Kendall-Whittier West Park project moving forward

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Officials from TU, GKFF, city celebrate construction

Kendall-Whittier West Park officialsThe University of Tulsa joined community leaders Tuesday in a construction kickoff event for the Kendall-Whittier West Park project between South Lewis and Atlanta avenues near 4th Street. The 7.5-acre urban development aims to improve education, health care and social services in Tulsa’s historic Kendall-Whittier neighborhood.

As one of the city’s first mixed-income housing developments, the West Park plan calls for 128 residential units, 20 units for TU graduate students, 7,000 square feet of retail and management space and renovations to the existing Kendall-Whittier neighborhood park.

Alongside members of the city’s leadership team, Kendall-Whittier improvement partners and TU officials, President Geoffrey Orsak addressed the university’s commitment to revitalizing the neighborhood.

“Together as neighbors, we are stepping up to create better housing opportunities and an even stronger community,” Orsak said. “This is one of the truly remarkable urban development programs that I’ve seen anywhere in this country, and all of us at TU are thrilled to be a part of it.”

As part of a $36 million investment in the Kendall-Whittier area, the West Park project will provide safe, affordable and quality housing, thanks in large part to the George Kaiser Family Foundation, The University of Tulsa, the City of Tulsa and McCormack Baron Salazar, an urban neighborhood developer.

Construction on the mixed-income housing project is expected to conclude by fall 2013.

(Photo caption, left to right: Fred Dorwart, GKFF president and trustee and TU trustee; TU President Geoffrey Orsak; Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett; and Tulsa City Councilman Blake Ewing)

 

Contact:
Gail Banzet
918-631-3730
gail-banzet@utulsa.edu