Downtown Tulsa is on the move, both behind the scenes in planning phases, and more visibly, with construction and renovations taking place. Downtown is moving forward at a rapidly growing pace. Following are a list of projects that are in planning and implementation phases as well as those that are recently completed.

BOK Center
Construction of the BOK Center was part of Vision2025 plan approved by voters in 2003. The 550,000 square-foot multi-purpose arena will seat more than 18,500. Along with hosting large-scale entertainment the BOK Center will also be home to Tulsa Talons arena football. Construction is on schedule and the facility is due to open in September 2008.

Convention Center Improvements
Renovation of the Tulsa Convention Center is part of Tulsa’s Vision2025 proposition to provide a new Tulsa Regional Events Center and modernize the existing Convention Center.  

The Tulsa Convention Center will provide the largest single ballroom in Oklahoma at 34,800 square feet. The ballroom will also allow patrons complete use of the existing exhibit space while performing banquet functions. The ballroom can be divided into two smaller ballrooms. The renovation also includes approximately 7,000 square feet of additional meeting room space on the street level, second level and third level for a total of 21,000 square feet.  

The renovated Tulsa Convention Center will ultimately be connected to the BOK Center via a greenbelt parkway that will create a park like experience as one walks to and from the Convention Center under a covered walkway.  

Construction is scheduled for completion in October 2008. 

Kanbar Properties
Maurice Kanbar has purchased a total of 20 buildings, all in the core of Downtown, with a total of 2.57 million square feet of space for a price of more than $108 million. Kanbar now owns more than 32 percent of downtown Tulsa. Many of these buildings are great examples of Art Deco, but are class C space and, as such, are ripe for redevelopment for residential or retail uses. Kanbar has said he wants to create a “Soho” like arts, living and office area in the Central Business District.  

Main Mall Redevelopment
The 18-month project, which included ripping out the multi-tier brick plaza and building a traffic circle, was finished in March 2005 after facing several delays that set it back almost six months. The remaking of Main Street stretched at least four years. The first phase of the project, which reopened Main from Third to Fourth Streets, was completed in 2001. The pedestrian Main Mall project from Fourth to Sixth Streets has been converted to two-way traffic with parallel parking. Voters approved nearly $4.2 million in 2001 Third Penny Sales Tax funds for the renovation of the Main Mall and for other street/sidewalk enhancements. 

Downtown Dining Expansion
McNellie’s, a 7,200-square-foot Irish Pub that has been open since 2004, emerges as an anchor to the newly developing neighborhood including Nelson’s two other creations, The Continental and El Guapo’s Mexican Cantina. The Continental, a jazz club and cocktail lounge that opened at the end of April 2006 next door to McNellie’s, is a 2,300-square-foot bar. The Continental draws some strength from McNellie's, which owner Elliot Nelson has expanded to 9,500 square feet by stretching it across the floor above The Continental. The extra space allowed Nelson to add several recreational games as well as bump the Irish bar's seating to 260-plus from its previous 225 customer spaces across two floors. 

Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame
The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame has moved to one of Tulsa’s most historic landmark buildings—Tulsa’s Union Depot Building. Every event at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame will showcase this beautiful building, with the sound of music and the celebration of America’s classical music—jazz. Whether it is the extraordinary photo exhibit of Oklahoma jazz musicians to the interactive kiosks, Great Performance Hall, VIP suite, the recording studio, music library, gift boutique and band room, consider the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame as your ambassador to the world of live entertainment and cultural enrichment. 

Route 66 Enhancements
Vision2025 funds will be provided to improve the national icon that winds through Tulsa known as the “Mother Road.” Route 66 exists because of the efforts of Tulsan Cyrus Avery who would not give up on his vision for a highway across America and today Route 66 is considered a valuable piece of Americana and an international tourist draw. Improvements include signage, streetscaping, lighting and specific enhancements of the 11th Street bridge. This Vision2025 project will enhance economic development, strengthen adjacent neighborhoods and promote tourism. The improvement area stretches 26 miles along 11th Street from 193rd East Avenue then following 11th Street west to Southwest Boulevard then down Old Sapulpa Road ending at the Tulsa County line.  

CONCEPT100
CONCEPT100 will be a visual arts center in the Brady Arts District and an initiative of the Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa. Located in the west half of the Mathews Warehouse at 100 E. Brady, the dominant feature on the first floor will be galleries to exhibit the artwork of local, studio, regional, national, and international artists reflecting new directions in the visual arts. 

Interest has been expressed for a “coffee house” venue on the street level, as well as a community meeting space with the ability to show film as part of art exhibitions, a gallery shop, and office and storage space. On the second floor there will be studio work spaces for both emerging and professional artists working in a variety of visual media, as well as resident spaces for visiting artists. Groundbreaking on this facility is scheduled for 2008. 

Downtown Master Plan
A “Downtowns/Neighborhoods Fund” was among the projects included in Vision2025, a sales tax revenue bond package passed by County residents in 2003. This fund was to be distributed among all the incorporated communities in the county on the basis of population. Ten percent (10%) of the funds were allocated to neighborhood enhancements. The remaining funds were allocated to the beautification and economic vitality of downtowns including streetscaping, pocket parks, fountains and downtown housing.  

The downtown funds were allocated by the committee into two areas: 1) financial incentives for downtown housing; and 2) downtown streetscape enhancements identified as the "Centennial Walk.” Centennial Walk focuses on linking historic events, places, and buildings with other Downtown Tulsa Vision2025 projects and attractions through enhanced pedestrian connections into an attraction venue. The path of the Centennial Walk as initially proposed was an approximate 2.5-mile path within the Inner Dispersal Loop connecting Centennial Park, the Blue Dome Entertainment District, the new Jazz Hall of Fame, the Brady Arts District, and the new Tulsa Regional Events and Convention Center site.  

The Downtown Master Plan has received approval from TMAPC and was adopted by the Mayor and Tulsa City Council on March 1, 2007. 

Street Improvements
Between Third and Tenth Streets on Boston Avenue, there will be street rehabilitation, sidewalk enhancement and conversion to two-way traffic. Other improvements include new streets and streetscape projects within the IDL. 

Centennial Projects
Celebrating the history of Tulsa, Centennial Green and Centennial Walk will be created as areas of attraction in Downtown Tulsa. Centennial Walk focuses on linking historic events, places and buildings with other Downtown venues through enhanced pedestrian connections. Centennial Green will be located at Sixth Street between Boston Avenue and Main Street as part of the beautification of Centennial Walk. A new 12,500-square-foot Central Community Center is open and offers classes and activities for all Tulsans. This is also a prime location for special occasions such as wedding receptions, reunions and community events. 

Downtown Wayfinding System
The city is in the process of creating a Downtown Wayfinding system which will help to direct vehicles from the IDL and access points to structured and surface parking servicing the BOK Center and Convention Center. Pedestrian signage assists in directing people to Vision2025 venues and Downtown landmarks and entertainment areas (Centennial Walk, Jazz Hall of Fame, Bartlett Square, Brady Village, Blue Dome District, etc.). Wayfinding systems have been used in other cities across the United States, such as Atlanta’s system shown in the picture.