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The Evans-Fintube site just north of Downtown Tulsa will soon be repurposed into a new mixed-use development. The rusting metal structures, slowly peeling apart in the Oklahoma winds, sit within the boundaries of Historic Greenwood. North Tulsa leaders encourage residents to make their voices heard and included in the redevelopment plans.
Tonight, Thursday, September 23rd, city officials and community leaders will come together to gather input about the site’s future. The meeting will take place at the 36th Street North Event Center (1125 E 36th St. North) from 5:30-7:30pm. Community members who cannot attend in person will be able to join virtually by clicking this link.
North Tulsa leaders work to ensure community voice is a part of the re-development process
Former mayoral candidate Greg Robinson, one of the organizers of tonight’s meeting, stressed the importance of community involvement. In an interview with The Black Wall Street Times, Robinson said “this project is crucial to the future direction of Greenwood.”
“We want the people closest to Historic Greenwood to be an active part of this conversation,” Robinson continued. “We believe in the saying: ‘what you do for me, without me, you do to me’. So many of the decisions about development in Greenwood are happening without the community’s involvement.”
Many residents of Tulsa’s Black residents have voiced concern about the gentrification of Greenwood in the past few years. With national attention bringing more investment into what was once the epicenter of Black wealth in America, some are pushing the city to ensure the community is at the forefront of the re-development process.
“This development must be different,” Robinson said, “and I encourage community members to make their voices heard.”
Tonight is just the first of several meetings taking place in the next few weeks. The information gathered from community members at these meetings will help to determine the final plans for the development.
The next two meetings will take place on October 15th and December 2nd. According to Channel 8 News, the city plans to select a developer for the Historic Greenwood site by sometime in December.