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City staff frames vertical airspace closure for downtown SkyBridge as time-sensitive economic opportunity
Summary
Staff described a requested closure of vertical airspace at 711 S. Foster/Boulder Ave for a developer-proposed SkyBridge tied to a planned consolidation of employees downtown. City staff cited the developer’s construction schedule and an emergency clause to accelerate approvals; the ordinance was set for a second reading on Oct. 15.
City staff presented an ordinance to close a portion of vertical airspace over the intersection of West Seventh Street and South Boulder Avenue to accommodate a proposed SkyBridge linking a parking garage to a future building.
Staff told the committee the developer is consolidating employees downtown and the project aligns with an employer relocation that could bring up to a reported 1,000 new employees into the area. A staff member explained the emergency clause is intended to accelerate the approval process to align the construction schedule with the employer’s move: "this is the biggest economic development project in the Art Deco area of downtown in quite some time... their employees will be working downtown. That's gonna be a thousand new employees working in Downtown Tulsa." Technical staff said the proposed bridge would clear more than 18 feet at the highest crown of the roadway and that no objections had been received from utility companies; further district court action to vacate right-of-way could follow the closure and design review would address lighting and other details.
Second reading and a council vote were scheduled for Oct. 15.
