Projects take over downtown parking lots

TULSA, Okla. - Several construction projects are well underway in the Brady Arts District of Downtown Tulsa.

Established business owners welcome the growth, but say all that work is creating a parking problem.

"We opened up a year and four months ago," Scott Moore said.

When he was looking to open the restaurant "Hey Mambo," he wanted it to be right in the middle of Tulsa entertainment.

So he chose the Arts District.

"Cains, the Brady Theater, the BOK, PAC and then the ballpark. It was announced the day I signed my lease, so it was kind of a bonus."

Since then one project after another has popped up.

Across the street from Moore is the new Hardesty Arts Center.

The parking lot to the south will be new apartments, to the west will be a new hotel, and to the north there is a park and amphitheater being built.

"Once this all opens later this year, the Brady will be totally different, it will be a totally different place."

Getting there is the hard part.

Those projects are causing some growing pains; they're replacing all the parking lots.

"On the 1st of January there was over $120-million in building projects going on here," Business Association President Bob Fleischman said.

The hotel is going across the street from his salon, Chrysalis.

Fleischman says there are solutions, one involves downtown employee only parking.

"Within three blocks of the Brady District there probably over 1000 parking spots readily available that are never utilized after 8 o'clock at night."

Fleischman says the main thing is to get all the city agencies at the same table.

Tulsa spokesperson Michelle Allen says that's being worked on.

"We're looking at different meetings with different venders, merchants, and the construction companies just to get everyone on the same page and find workable solutions for everyone."

The owners are also thinking about getting a shuttle service to run every five and ten minutes through the Brady and Blue Dome Districts to make it easier on people looking for entertainment.