TULSA, Okla. β Downtown Tulsa will soon have dedicated spaces for dogs to play and exercise, as the Downtown Tulsa Partnership works to build two new dog parks within the Inner Dispersal Loop.
Over the past two decades, the downtown area has experienced rapid growth.
In the Arts District alone, around 600 apartments were built in the past five years. As more people moved to downtown, there came an increase in four-legged friends.
While some newer apartment buildings have included small dog runs, downtown Tulsa lacks public spaces dedicated to dogs.
This forces animals to relieve themselves in places that are not designated for dogs.
"In tree wells, strips of grass on the side of sidewalks, and in large part that's because there is no dedicated space to use the restroom or to even recreate as a dog, which is very important," said Emily Scott with the Downtown Tulsa Partnership.
In the Arts District, Legacy Park near Archer and Main will be transformed into the Brush Arbor Grove Dog Park.
On the other side of the tracks in Chapman Green, the Downtown Tulsa Partnership is putting a small dog park in that green space.
The dog park will feature two separate spaces for large and small dogs, and turf will cover the quarter-acre lot.
Local dog owner Jameson Hocter is excited about the expanded space for pets.
"She goes from having a little 2-by-8 patch of turf to a whole park that she can run around in. I know that I'll feel good about giving her more space to run," Hocter said.
Hocter said his new dog River is full of energy but the apartment living and lack of a dog park make it hard for her to get her energy out.
He believes a dog park is needed in downtown.
The park is funded through private donors and the Downtown Tulsa Tax Increment Financing, with an estimated cost of around $500,000.
For safety concerns, the park will feature brighter lighting and security cameras connected to neighboring buildings that feed directly to the Tulsa police's Real Time Information Center.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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