Reservoir Hill Home Values

[SXSW]

The area of which you speak was cleared by TDA to meet the city's commitment to provide 200 acres for the University Center at Tulsa campus.

When the legislature authorized the UCAT campus in the early '80s, the city looked at Cherokee Industrial Park as one possibility, but settled on the Greenwood urban renewal area. That area had been homes and retail, which were rebuilt after the 1921 riot, but then cleared by the City in the early '70s for the "Model Cities" urban renewal program.

(A search of the Daily Oklahoman online archives -- via TulsaLibrary.org -- for "University Center at Tulsa" will turn up a lot of this history.)

The Greenwood tract was only 80 acres, so the city opted to acquire and clear the area to the west to meet the 200 acre requirement. Many of the homes, particularly those on the higher parts of the hill, were of the same vintage and style as those you'd find in Brady Heights. The area between Brady Heights and Detroit Ave., by the way, was not part of the Greenwood District -- Detroit was the dividing line between black and white communities.

VERY interesting, thanks.  Who owns that land now, OSU or TDA?  And does a master plan for the 200 acre campus exist?  It seems that even if the OSU campus grew much larger than it is today they could expand on the parking lots along Elgin and Greenwood and at the base of the hill and have plenty of room.  I'd personally rather see OSU expand into  the Brady District rather than out, and restore those neighborhoods that were demolished.  New single family homes or rowhouses in this area would be very desirable for many people. 

[MichaelBates]

VERY interesting, thanks.  Who owns that land now, OSU or TDA?  And does a master plan for the 200 acre campus exist?  It seems that even if the OSU campus grew much larger than it is today they could expand on the parking lots along Elgin and Greenwood and at the base of the hill and have plenty of room.  I'd personally rather see OSU expand into  the Brady District rather than out, and restore those neighborhoods that were demolished.  New single family homes or rowhouses in this area would be very desirable for many people. 

There is a master plan, and I believe it also includes Sunset Hill, where the public housing tower and the Tulsa Housing Authority offices are located. I've never been able to find it on the web. I don't know whether the cleared land has been transferred to OSU-Tulsa already or not.

I agree with you. I'd like to use OSU-Tulsa replace those massive surface lots with street-facing buildings and parking structures that would allow for better pedestrian connections in all directions. There's a lot they could do without gobbling up everything to the west.

[rdj]

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I just put a house under contract that is in the Oak Cliff Addition, but isn't really "on the hill."  We are moving from the Turner Park neighborhood and are looking forward to living in the area.

From my reading I'm pretty sure Hometown lives on the hill, any other posters here live in the area?

[Hometown]

Welcome to the neighborhood RDJ.  You are about to make a very smart choice.  The City defines Reservoir Hill as stretching all the way from Cincinnati to Apache to Tisdale to Tecumseh.  I have heard that the Original Reservoir Hill Neighborhood Association encompassed all that area though in recent decades it has retrenched and only includes about 65 homes mostly at that the top or leading up to the top of the Hill on Denver and Victoria. 

I have said before that some of the most interesting homes and streets are on the east side of "The Hill" on the twisty curved streets and those homes are not as pricey but have the potential to be as valuable as the homes at the top. 

Not long ago the Association added two homes to the Association by a membership vote.  They are at the "Reservoir Hill" sign to the east on Denver at the bottom of the hill. 

There are days when I'm not very happy about being in Tulsa but I am always happy to be on Reservoir Hill.  And it seems that gentrification is picking up in the flats.  Not only are old homes being restored but two new homes that I know of are being built in the neighborhood.  And they aren't modest but rather very grand. 

When I was a kid I remember visiting my Great Aunt and her husband who was an executive in a home at the bottom of The Hill.  There is a misconception that all of North Tulsa was an African American neigborhood but actually the neighborhoods west of Cincinnati were all White until White Flight got underway in the 60s.

I have recently gotten interested in the streets between Cincinnati and Denver south of Pine Street part of which is adjacent to Brady Heights.  That neighborhood still has issues with Black on Black violence but otherwise those smaller homes can be had for a song and a prayer and there are some very large old two story homes mixed in. 

Our area still feels like beautiful old Tulsa.  10 minutes north of downtown.  10 minutes away from Utica Square.  10 minutes from the Tulsa Country Club.  Value priced.

[SXSW]

Welcome to the neighborhood RDJ.  You are about to make a very smart choice.  The City defines Reservoir Hill as stretching all the way from Cincinnati to Apache to Tisdale to Tecumseh.  I have heard that the Original Reservoir Hill Neighborhood Association encompassed all that area though in recent decades it has retrenched and only includes about 65 homes mostly at that the top or leading up to the top of the Hill on Denver and Victoria. 

I have said before that some of the most interesting homes and streets are on the east side of "The Hill" on the twisty curved streets and those homes are not as pricey but have the potential to be as valuable as the homes at the top. 

Not long ago the Association added two homes to the Association by a membership vote.  They are at the "Reservoir Hill" sign to the east on Denver at the bottom of the hill. 

There are days when I'm not very happy about being in Tulsa but I am always happy to be on Reservoir Hill.  And it seems that gentrification is picking up in the flats.  Not only are old homes being restored but two new homes that I know of are being built in the neighborhood.  And they aren't modest but rather very grand. 

When I was a kid I remember visiting my Great Aunt and her husband who was an executive in a home at the bottom of The Hill.  There is a misconception that all of North Tulsa was an African American neigborhood but actually the neighborhoods west of Cincinnati were all White until White Flight got underway in the 60s.

I have recently gotten interested in the streets between Cincinnati and Denver south of Pine Street part of which is adjacent to Brady Heights.  That neighborhood still has issues with Black on Black violence but otherwise those smaller homes can be had for a song and a prayer and there are some very large old two story homes mixed in. 

Our area still feels like beautiful old Tulsa.  10 minutes north of downtown.  10 minutes away from Utica Square.  10 minutes from the Tulsa Country Club.  Value priced.

I think if the vacant land between Main and Cincinnati/OSU-Tulsa was redeveloped back into new single-family homes on the existing lots that it would greatly improve people's perceptions of the entire area from Brady Heights to OSU and north to Reservoir Hill.  I know the Cheyenne Park neighborhood south of Pine and east of Cheyenne north of Latimer is still hit and miss as far as well-kept homes and crime, as is University Park just east of Cincinnati north of OSU and south of Pine.  But overall compared to other areas of North Tulsa, like further north at 48th & Cincinnati or further east around Pine & Lewis, it is relatively safe and more homeowners would help make it even safer.  I really hope whoever owns that land considers this option.  I would want to see homes that at least match or increase the residential density of the surrounding neighborhoods.  Something like Stapleton in Denver, another infill development, would be a good model to follow as it was designed to match the look of existing neighborhoods with higher densities than typical new construction:


The view of downtown from some of homes along Independence and Jasper would be incredible, and residents would be right next to an elementary school and OSU.

[rdj]

Thanks, Hometown.  I hope to meet the residents of the area very soon.  I've talked to a couple of the folks up on the hill and they've been very nice.  We are very active in the community and really hope to be very active in the neighborhood.

I think the area bounded by 244, Pine, Cincinnati & Tisdale Expressway is ripe for redevelopment.  As much as I love Owen Park & Crosbie Heights I think this area has far greater potential.  In my opinion the land is easier to redevelop due to swaths of cleared land and housing stock that for the most part is not historically significant or in condition to be rehabbed.  I also think the location is superior due to being contiguous to existing historic zoning (Brady Heights) has excellent expressway access on its West & Southern boundaries, abuts a University & has an elementary school within its boundaries, great access to a burgeoning arts & entertainment district and is within 1-2 miles of our communities central business district. 

I have talked to several developers in the last few months who are looking at property in this area.  One I've spoken with is raising money to build affordable modern housing using alternative materials.  Their target market are the artists and employees that work in the Blue Dome & Brady District bars & restaurants.  The hope is to lease the units for $0.90 to $1/ft or sell for roughly $100k.  Their biggest obstacle is finding financing for a project so different from any other in Tulsa.

The other developer I've talked to is looking at a project more similar to the Village at Central Park concept.

I would be open to a mixture of both.  Either way developers are starting notice that area and try and find projects that will work.

[MichaelBates]

Thanks, Hometown.  I hope to meet the residents of the area very soon.  I've talked to a couple of the folks up on the hill and they've been very nice.  We are very active in the community and really hope to be very active in the neighborhood.

I think the area bounded by 244, Pine, Cincinnati & Tisdale Expressway is ripe for redevelopment.  As much as I love Owen Park & Crosbie Heights I think this area has far greater potential.  In my opinion the land is easier to redevelop due to swaths of cleared land and housing stock that for the most part is not historically significant or in condition to be rehabbed.  I also think the location is superior due to being contiguous to existing historic zoning (Brady Heights) has excellent expressway access on its West & Southern boundaries, abuts a University & has an elementary school within its boundaries, great access to a burgeoning arts & entertainment district and is within 1-2 miles of our communities central business district. 

I have talked to several developers in the last few months who are looking at property in this area.  One I've spoken with is raising money to build affordable modern housing using alternative materials.  Their target market are the artists and employees that work in the Blue Dome & Brady District bars & restaurants.  The hope is to lease the units for $0.90 to $1/ft or sell for roughly $100k.  Their biggest obstacle is finding financing for a project so different from any other in Tulsa.

The other developer I've talked to is looking at a project more similar to the Village at Central Park concept.

I would be open to a mixture of both.  Either way developers are starting notice that area and try and find projects that will work.

Aren't those swaths of open land owned by OSU-Tulsa?

[rdj]

Aren't those swaths of open land owned by OSU-Tulsa?

Yes, I believe most of the cleared land is controlled by OSU-Tulsa as part of the original UCAT agreement.  However, I keep hearing they are open to dealing and making something happen with it.  I don't want to step to far out on it, because I don't know it as fact.  But, there are a lot of cleared lots along Main St between Latimer & Pine.  I haven't looked in land records to see who owns it, but I think a developer with a vision and financing could do some really nice infill development along that corridor.  Main St would make a great residential gateway from downtown to North Tulsa.

The developers I have spoken to are looking at the land north of the OSU land.  Primarily north of Marshall.

[Hometown]

If I had the power to wave a wand and make one change for the benefit of our neighborhood -- I would create a top drawer private elementary school in the immediate vicinity of the Reservoir Hill neighborhood.

[SXSW]

Yes, I believe most of the cleared land is controlled by OSU-Tulsa as part of the original UCAT agreement.  However, I keep hearing they are open to dealing and making something happen with it.  I don't want to step to far out on it, because I don't know it as fact.  But, there are a lot of cleared lots along Main St between Latimer & Pine.  I haven't looked in land records to see who owns it, but I think a developer with a vision and financing could do some really nice infill development along that corridor.  Main St would make a great residential gateway from downtown to North Tulsa.

The developers I have spoken to are looking at the land north of the OSU land.  Primarily north of Marshall.

That would be amazing.  I would strongly consider buying a new home in this neighborhood if a developer had a plan for the future of that area.  If OSU owns that land they should sell it and focus on their campus and acquiring the apartments on the hill.  I can just see an expanded OSU on that hillside with a new, urban neighborhood to the west overlooking downtown.

And Hometown, what is wrong with the elementary that is already there on Cincinnati?  I figure it is a low income school but could greatly benefit from a revitalized neighborhood around it.

[rdj]

what is wrong with the elementary that is already there on Cincinnati?  I figure it is a low income school but could greatly benefit from a revitalized neighborhood around it.

I'm not Hometown, but there are two elementary schools between I-244 & Apache in the OSU/Brady Heights/Res Hill area.  Emerson Elementary in the 900 block of N Boston & Burroughs Elementary in the 1900 block of N Cincinnati.  Our son attends a magnet school within TPS, so we didn't fully investigate the two schools.  Emerson at one time was a magnet school and had a good reputation.  Emerson's boundaries are Peoria/Tisdale/Pine/BA or Southern Edge of IDL.  Burroughs' boundaries are Peoria/Tisdale/Pine/Apache.

A lot of people I've talked to think Brady Heights & Reservoir Hill are in the BTW district because of their location.  But, they are actually in the Central district.  The BTW historic district's western boundary is Cincinnati.  Carver middle school is also in the area, but is part of the magnet program so the area feeds into Madison Middle School.

They are both low-income schools, but could easily follow the path of Kendall Whittier if enough good residents begin to move into the area.

[Conan71]

I'm not Hometown,

No one else is...they broke the mold on that one.

[godboko71]

A lot of people I've talked to think Brady Heights & Reservoir Hill are in the BTW district because of their location.  But, they are actually in the Central district.  The BTW historic district's western boundary is Cincinnati.  Carver middle school is also in the area, but is part of the magnet program so the area feeds into Madison Middle School.

Central is also a Magnet school, it is the Fine Art's Magnet, they also have a great advanced languages & mathematics programs. Like with any school, an active parent/parents involved in said students education will greatly enhance there education experience. Central has not always had the best reputation but over the last 10-15 years it has really shaped up.

[Hometown]

Generally I think we are fighting the perception that the public schools are not safe and that a good private school close by would make a big difference in perceptions about raising your children here.  Now we could have a discussion about how children that grow up with racial and economic diversity benefit by the experience but that discussion really deserves its own thread.  I would hope that anyone moving to this area is comfortable with racially diversity and enjoys it.  Improving the public schools is a large part of the solution for our neighborhood and for the entire city.  And the life at the top of the hill is connected to the well being of the folks at the bottom of the Hill.

[Kashmir]

While looking around at home ideas last night I saw these in Reservoir Hill...can anyone tell me about the tax difference on thse two homes?  $2000 a big gap for two in the same neighborhood.
http://www.tulsarealtors.com/ResidentialDetails.aspx?MLS=925296
http://www.tulsarealtors.com/ResidentialDetails.aspx?MLS=921330