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GREENWOOD Dist.–Ricky Beeks still remembers running through the halls of north Tulsa’s North Pointe Business Center as a 10-year-old kid. For over 20 years since then, he’s never stepped foot inside the building until Saturday, September 14, for Terence Crutcher Foundation’s soft launch of the revitalized center — Greenwood North.
“I remember coming to this building, my mom came to pay the bills, me running up and down the hallways, and, you know, just playing, me and my brother, so it’s a good thing to me,” Beeks, a mechanic, told Black Wall St. Times.
“I’ve been out here in north Tulsa for the longest. I’ve been through a lot of trials and tribulations, so I just wanted to come and support something that’s good for us,” Beeks said.
Demo Breaking at Greenwood North
Over 100 people gathered in celebration Saturday amid efforts to transform a north Tulsa shopping center from its neglected remains to a revitalized headquarters for Black economic and social progress.
North Pointe Business Center was once a centerpiece of the majority-Black community. It spent decades languishing in disuse and disrepair before Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, executive director of the Terence Crutcher Foundation (TCF), purchased the 5.8 acre property for $1.7 million in December 2022.
With plans for “Greenwood North” in motion, the goal announced at Saturday’s “demo” ground breaking is to raise $15 million to fully transform empty offices into coworking, retail, health, food and youth programming spaces, including 40,000 square feet of leasable space. The event over the weekend represented the first time North Pointe’s parking lot had been filled in years.
To donate to the project, visit greenwoodnorth.org.
“For decades, residents of north Tulsa, we’ve desired social, political and economic equity,” Dr. Crutcher said in front of a crowd of volunteers, city leaders and community members. “Black power-centered organizations like ours—the Terence Crutcher Foundation—we’re planting seeds of hope and watering the soil for a vibrant future.”
When asked why it’s important for the project to remain Black-owned, DJ Mercer, a volunteer at Saturday’s event, was quick to respond.
“Because if we don’t, nobody else will, and it’s not going to look like us, it’s not going to feel like us, it’s not going to feel like it is in the community,” Mercer told Black Wall St. Times.
Revitalizing North Pointe for Black Power
North Pointe stands near the corner of E. Pine and N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, just north of downtown, serving as a beacon welcoming residents into north Tulsa. Saturday’s event, which included food trucks and voter registration info, marks another step closer to being open for business.
Finding purpose in pain, the chorus of cheers and the sea of celebration came just days after the Oklahoma Supreme Court rejected a request to reconsider a lawsuit brought by survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The decision not to rehear the case dealt a severe blow to 110-year-old “mother’ Viola Ford Fletcher and 109-year-old “mother” Lessie Benningfield Randle.
The event also came a day before the eighth anniversary of the police killing of unarmed Terence Crutcher, twin brother to Dr. Tiffany Crutcher. Her brother’s unjust police killing, and the lack of accountability that resulted from it, motivated her to move back to Tulsa and establish TCF to forge a different future for her community.
Cherokee Nation celebrates Greenwood North
Recognizing the land North Pointe sits on is located within the Cherokee Nation, a representative for Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. offered words of encouragement.
“The property is now in the hands of the perfect owner and caretaker,” Kim Teehee, Cherokee Nation delegate to U.S. Congress, said on behalf of Chief Hoskin Jr.
“As for Cherokee Nation, we remain committed to investing in the north Tulsa community in a way that is thoughtful, based on collaboration with community stakeholders, and which respects the rich history and culture that exists alongside our rich history and culture in this very special part of the Cherokee Nation reservation,” the statement read by Teehee continued.
Overcoming Opposition to Build Black Progress
Despite the support from community stakeholders, not everyone has been fully on board with TCF’s plans for the new Greenwood North.
During an October 2023 city council meeting focused on dispersing $7 million in federal ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds to community organizations during the pandemic, some councilors expressed opposition to granting TCF the funds it requested to make HVAC repairs at the dilapidated building.
Packing the room with dozens of supporters, TCF managed to secure the full $481, 201 it requested.
“Maybe they had to do a little soul-searching, and I’m sure that when they really searched their souls that they had to do the right thing,” Rev. Joe Crutcher, father to Terence and Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, previously told Black Wall St. Times after the meeting.
Roughly a year later, TCF is moving forward with plans to create a new ecosystem of empowerment north of the Frisco train tracks.
TCF estimates the economic impact will result in 324 new jobs, 2,550 youth served annually, and 52,000 community members served annually.
Plans include:
- Community Focused Spaces
- Health & Wellness
- Financial & Professional Services
- Coworking Office Space
- Food Hall & Farmers Market
- Social Service Referrals
- Youth Programming
- Arts, Culture and Tourism
- Retail and Technology
- Workforce and Training Opportunities
- Civic Engagement
Tulsa City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper, who represents the area, reminded the community of the government actions that led to North Pointe’s disuse and the need for revitalization.
“This is significant, because in the ‘60s and ‘70s, this area was decimated, once again, by eminent domain by so-called model cities and urban renewal programs. So, today I’m excited that we are taking steps to reverse those past mistakes by creating what Dr. Claude Anderson called powernomics,” Councilor Hall-Harper said.
Creating Opportunity
State Senator-elect Regina Goodwin (Tulsa, D-11) vowed to support the facility and its plans. “This facility continues to be people powered, and has to have more funding. So, understand this. For all those that choose to block we will continue to build. For all those that continue to say no, we will continue to say yes,” State Senator-elect Goodwin said.
Rep. Monroe Nichols, the leading candidate for Tulsa Mayor, spoke about the resilience it takes the Crutcher family to create opportunities for others while dealing with the trauma of seeking justice.
“And so as I’m standing here today, I’m thinking about all those folks whose names none of us may know right now, who will find the solutions and the resources, the opportunity they’re looking for at this building right behind me,” Nichols said.
Making a Difference for a New Generation
The Terence Crutcher Foundation is no stranger to raising ambitious funding for innovative projects. The grassroots organization received a $2 million grant from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott in March. It marked one of a couple hundred awardees across the nation and one of just two in Oklahoma.
Nevertheless, $15 million is a much steeper goal, but TCF isn’t shying away from asking the community to help support them.
“I remember this neighborhood,” Dr. Crutcher said. “This is the neighborhood I grew up in and I am so proud to say that I get to be a part of revitalizing this community.”
Ricky Beeks is hopeful that a new generation of youth will have more opportunities than what was available when he was a kid.
“Because we didn’t really have much activities to keep our mind on a straight, narrow way and getting away from all the nonsense,” Beeks told Black Wall St. Times.
“But I feel like this will help them look towards their future because I wasn’t looking towards mine when I was young. They get to come and hang out and actually learn something and apply it to their lives,” he said. To donate to the project, visit greenwoodnorth.org.