Tulsa residents can participate in an online survey to evaluate and document housing needs for the city’s downtown urban neighborhoods.

The study will be used as a tool to help attract urban housing developers and as supporting evidence for proposed housing projects, according to Bruce Bolzle, chairman of the Tulsa Economic Development Commission.

The focus of the study will be downtown urban neighborhoods: Brady Heights/OSU, Owen Park/Crosby Heights, Riverview/Uptown, Central Park and the Urban Core.

To participate in the survey, go to http://www.cdsmr.com/surveymaps/tulsasurvey.html. At the site, please complete the web-based survey and then click submit. The survey will be available through Nov. 23.

A telephone survey will also be conducted during November.

The Economic Development Commission commissioned the survey at the Fall 2008 retreat. The commission selected CDS Market Research/Spillette Consulting to conduct the survey. That company has done similar studies for Austin, Houston and Oklahoma City.

The final report, due early in 2010, will contain detailed analysis of demand and recommendations of housing type, size, sale price or rent targets and target tenant/buyer profiles.

Tulsa ranks as the sixth most affordable college town based on a new national study.

The study by Coldwell Banker Real Estate examined the home markets of the 120 Football Bowl Subdivision schools.

The study used an average 2,200 square foot, four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom home as its comparison model. In 62 percent of the markets, the average price was below $250,000.

Akron, Ohio, home of the University of Akron, was ranked as most affordable, with the model home costing $121,885. In Tulsa, that same home cost $154,800.

On the other end of the scale, Palo Alto, California, home of Stanford University, topped the most expensive places. That same home cost $1.49 million.

"College markets have long-been one of the real estate industry best-kept secrets," said Jim Gillespie, president and chief executive officer of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. "Real estate professionals have been investing in college towns for years, often purchasing homes for their children who are attending school. However, these vibrant cities are not only for students; many empty nesters and families are attracted to the health care systems, culture and overall quality of life that college towns offer."

The full press release with a complete list of rankings can be found at http://hpci.coldwellbanker.com/hpci_press.aspx.

Margaret Cain, senior counsel in the Division of Enforcement for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, will be the first alumna to speak as part of this year’s Faculty and Alumni Showcase Series at The University of Tulsa College of Law.

Cain’s lecture is entitled “A Day in the Life of an SEC Enforcement Attorney.” The law school is offering one free hour of CLE credit to those attending the event, which will be held from noon to 1 p.m., Friday, October 30, in the Price & Turpen Courtroom, John Rogers Hall, 3120 E. 4th St. Complimentary lunch will be provided for those who RSVP.

For the last 10 years, Cain has served as senior counsel in the Division of Enforcement, where she has worked on complex investigations involving insider trading, market manipulation, accounting disclosure issues, Ponzi schemes, and Internet pump‐and‐dump frauds. Additionally, she has collaborated with foreign authorities in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada, the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and Norway to conduct testimony, interview witnesses, and review documents abroad.

Since 2005, Cain has served as a special assistant United States attorney for the SEC where she has worked on a variety of cases, including securities fraud, money laundering, wire and mail fraud, counterfeiting, and immigration issues. Prior to joining the SEC, she worked for several nonprofits in development and outreach, including the Children’s Defense Fund.

 Cain received a Juris Doctor from the TU College of Law in 1999. She also received a master’s degree in public policy from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Oklahoma.

Larry Mocha has been named one of four U.S. regional Solveras/NFIB Small Business Champions for 2009. He was named the Oklahoma state small business champion in September.

Each year, the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s leading small business association, selects a small business owner in each state for special recognition and honors him or her with the prestigious state Small Business Champion award. The regional honors are chosen by each region’s state directors and public policy directors.

This is the first time Mocha has received the regional award. He was previously honored as state champion in 2005 and 2008.

“We’re thrilled that Larry is being recognized for everything he does for small business,” said Benny Vanatta, state director of NFIB/Oklahoma. “NFIB is the voice of small business in Oklahoma City and Washington, but we couldn’t be heard without the support of members like Larry.”

 Mocha, a 12-year member of NFIB and president of APSCO Inc. of Tulsa, serves on the NFIB Leadership Council, which advises the association on issues affecting small businesses. He has hosted numerous NFIB events and contributed to the NFIB political action committee, the Save America’s Free Enterprise (SAFE) Trust.

 He is a former chairman of the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce and a former member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce board of directors. He served as Region IV Chairman of the U.S. Small Business Administration Regulatory Fairness Board in 1999-2000.

Mocha also chairs the Tulsa Mayor’s Initiative for Small Businesses and the Center for Legislative Excellence. 

Dallas-based Holly Corp. announced today it will purchase Sinclair Oil Corp.’s Tulsa refinery.

The total purchase price is $128.5 million, which includes $54.5 million in cash and $74 million in Holly common stock.  The deal includes Sinclair’s 75,000 barrel per day refinery and  approximately 2.3 million barrels of storage. Holly also will purchase about 500,000 barrels of inventory at the time of closing.

Holly plans to integrate the Sinclair facility with its own existing 85,000-barrel per day refinery in Tulsa. Holly bought its refinery from Sunoco about a year ago.

Purchasing the Sinclair refinery will save Holly approximately $125 million in expected capital costs needed at its own Tulsa plant.

“This acquisition effectively increases Holly’s overall crude capacity by 40,000 BPD, eliminates a net amount of approximately $125 million of required near term capital expenditures, and dramatically raises the complexity and flexibility of our Tulsa operation, while providing us with the opportunity to increase capacity at the combined Tulsa refinery through relatively modest capital expenditures if future market conditions and economics warrant," said Matt Clifton, chairman and CEO of Holly, in a prepared statement.

Sinclair has spent more than $300 million over the past five years at its Tulsa refinery to meet EPA standards and to produce 100 percent Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (“ULSD”). Sinclair also if completing other required emission reduction projects. Holly estimates that it will be required to make an additional investment of approximately $16 million for these projects, according to a company statement.

Holly also might build new pipelines to link the two refineries, which are about two miles apart. That will allow Holly to create an integrated facility, which will enable it to refine various products at either plant as needed.

"The integrated facility, like Holly’s other two refineries in the Southwest and Rocky Mountain markets, will be a tier one competitor in the Midcontinent markets it serves. We are confident that this is an outstanding transaction for Holly stockholders,” Clifton said.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions as well as certain regulatory conditions. The transaction has already completed the required Federal Trade Commission review process.