A Route 66-themed hotel project and a controversial “Cry Baby Cry” statue — both near Tulsa’s Arkansas River — have been put on the back burner by the city after a new mayor recently took office.
An interactive digital storytelling experience about Route 66 also has been put on hold.
The Tulsa World newspaper gleaned a few details during a recent city council meeting, though they’re cloudy beyond that.
The interesting point came during a back-and-forth with city councilor Karen Gilbert and deputy city administrator Anna America, who said new mayor Monroe Nichols IV was discussing the project with Brian Elliott of Sharp Development.
“We met with them, and they asked us to provide a few things,” Elliott said. “I would say we are moving along pretty well, actually.”
The city did not respond directly when asked Monday whether any of the three projects would be relocated to a different site.
“The city of Tulsa is dedicated to supporting efforts that celebrate our rich history and bring economic growth and cultural pride to our residents and visitors. As any new administration would, the team has been reviewing the feasibility of all capital projects, with an eye toward evaluating the best path forward for each project,” city spokeswoman Michelle Brooks said Monday. “Our goal is to ensure that each project is viable, fully funded and meets the unique needs of our growing community.”
The city remains committed to working with Sharp Development to better understand the company’s proposal “with the goal of reaching our shared long-term vision and success for Route 66,” Brooks said.
“In terms of the statue and interactive experience, those two projects are still under evaluation as part of the feasibility review,” she added.
City Councilor Laura Bellis said she wants the hotel project to remain where it is and was adamant that the project not be moved.
Sharp Development wants to build a Route 66-themed hotel of 45 to 50 rooms — called the Palmera Motor Court — with a restaurant, pool and bar at Riverside Drive and Southwest Boulevard (aka Route 66).
Nearby is a proposed, 21-foot-tall “Cry Baby Cry” statue near the top of Cry Baby Hill, a key landmark in the city’s annual Tulsa Tough bicycle races.
The statue by Brian Kelleher has been widely derided because of its design and the fact the creator is a non-Tulsan.
The projects would be funded by $6.4 million in voter-approved sales taxes.
The city has tried for 20 years to develop the site — including the ambitious Route 66 Experience museum and hotel project.
But those projects kept failing to materialize for varying reasons, mainly lack of funding.
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Good Grief, where in the world did they get that ugly statue ?????