TULSA, Okla. — The Brookside Baptist Church at 36th Street and Peoria Avenue has sat vacant for years, and neighbors said they are ready to see something change.
“The first thing I thought was how long has this been abandoned?” said Melissa Wilson, who lives near the property.
Ben Gehers, another nearby resident, agreed.
“It’s not good when it sits here for years and years,” Gehers said.
WATCH: What’s next for vacant Brookside Baptist Church? Neighbors still waiting for answers
The church has been closed since the COVID pandemic. In 2023, 2 News reported the property had remained unused. In 2024, the Brookside Business Association told 2 News the building would likely be demolished.
Two years later, there has been no visible progress, and neighbors say they would like to see the space put to use.
“It would be great to put something up there,” Wilson said.
Residents have ideas for what it could be used for.
“A dog park, a little library or something like that, some kind of community area,” Wilson suggested.
Gehers said he believes the property could serve a practical purpose for the neighborhood.
“Maybe affordable housing or medical offices,” he said.
2 News reached out to the Brookside Business Association for an update. The association said there are no new developments at this time and provided contact information for the property owner, Clark Neeley.
Neeley declined an interview but responded in a text message stating, “No news to report at this time.”
An email was also sent to Bill Beichler, handling the church transaction, according to the Brookside Business Association, but no response was received.
For now, neighbors said they remain hopeful that the long-vacant property will eventually become something that benefits the community.
“It just would be nice to see just something new and improved go in there,” Wilson said.
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