Route 66 in the News
Portion of Route 66 Being Re-Developed
2008-01-10 17:41:24
TULSA, Okla. - Part of the Mother Road that passes near Downtown Tulsa is the destination for new development. Along Southwest Boulevard, and the 11th Street bridge, there is so much history. Thanks to Vision 2025, city leaders are getting on the road to remembering. 24 miles of Route 66 goes right through Tulsa. That's one of the longest stretches in the state. [Editor's Note: We at Route 66 University are unsure just what the author means by that last statement.]
City planner Dennis Whitaker helped craft this latest development going up near the first major bridge that lead to Tulsa. The old Route 66 bridge will have bronze artwork of Cyrus Avery, one of Tulsa's earliest pioneers, as well as 8 flags of other states in which Route 66 travels, and an illuminated skywalk to get there. Planners hope to build a diner atop a 3 story building with an interactive museum as well.
Over on the west side, there are plans for a Route 66 Red Fork Centennial Theme Park with plans for an oil derrick. Developer David Breed says, "It will be big. We are planning for it to be 154 feet tall which would make it the tallest derrick in the world. It gives us bragging rights, that's what Route 66 is all about." It will be the site for Tulsa's old Frisco engine train with 2600 hours of renovation.
The east side development costs around $3.2 million. It's funded by Vision 2025 and all but the building, which planners are still designing, should be complete by the end of summer.
~Chris Cordt, KJRH.com
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