October 2019
Alorica adding 675 new jobs
Alorica is looking to hire 675 more full-time employees at its Tulsa call center. The center is located at the Eastgate Metroplex, 14002 E. 21st St. The announcement comes following a similar announcement last year in which the company said it was hiring an additional 300 full-time employees at its Tulsa office. There are more than 900 employees currently working at the Tulsa location. Alorica, based in Irvine, California, has more than 100,000 employees in about 130 locations worldwide. Read more.
WPX breaks ground on new downtown headquarters
A crowd of about 200 turned out to celebrate WPX Energy’s 11-story future home. The 260,000-square-foot tower is being constructed on the site of the former Spaghetti Warehouse building. Currently located in the BOK Tower, WPX Energy and its 450 employees are scheduled to move into the new facility by the spring of 2022. The $100 million project also includes a public plaza to the west and a public pathway through the middle of the campus connecting Guthrie Green in the Tulsa Arts District with John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park. Read more.
TU, GKFF and Team8 announce international cybersecurity Ph.D. fellowship program
The University of Tulsa said Tuesday it has entered into an agreement with international cybersecurity venture capital firm Team8 and the George Kaiser Family Foundation to create a “first-of-its kind” Ph.D. fellowship program in cybersecurity in research and development. Team8 will serve in an advisory capacity, providing real-world expertise and guidance specifically regarding entrepreneurship and commercialization opportunities. GKFF said its commitment will be about $5 million spread over several years. Read more.
Ribbon cut for new Air National Guard training center
A new facility that will bring Air National Guard members from around the country to train on state-of-the-art flight simulators was officially opened. City of Tulsa, state and military officials joined others from the community for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house to celebrate completion of the new Air Guard Mission Training Center at the Tulsa Air National Guard Base. The $35 million project was built in part with $9.4 million in Vision Tulsa funds. The new facility will eventually house four cutting-edge flight simulators, which officials say will provide fighter pilots with realistic air combat training. Tulsa’s 138th Fighter Wing will be the first Air National Guard unit in the country to receive the new simulator technology, officials said. Read more.
OKPOP Museum holds groundbreaking
The groundbreaking for the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture (OKPOP) in downtown Tulsa was held in mid-October with more than 300 people present. The plan calls for a 60,000-plus square foot museum featuring immersive, rotating exhibits on three floors, with an event venue, a performance space and a large terrace overlooking downtown. OKPOP will be located at 422 N. Main St. in the Tulsa Arts District, and the completion of the project is anticipated for late 2021. Read more.
Broken Arrow manufacturers announce jobs
Two local companies announced that they will be adding new jobs over the coming months. Continental Industries announced in early October that it will add 130 jobs by the end of the year and Rise Armament announced that it will be adding 25 jobs by year end and another 20 during 2020. Continental manufactures connectors for gas, propane and water distribution service lines as well as exothermic welding products. Rise produces high-performance firearms. Read more.
Officials break ground on west leg of Gilcrease Expressway
The west leg of the Gilcrease Expressway took a giant step toward reality at a groundbreaking ceremony in mid-October. The west leg will connect the leg spanning north Tulsa to 51st Street near the I-44/I-244 western split in west Tulsa. It will include multiple bridges, including over Charles Page Boulevard and the Arkansas River west of downtown. The $261 million project will begin in earnest in January. With good weather, the expressway should open in March 2022. Read more.
Citizen Energy Buys Oklahoma City-Based Roan Resources
Tulsa-based oil and natural gas company Citizen Energy Operating, LLC announced it has agreed to buy Oklahoma City-based Roan Resources, Inc. in an all-cash transaction for about $1 billion. Citizen Energy is an affiliate of Warburg Pincus, LLC, a private equity firm headquartered in New York City. The deal is expected to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2019 or the first quarter of 2020.
Oil Capitol Building will be converted into affordable downtown housing
Price Family Properties is addressing the lack of affordable housing downtown with a new project. PFP is planning to convert the long-vacant and roughly century-old Oil Capitol Building into 47 units ranging from about 550 to 600 square feet. Monthly rents will equate to about $1.10 per square foot, or in the $605 to $660. The Oil Capitol redevelopment, 507 S. Main St., will feature apartments on floors two through seven. They are expected to be completed in eight months to a year. Read more.
Port Authority and PSO agree to 2,000-acre land deal for economic development
PSO announced that it was transferring 2,000 acres of its land at the Inola River-Rail site to the City of Tulsa-Rogers County Port Authority for economic development. The deal encompasses about 1,960 acres at the Inola site, a portion of which is adjacent to the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, which is 445 miles long and runs from the Tulsa Port of Catoosa to the Mississippi River. Under terms of the agreement, the authority will invest at least $3 million to develop rail and other infrastructure that will serve Sofidel and future tenants to enhance the long-term viability of the industrial park. The deal also mandates that PSO will be the provider of electrical service for 99 years and that the authority and PSO jointly develop a master plan for the property and market it. Read more.
Tulsa Zoo breaks ground on $3 million playground
The Tulsa Zoo broke ground on a play area intended to encourage children to embody the animals they see on display. The $3 million playground will boast age-specific play areas for toddlers to parents and sensory aspects. The designs are intended to allow children to mimic behaviors and movements of animals. The playground is part of the second phase of improvements estimated to cost $62 million. Phase one was recently completed at an investment of $26 million. Read more.
