Commercial Construction

By John Smaligo, President and CEO, Associated Builders and Contractors of Oklahoma

Tulsa’s recent development boom has created a proportional positive impact on the commercial construction industry throughout the region.

While every area of Tulsa has seen significant investments, the most notable and easily recognizable transformation has occurred in downtown. The skyline of the central business district has changed markedly over the past few years with new apartments, commercial buildings and cultural attractions popping up everywhere. One of the largest downtown construction projects in decades, a new 58-bed, $171.2 million veteran’s hospital is expected to be completed in 2025.

Just to the west of downtown, the city is in the middle of a six-phase, $127 million sustainable mixed-income housing initiative called River West. This project leverages substantial philanthropic investments against a $30 million federal Choice Neighborhoods Initiative grant awarded to the City of Tulsa and the Tulsa Housing Authority.

A similar, yet larger investment is being made a couple miles north of the inner dispersal loop.

Comanche project. This redevelopment effort will provide 545 new apartment units.

In midtown, Promenade Mall is redeveloping a former retail space into a practice facility for Tulsa’s hockey team, the Oilers. Tulsa Promenade Twin Ice is a $25 million, 140,000-square-foot initiative to create two ice rinks, office space, snack shop, sports bar, arcade, pro shop and restaurant open for public use.

Contractors are staying busy in south Tulsa, too. Saint Francis Health System is already underway on a $250 million expansion and renovation project on its south Tulsa campus. Another $67 million investment into its Laureate Psychiatric Clinic will add 60 rooms, more space for admissions and patient stabilization, a parking garage and other upgrades.

Nearby, Oral Roberts University is following up its newly renovated visitor’s center with the $15 million Mike Carter Athletic Center. The 10,000-square-foot sports training facility will allow multiple teams to train at one time and will

Additionally, Oklahoma is ranked among the top 10 states by ABC for its business climate. Factors such as Right-to-Work, public-private partnerships and job growth rate all contribute to this impressive status.

However, construction is not immune to the top two concerns facing most every industry: workforce shortages and supply chain issues. While materials prices are dropping slowly, they’re still well above last year’s levels.

The workforce issue is one that our association is actively addressing with several initiatives including outreach to high school students to encourage them to consider a career in construction.

If you know a trade, there is a job waiting for you right now. Your skills are in great demand, the compensation is extremely competitive, and your job will never be outsourced overseas. With all the development happening in the Tulsa area, skilled tradesmen, superintendents, estimators and project managers are in great demand.

Northeast Oklahoma is growing. That means

River West is a six-phase, $127 million sustainable mixedincome housing initiative that leverages substantial philanthropic investments against a $30 million federal Choice Neighborhoods Initiative grant awarded to the City of Tulsa and the Tulsa Housing Authority.