Tulsa City Council gives green light to TIF District plans

The Tulsa City Council approved resolutions to create three new Tax Increment Finance districts, known as TIFs, as part of an ongoing effort to add 6,000 more housing units by 2028.

Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols says the new TIF districts will help meet that goal, and improve the quality of life for people living in those areas. 

"These new TIF districts will have a direct role in helping us meet our affordable housing goals to bring 6,000 new units online by 2028, while at the same time providing quality of life upgrades across various parts of our city," Mayor Nichols said. "I want to thank our Economic Development Director Erran Persley, our team at PartnerTulsa, our local development community, and the Tulsa City Council for continuing to help us realize additional ways that we can accomplish some of Tulsa's most pressing needs."

The resolution approved by the council creates a new committee that will evaluate the plans, before handing it over to the Planning Commission. It will then need to go through two public hearings and be adopted as an ordinance by City Council.

What is a TIF District?

TIFs are public funding tools that use future tax collections in certain geographic locations to pay for immediate community improvements in that area. That includes things like infrastructure, economic development and urban renewal. The money is collected in a special fund that is used to pay for those projects. There are several TIF districts already in place in Tulsa, including Woodland Hills, the Peoria-Mohawk Business Park, 36th St N and MLK, and the Downtown Area.

What are the new TIF Districts? 

The new districts would be in the Crutchfield, Southern Villa and Pearl District Neighborhoods. 

The city says the Crutchfield Neighborhood TIF includes eight proposed districts to create 625 new housing units. This is in addition to affordable and single-family housing developments already underway in the area. 

1. LOCATION: East of US Highway 75 and Inner Dispersal Loop, east of Utica Avenue, south of East Pine Street, and north of Interstate 244.

“Crutchfield TIF will facilitate the development of housing options that are essential for attracting and retaining residents,” District 1 City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper said. “By utilizing future tax revenues generated from this project, we will be able to invest in necessary infrastructure improvements, public services, and community amenities that benefit our community.”

The Southern Villa TIF is expected to create 870 new housing units. The property used to be a mobile home park, and the city hopes to turn it into a mixed-use development with housing and retail.

1. LOCATION: East of Riverside Parkway and west of South Lewis Avenue, between East 87th and East 89th Streets

“Southern Villa will not only provide a surge of economic development and quality housing but will signal that Tulsa is open for business and is an excellent place to raise a family,” District 2 City Councilor Anthony Archie said. “This project stands an example of what can be accomplished when the Muskogee Creek Nation and the City of Tulsa Partner together.”

The Pearl District TIF would provide opportunities for infill and new housing developments near 11th and Peoria.

1. LOCATION: East of U.S. Highway 75 and the Inner Dispersal Loop, south of Interstate 244, north of 11th Street South, and west of South Utica Avenue

"Applying a TIF to the Pearl District will provide this lively neighborhood with critical tools to help address our housing crisis and support the area with needed infrastructure to improve pedestrian access and safety,” District 4 City Councilor Laura Bellis said.

That project is expected to create 320 new housing units and more parking. It also focuses on access to transportation and Bus Rapid Transit lines.