The public is invited to attend a public forum about the new Downtown Area Master Plan on Thursday at the Tulsa Community College’s Center for Creativity, 910 S. Boston Ave. The forum will be from 5:15 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Event Center. The forum is the first of several events as part of the final approval process by the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, Tulsa City Council and Tulsa County.

Jack Crowley, who assisted with the plan while serving as special adviser on urban planning to former Mayor Kathy Taylor, will provide an overview of the plan during the public event.

“The momentum continues to build in downtown Tulsa,” Crowley said. “And this master plan will add to that. The plan connects the Vision 2025 and current city initiatives by recommending infill projects that will leverage new public-private and private investments.”

Stephen Carr, City of Tulsa project coordinator and senior planner, said the three major targets of the plan are to revitalize the downtown area, connect downtown to the Tulsa River Parks system and initiate rail transit extending outward from downtown to the beginnings of future corridors that serve the region.

The executive summary and action plan include high-priority projects for the first five years, including cost estimates and potential funding sources. Additional charts provide details through year 30, including suggested capital improvement plans and projects needed to reach target goals.

Similar to the PLANiTULSA Comprehensive Plan, which was recently approved by the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, the planning process includes a broad spectrum of the community, with more than 2,000 area residents participating. City planners have given presentations to more than 100 organizations across the Tulsa metro area since 2008.

“The Downtown Area Master Plan provides a great opportunity to continue furthering downtown development,” said Mayor Dewey Bartlett. “The inclusion of residential and commercial possibilities in this plan ensures that our downtown will thrive. Congratulations on this accomplishment to all those citizens who have worked so hard to create this plan.”

More information about the Downtown Area Master Plan or Thursday’s public forum is available through Carr, 918-576-5663.