City of Tulsa

We’re excited to share that the Communications Department was honored with five awards at the 46th Annual Silver Link Awards, presented by the Tulsa Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. We're grateful for the recognition and even more so for the opportunity to serve our community!

The second-of-three projects to enhance Route 66 at Cry Baby Hill was selected to move forward this week following the City’s search for qualified developers to construct a new commercial development at 815 Riverside Dr. The conceptual development named Palmera Motor Court features a retro-inspired 45-50 room hotel, with an approximately 4,000 square-foot restaurant, along with a pool and poolside bar – all designed to reflect the unique spirit and history of Route 66, featuring tributes to the road’s storied past and Cry Baby Hill. The local developer, Sharp Development, engaged local architecture firm Studio 45 Architects to create a new “Must Stop” for Route 66 travelers, local neighbors, and users of River Parks trails and Zink Lake. The hotel’s amenities will be accessible to Tulsans, as well as a lure for Route 66 tourists. “Development at this site has been more than a decade in the making, and I’m thankful for the persistence from our team and the Tulsa community in helping bring it one step closer to reality,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said. “I want to thank all of the talented local developers who responded to this RFP, and I look forward to seeing the new opportunities this development will bring to Tulsa’s riverfront and our beloved Mother Road.” Project Background & Process For more than 10 years, the City of Tulsa has eyed redevelopment opportunities at 815 S. Riverside Drive, or Cry Baby Hill as many know it. Most recently in 2022, Sharp Development was selected to construct a mixed-use project at the site, which ultimately had to change direction based on project scope and needs. In response, the City split the project into three parts – the commercial development being one of those parts. Earlier this year, the City of Tulsa released two other Request for Proposals (RFPs). The first was for a new Route 66 Roadside Attraction at the same site as the new commercial development. Harkening to the same spirit as Catoosa’s Blue Whale or Amarillo’s Cadillac Ranch, Ken Kelleher Sculpture was the artist selected for this Roadside Attraction, which will be located in the vicinity of the commercial development. The second RFP was for an Interactive Experience where the City is seeking a technology consultant team to create a digital storytelling and extended reality product that allows its users to access an “outdoor museum” focused on Route 66 and the area.

Are you a local agency interested in applying for HUD grant funding for the CDBG, HOME, and ESG programs? If you plan to apply, you have just two days left to reserve your spot in the mandatory workshop training coming up October 7 & 8. You will need to have individual RSVPs for each grant application you plan to submit. Monday, October 7, 2024 Workshop 1: 2 - 4 p.m. Tuesday, October 8, 2024 Workshop 2: 10 a.m. - Noon Workshop 3: 2 - 4 p.m. Yous must RSVP by emailing [email protected] indicating which workshop you want to attend. Once your email is received, you will receive further details regarding the workshop. The deadline to RSVP is 5 p.m. on October 4, 2024.

From Sept. 29-Oct. 5, the City of Tulsa is joining water utilities and cities nationwide to recognize and celebrate Source Water Protection Week and raise awareness about the importance of caring for our drinking water sources. The City of Tulsa is committed to protecting our source water and works hard to ensure that Tulsa’s water is always clean and safe.   The best way to assure we have high quality drinking water at the tap is to protect our water sources. When rivers, lakes and underground wells are kept free from pollution, it’s easier and less expensive to keep water safe and healthy. Source water is a raw, untreated supply of water that is used for current or future drinking water. Source water protection is a proactive approach to safeguard, maintain, and improve the quality and quantity of drinking water sources and their surrounding areas.   The City of Tulsa and its residents get water from three main sources: lakes Spavinaw, Eucha, and Oologah. These lakes supply Tulsa's source water, which ultimately flows through miles of pipes and reaches taps throughout the Tulsa metropolitan area.   “The City of Tulsa and the Tulsa Metropolitan Utility Authority have invested in Source Water Protection since the Spavinaw Water Project in 1924," said Director of Water and Sewer Eric Lee. "We are proud to have 24 dedicated City of Tulsa employees located in Spavinaw and Eucha, Oklahoma who focus on protecting our watershed that provides source water to over 550,000 people in Northeast Oklahoma. Protecting our Spavinaw-Eucha lakes means we minimize the costs to treat the great-tasting, award-winning water we produce every day. We will continue to focus our time, talent and resources on protecting our source water which has been vital to Tulsa’s success for the last 100 years and will be for the next 100 years."   In 2019, the City of Tulsa won the Exemplary Source Water Protection Award from the American Water Works Association for our strong protection program. City of Tulsa biologists, chemists and data analysts collect and analyze over 10,000 water samples every year just for the Spavinaw and Eucha lake systems to ensure high-quality source water.   The City of Tulsa and the Tulsa Metropolitan Utility Authority continue to invest money in conservation easements and work with landowners in Tulsa's watershed to reduce unwanted pollutants from entering water sources. The City also works to acquire conservation land around water supply lakes to help protect the natural landscapes and prevent development that could harm the water quality. Over the years, the City has invested in conservation easements that protect over 5,150 acres in the Eucha-Spavinaw watershed. These efforts help ensure that Tulsa’s water is protected and kept clean for residents to enjoy for years to come.   For more information and to learn more about Tulsa's water supply, visit https://lnkd.in/gRGrpzyY

The City of Tulsa will begin accepting applications for Vision Arts 6 grants starting Tuesday, October 1. Vision Arts 6 is a collaboration between the City Design Studio, Tulsa City Council, the Mayor’s Office, and Tulsa Arts Commission to provide nominated 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(3)-sponsored organizations funding for programs that support art projects that stimulate economic development throughout Tulsa. Applying organizations may request up to $50,000 with no private match requirement. In 2016, voters approved Vision Tulsa, which included approved funding for a program that supports arts projects which stimulate economic development throughout Tulsa. Through Vision Tulsa, $2,250,000 was allocated to the Tulsa Arts Commission to provide annual arts support over a 15-year cycle, with a total amount of $150,000 awarded every year to eligible organizations. Goals for the allocation of funds include: • Promote visibility and awareness of arts in Tulsa • Contribute to increased visitor and tourism activity • Promote Tulsa’s arts and cultural assets as key components of the city’s identity • Strengthen future development and economic growth throughout the city Identified priorities include: • Fund events, programs, and festivals that attract a broad audience of visitors and tourists. • Build and diversify audiences from research and marketing strategies. • Highlight destinations by encouraging cultural events and creative activity. • Create engaging content for multimedia that tells Tulsa’s arts story to visitors and residents alike. • Increase access to cultural attractions and events. • Embrace a collaborative approach to enhance the local community through the arts. Important Dates: Application Opens: Tuesday, October 1, 8 a.m. Mandatory Virtual Informational Sessions (all sessions present the same information over Zoom): • Session 1: Tuesday, October 15, 3 p.m. • Session 2: Monday, October 28, 6 p.m. • Session 3: Friday, November 15, 9 a.m.     • Session 4: Saturday, December 14, 11 a.m. Virtual Vision Arts 6 non-mandatory workshops: • Grantwriting 101: Saturday, October 26, 10 a.m. • Writing Clear Grant Narratives: Saturday, October 26, 11 a.m. • Marketing for Arts & Culture: Saturday, November 16, 10 a.m. • Budgeting for the Grant Process: Saturday, November 16, 11 a.m. * Organizations should attend an information session prior to the grant writing workshop. If an organization elects not to attend a grant writing workshop, they must indicate in the appropriate place in the submittable application they were aware of the workshops but declined to attend. * Application Closes: December 22, 5 p.m. Organizations have until June 30, 2025, to use funding for Eligible Expenses. The End-of-Cycle Report must be completed within 30 days after the stated program Closing Date. More information about Vision Arts be found online under the arts opportunities page at: www.cityoftulsa.org/arts

Are you a local agency interested in applying for HUD grant funding for the CDBG, HOME, and ESG programs? Make sure you are registered for the mandatory workshop training coming up October 7 & 8. You will need to have individual RSVPs for each grant application you plan to submit. Monday, October 7, 2024 Workshop 1: 2 - 4 p.m. Tuesday, October 8, 2024 Workshop 2: 10 a.m. - Noon Workshop 3: 2 - 4 p.m. Yous must RSVP by emailing [email protected] indicating which workshop you want to attend. Once your email is received, you will receive further details regarding the workshop.

The City of Tulsa is applying for the FY24 HUD PRO Housing Grant to increase affordable housing in our community. The public is invited to a public hearing on September 25 at 5 p.m. in Tulsa City Council Chambers on the 2nd Floor of Tulsa City Hall, 175 E. 2nd St., to share feedback on the draft application, which is now live. This competitive grant aims to help cities remove barriers to affordable housing production and preservation, expanding the supply of affordable housing and reducing housing costs in the long term. Public comments can also be emailed to [email protected] until Sunday, October 6. When emailing comments, please include your name and organization. Visit https://lnkd.in/gxs5jMJX for more details and to review the application. ACCESSIBILITY AND ACCOMODATIONS FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION The City of Tulsa is committed to ensuring accessibility for all individuals. The public hearing on Sept. 25 at Tulsa City Hall is held in a room that is ADA-compliant. Persons who require a special accommodation to participate in this meeting should contact Secretary to the Tulsa City Council Lori Doring, 175 E. 2nd St., Fourth Floor, Tulsa, Oklahoma, via phone at (918) 596‐1990 or via email at [email protected]. These requests should be made as far in advance as possible and preferably at least 48‐hours before the date of the meeting. Persons using a TDD may contact OKLAHOMA RELAY at 1‐800‐722‐0353 and voice calls should be made to 1‐800‐522‐8506 to communicate via telephone with hearing telephone users and vice versa. Materials will also be made available in accessible formats on the City’s website. About the PRO Housing Grant The PRO Housing program empowers communities to address the nation’s affordable housing shortage by removing barriers such as restrictive zoning, lengthy permitting processes, and inadequate infrastructure. The City of Tulsa’s application will focus on improving zoning codes, expediting the development process, and acquiring vacant properties for affordable housing development. ABOUT PATH TO HOME The Path to Home Initiative is a central source for all programming as it relates to homelessness, housing, and mental health within the City of Tulsa. The initiative gives a comprehensive overview of all programming and policy work at the local government level focused on helping individuals experiencing homelessness or struggling with mental health, promoting citywide housing efforts, and supporting the work of dedicated service providers. To learn more about the Path to Home Initiative, visit: https://lnkd.in/g3pHPgX7

Are you a small business in the Tulsa area? Join the Small Business Enterprise program to tap into the city's construction and professional services contracts. Apply today and grow your business! www.cityoftulsa.org/SBE #SBE #TulsaSBE

The City of Tulsa is in the final stages of updating its local Hazard Mitigation Plan for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is hosting a public meeting on Thursday, September 26 to receive public comment on the content of the plan.   The public meeting is set for 5:30-7 p.m. in Centennial Center at Veterans Park, 1028 E. Sixth St.   FEMA requires local governments to regularly update their Hazard Mitigation Plan as a condition of receiving Federal Hazard Mitigation Assistance. Based on the completion of this planning process, FEMA may provide pre-disaster funding for projects such as flood-proofing buildings, buying land, improving stormwater management facilities, construction of storm shelters and other disaster preparations. Post-disaster funds would also be available, helping the City to recover and rebuild after a natural disaster strikes.   Residents are encouraged to attend the upcoming public meeting. The proposed plan can be found online here and will be presented to City Council for adoption on October 2, 2024.   The Hazard Mitigation Plan is one of several elements that contributes to Tulsa's CRS Class 1 rating in the National Flood Insurance Program. With this Class 1 rating, residents and property owners within the city limits are eligible for the lowest rates in the nation for flood insurance – a 45 percent discount.   Tulsa’s hazard mitigation planning includes several essential pieces: Identifying and profiling hazards that affect the local area – from tornados and floods to wildfires and earthquakes Analyzing the people and facilities at risk from those hazards Developing mitigation actions to lessen or reduce the impact of the profiled hazards both before and after disaster strikes.

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