MAPS 4 and the Freedom Center of Oklahoma City invite community members to attend a listening session and provide input that will inform the design of the future MAPS 4 Clara Luper Civil Rights Center at NE 25th Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard.
The event will take place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 12, at the Ralph Ellison Library, 2000 NE 23rd St.
Residents will have the opportunity to hear from the operator and design team, reflect on community history, and share hopes and dreams for the future to inform the design of the project.
“We look forward to this opportunity to hear directly from community members as we begin the design process for the MAPS 4 Clara Luper Civil Rights Center,” said Christina Beatty, project director at Freedom Center of Oklahoma City. “Engaging with our community is critical for building a center that not only honors the past, but remains relevant today and for future generations, cultivating a sense of belonging for all who visit.”
MAPS 4 includes $17.1 million to design and construct the new Clara Luper Civil Rights Center, which will transform Oklahoma City’s knowledge of our civil rights history and to positively influence the future of northeast Oklahoma City and our entire community. The project also includes funds for operations and long-term maintenance. The center will be operated by Freedom Center of Oklahoma City, a 501c3 nonprofit established to educate, empower and enlighten communities on the civil rights movement in Oklahoma.
This project will honor the work of Clara Luper and enhance the public’s ability to learn about and understand Oklahoma’s Civil Rights Movement, including the significant role local efforts played in ending segregationist policies nationally.
The new facility will include interactive civil rights exhibitions, community gathering spaces and educational programming.
The project team for the MAPS 4 Clara Luper Civil Rights Center consists of the following: MAPS 4, design and construction; The Freedom Center of Oklahoma City, Operator; The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City has begun site work and demolition of the old post office at 1930 NE 24th St; Atelier Cory Henry, Lead Designer; Bockus Payne, Architect of Record.
The Clara Luper Civil Rights Center is scheduled to begin construction in 2024. The project is currently in design.
Learn more about the project at okc.gov/MAPS4 and FreedomCenterOKC.org.
About MAPS 4
MAPS 4 is a debt-free public improvement program funded by a temporary penny sales tax that will raise a projected $1.07 billion over eight years. Oklahoma City voters approved the sales tax to fund MAPS 4 in a special election on Dec. 10, 2019, moving forward with a unique and ambitious plan to transform our community. The temporary penny sales tax funding MAPS 4 began April 1, 2020, and ends in 2028. More than 70 percent of MAPS 4 funding is dedicated to neighborhood and human needs. The rest is for quality of life and job-creating initiatives. The MAPS 4 Citizens Advisory Board and its six subcommittees will guide MAPS 4 planning and implementation, making recommendations to the City Council. The Council has final authority on MAPS 4. The MAPS Investment and Operating Trust developed a strategic investment plan to support long-term sustainable funding for MAPS 4 projects' operational expenses and maintenance. Visit okc.gov/maps4 for more.