Page A1 | Tulsa World E edition

Mike Simons, Tulsa World

The US BMX headquarters is pictured in Tulsa on Monday. The project includes the 2,000-seat, open-span Hardesty National BMX Stadium and a US main BMX building that will also house the organization’s Hall of Fame, foundation, training facilities and pro shop.

Mike Simons Photos, Tulsa World

Crews work on the construction site of the USA BMX headquarters in Tulsa on Monday.

Mike Simons, Tulsa World

An unidentified worker is pictured during a tour of the U.S. BMX headquarters on Monday.

Mike Simons, Tulsa World

Crews work on the construction site of the USA BMX Headquarters on Monday, September 20, 2021 in Tulsa, Okla.

Mike Simons, Tulsa World

A view of the skyline and the Evans Fintube building from the balcony of the headquarters of the USA BMX Headquarters during a tour on Monday, September 20, 2021 in Tulsa, Okla.

Mike Simons, Tulsa World

Crews work on the construction site of the USA BMX Headquarters Monday, September 20, 2021 in Tulsa, Okla.

Mike Simons, Tulsa World

Shane Fernandez, President and Chairman of USA BMX, will tour the USA BMX headquarters in Tulsa, Okla on Monday, September 20, 2021.

After all, there’s more to see on the old Evans Fintube site than dilapidated buildings and weeds sprouting through the hard, dry ground.

The long-promised US BMX Stadium and Headquarters is sticking out of the ground and it’s only a few months away to open.

Last chance offer: $ 1 for six months

Shane Fernandez, president and chairman of USA BMX, said Monday the organization is slated to move to its new headquarters in January, with a ceremony set to follow soon after.

“We’re pretty excited,” Fernandez said during a media tour of the facilities. “We have a Hall of Fame banquet, so right after the ribbon is cut we plan to have all of our Hall of Fames here and then have that ceremony and then roll straight to that first national event.”

The project includes the 2,000-seat, open-span Hardesty National BMX Stadium and a US main BMX building that will also house the organization’s Hall of Fame, foundation, training facilities and pro shop.

“What makes this stadium interesting is that we have it programmed six days a week,” said Fernandez. “Therefore we will be doing day trips with our STEM and STEAM programs through our foundation to involve schools.

“We’re going to have coaching too, so for parents who want to try BMX we have bikes and helmets and professional trainers to teach them. … And then we will also have local and regional trainings and races every weekend. The other thing you will see are national events. “

USA BMX has also secured three “one-off” events that will take place at the new BMX facility next year: Stacyc (Harley Davidson) World Championship; Vintage National BMX and Bike Show; and the Pro Invitational.

The two-story main building includes office space for around 25 people. In addition to hosting employees from the USA BMX and USA BMX Foundation, the facility will also accommodate employees from the newly formed freestyle division of USA BMX and a BMX engineering and track design company called ABA Ethos.

City officials had originally said that around 40 to 50 U.S. BMX employees would be moving to Tulsa from the organization’s existing headquarters in Gilbert, Arizona, but Fernandez said only two actually made the move as most of the in Arizona-based teams travel non-stop.

Instead, he plans to hire about 25 employees to occupy the Tulsa facilities.

The BMX project in the USA took longer and cost more than originally expected. Encouraged by Expo Square’s long history of hosting the USA BMX Grand Nationals, city officials suggested adding $ 15 million to the Vision Tulsa sales tax package in 2016 to attract USA BMX to Tulsa.

The original proposal was for the headquarters and stadium to be built in Expo Square, but that agreement collapsed after USA BMX and Expo Square failed to come to an agreement.

The city later announced that the project would be built on the Evans-Fintube site north of downtown to revitalize the area in and around the historic Greenwood District.

“I told our team that I wanted to do a collage because I honestly believe I have 12 different site sketches,” said Fernandez. “How about here? How about here? How about here?”

The price for the project is $ 23 million. The city is using $ 6.5 million in city funding and a $ 1.5 million donation from the Hardesty Family Foundation to bridge the gap between voter-approved funding and actual costs.

The city has submitted proposals for mixed-use development on the south end of the 22.3-acre Evans-Fintube property that could include restoration of the historic Evans Building, also known as the Oklahoma Iron Works Building.

The RFP promotes projects that enhance and celebrate the cultural diversity of north Tulsa and the Greenwood District.

Fernandez said history – and Tulsa’s growth over the past half-dozen years – has helped make Tulsa a place that the BMX community embraces.

“When the (USA BMX) team or the riders come here and drive downtown, (they say) ‘Oh my god’,” Fernandez said. “So the Tulsa people get addicted.”

Updated
18 minutes ago

After all, there’s more to see on the old Evans Fintube site than dilapidated buildings and weeds sprouting through the hard, dry ground. View photo …

Updated
10 minutes ago

Construction is underway in the city center, new projects are appearing to the right and left – including several parking garages.

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