In 2011, before Sharon Hanson, president of the North Star Neighborhood Association, talked to Dwain Midget in the office of economic development, there was no funding in the City’s budget for a small area economic development plan for North Tulsa. After Hanson spoke to Midget, funding was included in the budget. The budget was passed and Hanson formed the North Star Community Development Council, with herself as President and Tracie Chandler as V.P. The council’s task is to work with the City to bring the economic development plans for the 36th St. N. Corridor Small Area Plan to fruition. The City formed Citizen Advisory Teams to oversee the planning process; four of the members came from the North Star Community Development Council; Sharon and Tracie were two of the four. Sharon passed 5/13/14. ...

The planning process included branding the area (western boundary county line near the Osage Casino, eastern boundary is North Lewis, the northern boundary is Flat Rock Creek and the southern boundary is the Gilcrease Expressway). The community submitted a list of names for consideration; Renaissance (rebirth) was chosen. Unfortunately, the name is being used in another part of the city. The branding committee met on 5/27/14 to search for a name with the same meaning. Research was done and the name Phoenix (reborn) was found. The Phoenix is a bird that continues to renew itself. That is what the community wants, not just to return to its former economic glory, but to exceed it with each passing year. The name was approved at multiple community meetings during the summer of 2014. The branding committee consisted of members from the following organizations/entities: The North Star Neighborhood Association, the North Star Community Development Council, ACCA Neighborhood Association, the NAACP, St. Simeons, and the Citizen Advisory Team (charged with overseeing the planning process and selected by Councilor Jack Henderson).

January 26, 2015 marked the date of the name change of the organization from the North Star Community Development Council to the Phoenix Development Council. The name change was precipitated by the public’s confusion regarding the North Star Neighborhood Association and the North Star Community Development Council and the fact that a name for the area had been chosen. From January 27, 2015-February 11, a campaign was launched to select a logo for the Phoenix District. The public was given three designs created by Ebony Easiley, a TU Art student , to choose from. Close to 1,000 people participated in the selection process.