A groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday in East Tulsa marked the start of construction on a 15,000-square-foot resource hub meant to help immigrant and minority entrepreneurs turn business ideas into working companies. The Bank of Oklahoma Eastside Center for Entrepreneurship, set to open inside Plaza Santa Cecilia, will offer workspace, technical assistance, mentorship and programming for new business owners once it is completed in fall 2027.
The project is a partnership between Eastside RISE, Bank of Oklahoma and the City of Tulsa, according to KOKI FOX 23. Eastside RISE is led by Luisa King, who said investment in local small businesses and entrepreneurs supports prosperity and economic opportunity in Tulsa, per the same report. Bank of Oklahoma President and CEO Stacy Kymes said the bank is investing in a resource designed to remove barriers between business ideas and thriving businesses, adding that the program will create opportunities and help build a stronger community.
East Tulsa faces unique challenges for immigrant and minority entrepreneurs, the station reported, noting the area represents more than 20 countries and that community members speak over 100 languages. Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols said the center exists because of Eastside RISE, Plaza Santa Cecilia and philanthropic partners building opportunity, entrepreneurship and connection, and said the investment may create new opportunities in the Tulsa Global District, according to the same account.
A Year of Legal Delays Before the First Shovel
Tuesday's groundbreaking caps a longer and more complicated backstory than a single ceremony suggests. Eastside RISE did not officially close on the purchase of the 14,465-square-foot west portion of Plaza Santa Cecilia until June 2025, following a year-long legal process to subdivide the commercial property parcel, according to Tulsa Flyer. Splitting a single commercial building into separate parcels required complex negotiations before any renovation work could move forward, the outlet reported.
By December 2025, public and philanthropic partners had secured $2.52 million for the project, contributed jointly by the City of Tulsa, Tulsa County and the George Kaiser Family Foundation, the outlet's reporting shows. Eastside RISE was also raising an additional $3.5 million through a capital campaign to fund interior renovations, workspace technology, and exterior facade and parking lot upgrades at the plaza — improvements intended to ensure safe, accessible access for both shoppers and center participants.
A Federal Clock Is Ticking on Part of the Funding
Buried inside that funding package is a regulatory deadline that could complicate the project's timeline. Of the total raised, $1 million from the City of Tulsa originates from federal COVID-19 relief funds, which require Eastside RISE to spend the capital before the end of 2026, per Tulsa Flyer's reporting. Missing that spending deadline could jeopardize a significant portion of the municipal funding behind the center.
Eastside RISE itself was established in early 2024 as a resident-led Community Development Corporation focused on economic growth across four specific East Tulsa neighborhoods — Cooper, Columbus, Disney and Magic Circle — according to the organization. The group's facility plans call for two classrooms, private offices and coworking areas.
The Economic Gap the Center Is Built to Close
The numbers behind East Tulsa help explain why local leaders are framing this incubator as more than a ribbon-cutting. In the four focus neighborhoods, one in three children lives in poverty and average property values sit $91,500 below the Tulsa County average, according to data from Elevate East. Elevate East data shows 56% of students in East Tulsa public schools are multilingual learners, compared with 38% across the broader Tulsa Public Schools district.
The center sits within East Tulsa's Global District along 21st Street and Garnett Road, an area where local partner organizations have targeted or planned revitalization projects, per Elevate East's figures. Plaza Santa Cecilia is a Hispanic market with Latin American businesses and restaurants.
City Council Support Carries Into a New Term
Municipal backing for the project has extended well beyond the groundbreaking itself. In August, re-elected Tulsa City Council Chair Karen Gilbert emphasized plans to enhance the Plaza Santa Cecilia business incubator as part of a joint push among East Tulsa council members to drive commercial development, Tulsa Flyer reported, with district leaders aligning public safety, infrastructure and small business support investments across East Tulsa. Hoodline previously reported on Gilbert's re-election and her campaign focus on blighted-property removal.
With the COVID-19 relief-fund spending deadline looming at the end of this year, Eastside RISE's path to a fall 2027 opening still has financial and logistical hurdles ahead. For now, Tuesday's groundbreaking stands as the most visible sign yet that the long-delayed project is finally moving from paperwork to construction.
