TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa Route 66 business owners can now apply for up to 40,000 reimbursement to revitalize their buildings along Route 66. The Tulsa Route 66 Commission launched the facade matching grant program this week, thanks to funding from the Vision Tulsa Route 66 Revitalization project.
Buck Atom sees boundless potential for Tulsa's Route 66 even through his Halloween mask. So does his caretaker, Mary Beth Babcock, owner of Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios on 66.
"People traveling Route 66 want the food, the roadside attractions, they want the people," Babcock said. "There's so much potential, so much potential."
Before Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios became a souvenir shop, Babcock said it used to be an empty lot. She encourages business owners along Route 66 to stay creative and imagine the potential the route could have for the future.
Now, those business owners can bring their wildest curiosities to fruition.
The Tulsa Route 66 Commission launched a façade matching grant this week. Buildings zoned commercial, industrial, or mixed-use along Tulsa's Route 66 can apply and get reimbursed between $10,000 and $40,000 for restoration work.
Tulsa Route 66 Commissioner Jessica Jackson Seay says buildings constructed during the route's heyday between 1926 and 1959 are eligible.
"We are really hoping there are properties that could use some love that are getting the attention, and we want to help offset those costs," Jackson Seay said.
Jackson Seay has yet to learn what business owners are interested, but 2 News took the drone up to see what buildings could be. For instance, Page Moving and Storage was built in Tulsa in 1928 along Route 66 and is eligible.
"The dream in my mind is for all of these areas along the route to connect," Babcock said. "The bones are there."
Eligible improvements include restoring original façade elements, historical windows or lighting, masonry, and roof repairs. If interested, contact the Tulsa Route 66 Commission to apply.
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