TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa Oilers are hoping to turn what used to be the Macy’s department store at the Promenade Mall into an ice rink and office space.
City leaders say this could be the change the mall needs to be a destination location again.
The Promenade Mall has lost a lot of retail stores over the last several years but with the Tulsa Oilers eyeing the previous Macy’s location, city leaders say there’s hope.
“This malls been in transition for a long time and not in a good way. So this could definitely bring more life into the space and allow the businesses who have really been sticking it out to potentially thrive,” Mykey Arthrell-Knezek, Tulsa's District 5 City Councilor, said.
Arthrell-Knezek says there are still issues that need to be addressed with the mall, but he believes this is a step in the right direction.
The Tulsa Oilers don’t have a dedicated practice facility right now. They bounce between the BOK arena and renting time at another ice center.
So in this location they want to build an ice rink that can be used not only for practice but also for youth hockey and public skating. It might also include a restaurant and pro shop.
“District 5 constituents are very relieved that the mall is not going to be home to the next municipal jail or municipal courts," Arthrell-Knezek said. "They are very excited to see potentially a new attraction.”
Tulsa Crime Stoppers leases space in the Promenade Mall for their offices.
They say having the Oilers here would also help make the area safer.
“When there isn’t anybody else in the parking lot but yourself. You could be targeted very easily so with more pedestrian traffic coming in you have more eyes and ears around you,” Karen Gilbert, Tulsa Crime Stoppers Executive Director, said.
Although, it isn’t official just yet.
“This does need to go in front of the board of adjustment," Councilor Arthrell-Knezek said. "The board of adjustment is what you do when you’re trying to do food inside of a retail, you’re trying to make different adjustments to the way that it was originally zoned. That's something that the community will be able to have input on if they wish.”
The Board of Adjustment hearing is schedule for April 12th at 1 p.m. in the city council chambers. Councilor Arthrell-Knezek says that’s the final step to getting this approved.
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