A local group announces plans for a Route 66 complex just outside the southwest corner of the Inner Dispersal Loop.
The Route 66 Experience will house interactive exhibits and restaurant space at Southwest Boulevard and Riverside Drive. The group behind the mixed-use development is Route 66 Alliance, and cofounder Michael Wallis said Tulsa has needed an attraction connected to the highway to draw visitors.
"They will no longer get on the interstate after genuflecting at the blue whale, get on at the Hard Rock and bypass Tulsa," Wallis said. "They will enjoy everything we have to offer."
Wallis said the first thing he did was get Tulsa institution Steve’s Sundry involved.
"So, somewhere in there, that little soda fountain will be perking again, selling egg salad sandwiches on Bunny bread and cherry Cokes," Wallis said.
No restaurants have been announced for the project, though Wallis indicated local joints are preferred to chain restaurants.
Former Arts and Humanities Council CEO Ken Busby is now with Route 66 Alliance. He thanked Tulsa city councilors for helping move the idea forward.
"We're working with them to address the development of Route 66 along the entire stretch of Tulsa so that it's not just this fabulous interpretive center, but it's also taking into account 11th Street and all the important things that happen on the Mother Road throughout Tulsa," Busby said.
No timeline for the project has been announced.
