Tulsa city councilors were expected to vote Wednesday night on again renaming Brady Street, this time as Reconciliation Way.
That change is now on hold. The item was pulled from the council agenda.
Councilor Blake Ewing, who is leading the effort, said there are still a few logistical issues to work out ahead of the potential renaming. The matter was moved to the next council meeting agenda.
Five years ago, councilors compromised and changed the namesake from Tulsa founder and KKK member Tate Brady to photographer Mathew Brady. Ewing said that deal was struck to get a change through, but making Brady Street into M.B. Brady Street didn’t land well.
"The No. 1 piece of feedback I’m getting from my constituents — and it’s far and away the case in my district — that this is not good for Tulsa and that it’s embarrassing," Ewing said. "And that’s very different even from what I got the last time around … which was, 'This sets a precedent' and 'snowflakes' and all that kind of stuff."
Councilor Karen O’Brien, who was selected to fill David Patrick's seat after his death in September, is against the change.
"I understand the issue that was brought up about Mr. Brady being a Ku Klux Klanner. But he also did many, many other good things, and that gets pushed to one side," O'Brien said.
There’s been concern the change will mean lost mail for businesses and residents. Council Aide Mayo Baugher said the postal service would update its system soon after a switch and forward any mail with the old address.
"So, there will be no loss of mail service to those individuals impacted. As far as our utilities, evidently, we do mass updates once those new addresses are put in place. So, again, those utility service customers that might be impacted will not have issues getting their bills," Baugher said.
Changing signs would run the city around $7,200, but Ewing said an anonymous donor is willing to cover some or all of that.
