Tulsa Leaders Head To Austin To Study City Challenges

Some of Tulsa’s political and business leaders will spend the next few days in Austin, Texas, on a trip arranged by the Tulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The group is here to see how Austin has addressed some of the challenges that Tulsa and many other cities have, like homelessness.

One of the first stops for part of the group was a privately developed neighborhood built for formerly homeless people. It has 400 homes, and is so successful, it’s been awarded $35 million in new government funding to fuel an expansion to 1,700 homes.

“I think in our heads we can make up a lot of stories about what a community like this looks like and would be like, but until you come and see it and walk amongst the people who live and work here, you don’t really understand it,” said Sarah Grounds with City Lights Tulsa. “This is a beautiful, clean, thriving place.”

This trip is the 14th time the Chamber has taken Tulsa leaders to other cities to study things like river and downtown development.

One destination getting their attention on this trip is a professional soccer stadium that in the first year attracted almost half a million visitors.

News On 6 will have more on that tomorrow.