Tulsa Co. Leaders Discuss Proposal To Bring New Office Building To Pearl District

Tulsa leaders want to keep developing areas along Peoria Avenue, just north of the Broken Arrow Expressway.

The plan includes an effort to re-zone a piece of land near 11th and Peoria for an office building.

People living in the neighborhood said they're glad businesses are trying to come in, but they said this latest project doesn't fit their vision of the Pearl District.

The area just across the street from Oaklawn Cemetery could see a four-story office building with a parking lot if a plan to re-zone the land moves forward.

Sarah Hetherington and her husband moved here almost a year ago.

They said they didn't think their clear view of downtown might end up being blocked by an office building with about 80 parking spaces.

"This area is almost entirely one or two stories. The plan doesn't preserve or enhance the surrounding community," Hetherington said.

The re-zoning request was sparked by efforts to develop areas along the new AERO rapid bus route along Peoria.

Tulsa leaders want to encourage new businesses and homes to come in and use the new buses.

Hetherington said she was excited about the new line but said "living next to a four-story office building and parking lot are the opposite of my dream."

"This just seems like it's becoming a shopping strip" a representative for the applicant said. 

Those in charge of designing the space argue it won't be a project that'll take away from the area.

They unveiled this photo of what the building could look like.

"The construction, or proposal, will not be an eyesore for the residences nearby because we are concerned about it. We are going to be in the area as well, and we're not going to be a large slab of concrete like a Walmart sitting on the corner. It's going to look pretty, it's going to look nice,” a representative for the applicant said.

Planning commission members have enough concerns about some aspects of the proposal that they pushed the discussion back for the third time in a month.

The next meeting to debate the project is on December 4th.