cross set up makeshift tents to aid survivors.
Tiffany Crutcher is executive director of the Terence Crutcher Foundation, which hosted Thursday’s community conversation. She called the site “special and sacred.”
“We believe that community voices should be centered when we shape what happens here,” Crutcher said.
The hospital has undergone a slew of name changes and relocations since opening.
But one piece of the redevelopment already decided is the Tulsa Economic Development Corporation’s entrepreneur incubator hub. The group is eyeing an April 30 ribbon-cutting for Greenwood Entrepreneurship at Moton (GEM), according to Rose Washington-Jones, TEDC CEO.
During Thursday’s meeting, residents were asked to share their thoughts for how the remaining three acres of land should be redeveloped. Some jotted down their ideas on sticky notes while others shared their opinions with the crowd.
Concerns ranged from how new construction might increase the cost of living to where money would come from to complete the project.
Gene Bulmash, a senior housing adviser with the city, said he anticipates the development will be funded, in part, from the $75 million Improve Our Tulsa sales tax allocation.
One vocal opponent of the project is District 1 Councilor Vanessa Hall Harper. She said while she supports the redevelopment, she does not support Partner Tulsa’s involvement in the project.
“It’s not the project. It’s the organization behind the project that I don’t trust,” she told The Eagle. “It’s beautiful (to do) community engagement. But then after that, they totally ignore us.”
Hall Harper has previously expressed similar concerns about other redevelopment projects involving Partner Tulsa like the Kirkpatrick Heights – Greenwood master plan.
But Crutcher said she believes the conversation with community members helped alleviate some of those concerns.
“You can’t have a true authentic community engagement process without a difference of opinions and addressing concerns. I think we did that tonight. Our work is not finished but we believe we will get there,” Crutcher said.
The group will now focus on putting together a community advisory board for the project.
