Group Claims City Plans To Sell Tulsa Park For Less Than It's Worth

The future of Helmerich Park is up for discussion yet again as the controversy is growing over a possible sale.

The city hopes to sell the land and bring in an outdoor retailer, but others hope to keep the park as it is, and are now saying the city plans to sell it for less than it's worth.

City leaders said the newest argument is just one more way opponents of the plan are trying to keep development from happening.

Fourteen percent of Helmerich Park is up for sale, for $1.4 million.

"It's a bad deal for the city of Tulsa," said former Tulsa mayor, Terry Young.

Young wants to save Helmerich Park. He said the piece of parkland sits on a prime location at the corner of 71st and Riverside, and selling it for $1.4 million isn't enough.

“The purchase price, $1.4 million, is less than 40 percent of the price that is on record at the county assessment office," he said.

Young said the city failed to advertise the land to get a better rate.

Tulsa mayor's director of economic development, Clay Bird, said, in cases like this, the highest bid isn't always best for the city.

"We're the city Tulsa, we look for things that are gonna bring in revenue to the city and we look for economic impact," said Bird.

He said the city could have sold the land for high-rise development or maybe even a car wash, but it wouldn't bring in the sales tax revenue an outdoor store like REI would bring.

12/11/2015 Related Story: REI Releases Statement In Controversy Over Potential Sale Of Tulsa Park

Bird said, "I think it's a good price for that piece of land, also, based on the long-term revenue potential for what it can mean for the city."

According to the contract, if the sale goes through, $600,000 of the $1.4 million could be credited to the buyer - that leaves only $800,000 to make upgrades to the rest of the park.

The two sides disagree on if that is enough to cover repairs.

Sale of the land is contingent on a pending private lawsuit which claims the city has no right to sell the land because it's a park.

If the city loses the lawsuit, the whole thing would be off the table.