Sales Tax oversight committee says Gilcrease Museum Road work has started; details project funding and other capital items

The Tulsa City Council received the monthly report from the Sales Tax Oversight Committee on several capital projects, with Ashley Webb, chair of the committee, reporting that construction on Gilcrease Museum Road has started and outlining funding and scheduling details for multiple projects.

"Our 2016 and 2023 sales tax program revenues for the year to date remain 1.9% or approximately $400,000 above the sales tax program adopted budget estimates for those programs," Ashley Webb, chair of the Sales Tax Oversight Committee, said in her presentation.

Webb highlighted projects that the committee is monitoring. Dreamkeepers Park improvements are under consideration as a roughly $7,200,000 project. The Crybaby Hill statue is finished and is budgeted at about $250,000, but its final placement on or near 11th Street is pending a Parks Department decision. Webb also summarized a historical accounting the committee reviewed that referenced approximately $6,500,000 (and roughly $6,000,000 depending on the figures) in legacy funds from earlier sales-tax packages; an MOU mentioned in committee materials contemplates applying $1,500,000 from the original Vision 2025 package toward the proposed Avery Hotel project, which Webb described as having an estimated development cost of about $24,000,000 exclusive of site and land costs.

On the Gilcrease Museum Road project Webb said work began the prior Monday under an approximate 395‑day construction schedule. She reported that about $12,000,000 of that work is funded from Improve Our Tulsa 2, with additional funds coming from Improve Our Tulsa 3 inflationary funds; Webb also described a $1,200,000 incentive for early completion and a separate $1,800,000 contract for an independent construction manager on the project.

Councilors asked about coordination and outstanding studies, including a traffic study related to a Main Street spur that could affect Improve Our Tulsa 2 reconstruction planning and Boston Avenue work. Webb said the committee is awaiting word on whether that spur will be removed and on the timing of any traffic study.

No formal council action on the report itself was recorded; the presentation was received as part of the council's committee reports.

Clarifying details noted in committee materials and during the presentation include the 395‑day schedule for Gilcrease Museum Road work; a $12,000,000 funding allocation from Improve Our Tulsa 2; an indicated total project funding pool of $28,000,000 with portions from Improve Our Tulsa 3 inflationary funds; a $7,200,000 estimate for Dreamkeepers Park; and an approximate $250,000 cost for the Crybaby Hill statue. Where the transcript or committee materials showed alternate figures (for example, $6,500,000 vs. approximately $6,000,000 on different historical accounting lines), the committee noted remaining questions and said staff are continuing to reconcile the numbers.

Speakers and staff who appeared with the committee report included Ashley Webb, chair of the Sales Tax Oversight Committee; Paul Zachary and James Wagner (presenters on historical accounting, listed in committee materials); Mario Johnson (SDLC representative in the meeting); and councilors who asked follow-up questions.

The committee report will be available in the council's packet and the council asked staff to follow up on outstanding traffic and accounting questions ahead of future meetings.