Tulsa Receives $30 Million Housing And Urban Development Grant

Friday, August 3rd 2018, 11:47 am

By: News On 6

The City Tulsa is celebrating a $30 million federal grant that will help transform a neighborhood west of the river. Tulsa was one of five chosen for the HUD grant the total project will add up to nearly $130 million.

"When you think about that fact that only a handful of cities in America qualify for this grant, it takes something above and beyond," said Mayor Bynum.

It is one of Tulsa Housing Authority's oldest neighborhoods and crews will tear it down and build mixed-income housing surrounded by a community that's expected to put West Tulsa in the spotlight.

The new neighborhood will have a grocery store, retails spaces, a new community center, playground, and much more.

The $127 million project is aimed at breaking up poverty, reducing crime, creating jobs, and bettering education. Some members of the community who have lived in the neighborhood since the 80s and 90s are calling it a blessing.

"It is absolutely wonderful. I am so excited to see this neighborhood transform. This is a good neighborhood, we are neighborly people. We help each other," said neighbor Angela Teague.

"We have Oktoberfest, the Gathering Place is going to be fantastic, and it's going to pull people here. So I think people are going to see a lot of change," said fellow neighbor Pat Nash.

It's that support that community leaders say pushed Tulsa to the top catching HUD's attention with more than 40 groups partnering behind the vision.

"We get an opportunity to take down, you know, two different properties that are heavily subsidized and replace that with a vibrant mixed-income community. That's just going to be a huge success on the river," said Tulsa Housing Authority CEO Aaron Darden.

Several local groups also stepped up to help with the redevelopment project.

The Tulsa HUD grant is getting an additional $12 million grant from the Zarrow Foundation and a $27 million loan from George Kaiser. The result is the transformation of the Eugene Field neighborhood near 23rd Street and Southwest Boulevard.

Crews will start work on these buildings next year.