Urban and Economic Development Committee Meeting – May 6, 2026
Urban and Economic Development Committee Meeting – May 6, 2026
The Urban and Economic Development Committee convened at approximately 3:30 PM on May 6, 2026, to consider several rezoning applications and receive an update from the Regional Chamber on economic development, tourism, and legislative affairs. The meeting was chaired by the committee chair.
Discussion Items
Rezoning at 61st and Union (Items 1 & 3) – A rezoning application to CS district for a parcel at 61st and Union, currently part of a planned development that was never built. The intent is to develop senior housing, with up to 120 units and a maximum of four stories, bringing the building closer to the street for a pedestrian feel. The applicant reported no opposition and the item received a unanimous recommendation for approval. Councilors expressed strong support, citing community engagement and a partnership with Mercy Housing.
Rezoning and Comprehensive Plan Amendment at 41st and 129th East (Items 4 & 5) – Two related applications: a zoning change from scientific research (RS5) to CS/commercial and residential, and a land use change from employment to neighborhood and multiple use/local center. The site is an existing office park with vacancies. Plans include workforce housing (starter homes, three bedrooms, two baths) and a commercial corner with a hotel and retail. Councilors supported the development, noting it would provide much-needed housing and help grow the corridor. They flagged infrastructure needs on 41st Street, including widening and lighting.
Rezoning at 90th and Riverside (Item 6) – A rezoning to MPD-9 for a 30-acre site known as the Southern Riverlands project. The conceptual plan includes approximately 200,000 square feet of commercial and up to 800 multifamily units, though exact numbers will be market-driven. The development incorporates River Design Overlay standards with heavy landscaping and a 10-foot wide side path. Councilors discussed market flexibility, connections to trails and traffic signals, and reaffirmed that housing numbers would fluctuate while retail would remain higher-end.
Presentation from Regional Chamber (Item 7) – The Chamber provided updates on tourism, economic development, and government affairs:
- Tourism: Celebrated Global Meetings Day and National Tourism Week; noted the FFA extension for five years bringing 13,000 people daily; over 3,500 cars registered for the Route 66 Centennial event; upcoming basketball tournament with 700 teams causing hotel overflow; positive media coverage from Wall Street Journal, Southern Living, and New York Times.
- Economic Development: Highlighted growth in aerospace and defense (Agile Space Industries, Lufthansa expansion); 20 leads from trade shows; new lead generation efforts; workforce initiatives including talent ads and industry councils.
- Government Affairs: Update on Washington D.C. fly-in; legislative session status; passage of True Grit Trail Act and Route 66 centennial license plate; discussion about state budget impacts on healthcare and child care.
Discussion on Child Care as Workforce Issue – Following the Chamber presentation, councilors raised urgent concerns about child care shortages, noting that 1,394 slots have closed in Tulsa County. Councilors described child care as a workforce, family, and community issue that affects housing, economic development, and business attraction. They discussed potential local actions: incentivizing child care in development projects, exploring a municipal interim study, and engaging the business community. The committee appeared to support further exploration of city-level strategies.
Key Outcomes
- The rezoning applications at 61st and Union, 41st and 129th East, and 90th and Riverside received committee support (the first item was noted as unanimously recommended for approval).
- The committee received and acknowledged the Regional Chamber’s updates.
- Councilors committed to exploring local strategies to address child care, including potential incentives and a possible interim study.
Meeting Transcript
I can find that we are live. We should probably talk about the year to do that. Not that someone is going to be able to do that. We're talking about the new month. Welcome to the urban and economic development committee meeting. It's about 3 30 on May the 6th. I call this meeting to order. The first item is rezoning application at or near 61st in union. Good morning. I'm used to having Susson before me. Do you want us to talk a little bit more first? Oh we have appointees. That's right. Yeah. So yeah, I know. Okay, so I have three um really interesting cases this morning that are um all really good, I think. So this is a um rezoning at 61st in union to CS. You can see that corner has a lot of different zoning districts on it. So it already is a large portion of it. CS, this would just be making the entirety of the parcel CS. It's in P as well. So oh I'm sorry, the first two are related. I don't know if you have to do that. Uh item number three rezoning application at an Air 61st in union. So this is the parcel on the corner. Um, nothing's developed right now. It's been part of the PD that has never developed. It is a multiple use land use designation. The intent is to develop housing. Um, they're leaning towards senior housing on this side. We do have a conceptual uh site plan, and it's how it turns sideways. So north is to the left, um, 61st on the right, and then of course union. Um, and so that it needed to go to CS as a whole to get not to be able to do apartments because it could those could be done anyway, but to get to the FAR they needed and the height they needed because the P restricted those, those were a couple of the main factors. Also, there was a setback issue. They do, um, after talking with the developer, they did want to move the building up to the street, they wanted to have that sort of pedestrian feel up at the street, anticipating what that future intersection might look like. And um, so they anticipate that it be maybe even four stories, that's the max in the PUP it could be, and maybe about 120 units. So that's really about it. We had we didn't hear from any opposition from anybody on it, um, and it was unanimously recommending for approval. Yeah, so we've had uh a number of community meetings about this, um, and I'm grateful to Simple Church for hosting uh those meetings. Um, our folks are excited about the development in partnership with Mercy Housing. Um, and pretty cool that it's going back up uh kind of to the street, so give it a frontage. Um, and there's additional additional development. I mean, I met with you know I walk, and we're you know, with business owners, uh community leaders, and uh we're glad about what's happening, so we support it. Okay, anyone else item four rezoning app for property at 10 uh 41st and 129 east and next one too, please. Uh same thing. It's a resolution at the same area. Okay, okay. So there are two related applications. Uh one is a zoning change, the other is a company amendment. This is the side.
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