Growing Closure
A planned statewide fine arts high school is still looking for a home, but one of its founders hopes to have that issue resolved by the end of July, he said.
Local advertising executive David Downing -- who founded the Oklahoma School for the Visual and Performing Arts with his father-in-law, local oilman and philanthropist John Brock -- said the University Center at Tulsa Trust is still considering his request to have several acres of property west of the Oklahoma State University-Tulsa campus donated to the school. Downing said he has been told the UCAT trust is undergoing a strategic planning process, and no decision regarding the proposed donation of the land will be made until that process is complete.
But Downing said he is scheduled to deliver a presentation on the school before the Downtown Rotary Club on July 28, and he hopes to be able to make an announcement at that point regarding the school's home.
"I'm going to push for closure on that," he said. "I'd like to use that big venue as a launching pad of where we're going to locate the school. I'd like to make it a big media event, as well as a presentation."
Downing said the feedback he has gotten from UCAT officials has been positive, and he believes they like the idea of locating the school in close proximity to the OSU-Tulsa campus.
"I'm feeling as comfortable and confident as a guy can feel without being told yes yet," he said.
Even so, he said, he is keeping other location options open in case the UCAT site falls through.
Share this article:
Mail Article
Print Article
Add to favorites