TULSA, Okla. — The city of Tulsa is asking the community for input to revitalize the area of 51st and 71st Streets between Riverside and Peoria. That includes 61st and Peoria, where 2 News has previously covered crime incidents.
Tom's Bicycle Shop is right in the middle of it and has been for over 30 years.
"It's a delicate situation, and I don't really know what to do to fix it, but I know a lot of the people up and down the street could use some help," Tom Brown, the owner, said.
The shop is nearly half a mile from 61st and Peoria, which some Tulsans say has seen better days, like District 9 City Councilor Jayme Fowler, who's taking the lead on the Riverwood Neighborhood Improvement Strategy.
It was established to create an "action-oriented plan for growth" in the area.
"That much concentration of low-income apartments really has negatively impacted the neighborhood," Fowler said.
Fowler says the goal is to re-imagine the area without displacing many people. He said safety, livability, and vibrancy will be at the forefront of every decision the Riverwood group makes, but they need the community's help.
One of the ways the community can get involved is by taking a community survey.
2 News has covered revitalization projects in the area before, as far back as 2016.
"It really has been off and on, and quite frankly, there's been nothing hard or tangible," Fowler said.
Community meetings have been in the works - and more are on the way so the Riverwood group can continue hearing from the community.
"I would say it's getting worse. People are poorer now than they were," Brown said.
One of the group's biggest near-term focuses is revitalizing Johnson Park near 56th and Riverside. Councilor Fowler says the city has $8 million of guaranteed money from the city to do that.
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