TULSA, Okla. — The Greenwood Legacy Corporation announced its first executive director and its new non-profit status. The organization says it’s a major milestone in the effort to improve north Tulsa.
In front of dozens of people at the Greenwood Cultural Center, John Hall was introduced as the inaugural head of the Greenwood Legacy Corporation. His goal is to make the Kirkpatrick Heights/Greenwood master plan a reality.
“The community has worked so hard over the last several years across administrations to actually envision a community that is actually greater than what it is today,” said John Hall. “One of my goals as a professional is to take visions and to realize them.”
After six months, 40 public meetings and input from 1,000 neighbors, Tulsa city council approved the plan back in 2022.
The idea is to bring more housing, shops and economic opportunity to 56 acres of publicly owned land in north Tulsa.
“To work with the community and businesses to make sure that we can build an economy, a sustainable economy, in Greenwood, Kirkpatrick Heights, so that people can have a higher quality of life at the end of the day,” said Hall.
With more than 25 years of experience in housing and economic development, the Greenwood Legacy Corporation says Hall was the right fit to move its plans forward.
The emphasis on housing pairs with Mayor Monroe Nichols’ priorities.
"This collaboration is important for us at the mayor's office because it aligns directly not only with the 6,000 affordable units that we're looking to bring on by 2028, but it also helps us talk about winning the next decade,” said the Mayor’s Deputy Chief of Staff Brentom Todd.
Dr. Lana Turner-Addison, chair of the Greenwood Legacy Corporation, says their new 501(c)(3) status will open up funding opportunities.
“We can have the dream,” said Dr. Lana Turner-Addison. “We can have aspiration but without the money to do the projects that we need to do we would be at a disadvantage. So, it was huge that we were granted the 501(c)(3) exempt status.”
When asked about the timeline for progress, Hall says hopefully in about 24 months they’ll start to see movement on development.
To check out the master plan, click here.
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