Tulsa City Council holds public hearing on proposed TIF district for Crutchfield neighborhood

The Tulsa City Council held a public hearing Wednesday night on a proposed TIF district for the Crutchfield neighborhood, a move supporters say will bring housing and infrastructure improvements. But not everyone thinks it’s fair.

The city’s been working on a master plan for the Crutchfield neighborhood for years. This proposal would help pay for housing, business development, and infrastructure, but some say the city is ignoring other neighborhoods that have waited just as long.

A new TIF district

The Crutchfield neighborhood, just northeast of downtown Tulsa, could soon be getting a major makeover if the City Council approves a new tax increment financing, or TIF, district.

“They're anticipating up to, I think, 150 to 200 million dollars in new development over a 25-year period," said Jeff Sabin, TIF Counselor for Partner Tulsa.

How it works

The plan creates six tax increment districts and outlines a $78 million budget over 25 years: $26 million for public infrastructure, $52 million for supporting private redevelopment, and 10% allocated to help facilities at Tulsa Public Schools.

“So the current housing stock within TIF A is aging and in disrepair. The neighborhood has a median income of only 52% of the area median income for the Tulsa MSA,” Sabin said.

Not everyone is on board

But not everyone is on board. One speaker during public comment says neighborhoods like his in North Tulsa have been waiting far longer and have been promised far more.

“What you're doing here in Crutchfield should have been done in the entitlement area over 50 years ago, and that's the problem”, said James Alexander Jr.

He believes the city is skipping over communities with greater need.

“If you're not funding the area that already has its own money, and you're using this money and placing it everywhere but that area, that is theft. Waste, fraud and abuse,” he said.

What's next

The City Council plans to hold another public hearing on Aug. 27 before voting on the TIF district.