Two suitors come a-calling

Tulsa (Okla.) World: Tulsa ought to feel like the most popular girl in the senior class. Not one but two suitors are courting the city for incentives to help them build outlet malls, one in west Tulsa and the other in east Tulsa.

The fact that outside investors are finding Tulsa attractive indicates that interested parties have confidence that the city offers a promising retail environment. If the malls are built, that retail growth in turn will give Tulsa a broader tax base, raising property values. That’s good news for school districts. Increased sales taxes are a pressing concern for local governments.

Incentives in the form of a Tax Increment Finance District — TIF — usually represent a win-win for developments and for the city.

Tulsa’s five TIF districts — The Brady Village District; the Technology District, home to City Hall; the North Peoria District; the Blue Dome District, and the Tulsa Hills District — are going concerns that have helped the city grow.

The potential outlet is one mile north of Tulsa Hills. All this development would solidify that corridor as a shopping mecca.