A Tulsa city councilor says she is being ignored when it comes to development in her own district.
At a Wednesday City Council committee meeting, District 1 Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper expressed concerns over the creation of the Greenwood Legacy Corporation attached to Partner Tulsa, the city’s economic development authority.
Kirkpatrick Heights and Greenwood are to be revitalized by Improve Our Tulsa 3, a $5 million spending package approved by voters in 2023. GLC is tasked with executing the master plan, but Hall-Harper says Partner Tulsa and GLC are disregarding her opinion.
“My concerns have been ignored. I’ve been disrespected, at several levels, and I’ve had conversations with the administration on this as well,” said Hall-Harper. “And, again, I’ve just simply been ignored, and I take issue with that when the citizens of District 1 elected me to be their voice on these matters.”
Aside from replacing GLC with two nonprofits, Tulsa Economic Development Corporation and Historic Greenwood Main Street, Hall-Harper wants to widen the boundaries of the proposed project and include all of District 1. But she aimed to quash a rumor that she would move the funds out of Greenwood and Kirkpatrick Heights.
HGMS President Burlinda Radney said the organization wants to work as an implementation lead and doesn’t intend to undo Partner Tulsa’s efforts.
At a City Council meeting later that same day, 15 speakers signed up to give their two cents during the public hearing portion. Seven were for Hall-Harper's amendment, five were against, and three were undeclared.
GLC Executive Director John Hall was the first to speak. He iterated that GLC has been diligent, consistent, and transparent throughout the process. He understands Hall-Harpers' desire to increase capital investments for north Tulsa but greatly opposes her idea.
“This move would destabilize ongoing efforts rooted in community engagement that has included nearly 2,000 voices, to date, to merely a rapid evaporation of resources that would make the Kirkpatrick Heights-Greenwood master plan implementation stall,” said Hall.
Former City Council member Jack Henderson was decidedly against it, too, as he called out Hall-Harper's bid to change the area where the money would be spent. He doesn’t want it to be spread out of the voter-approved targeted area.
“It’s only because she told us today, ‘They disrespected me,’” said Henderson. “Come on, they disrespected me when I was on the city council, and I pulled my pants up and said, ‘Next!’”
A second public hearing will be held on May 13 at 5 p.m.
