The City of Tulsa announced it is offering matching grants of up to $40,000 to help restore the facades of historic buildings along its Route 66 alignments.
The grant program was established with the help of the Tulsa Route 66 Commission.
The announcement was made at the historic Circle Cinema, which undoubtedly would be eligible for such a program.
According to the city:
Goals for this program are preservation and rehabilitation of historically significant structures that were constructed prior to or between 1926 and 1959 (a period of significance for Route 66) along Tulsa’s recognized Route 66 alignments. This effort will result in a lasting community benefit of accurately restored architectural features that were first experienced during the height of the Route 66 era. The grant application will identify how the structure will be restored to its original historic design. […]
The Tulsa Planning Office will assist the Route 66 Commission’s efforts in the overall grant process. The Planning Office encourages potential applicants to review each of the grant program documents before submitting application materials. Provisions for the grant, requirements and application submission details are included in the following documents.
Grants will range from $10,000 to $40,000, with the building’s owner covering 50% of the cost.
Sam Extance, chairwoman of the Tulsa Route 66 Commission. said the highway’s centennial in 2026 is a major motivator to giving the city’s historic buildings a face-lift.
The city also offers a Route 66 neon sign grant program, of which more than 50 signs have been created or restored.
(Image of the facade of the Circle Cinema in Tulsa in 2012 by Bill Oswald via Flickr)