TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa Housing Authority marked the reopening of rooms inside Pioneer Plaza on Elgin Avenue April 10 after major renovations.
Pioneer Plaza was THA's first complex purposed for the disabled and for senior citizens, built in 1969 the wake of President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty.
Now that responsibility has shifted into keeping the facility livable for its 200 residents, THA spokeswoman Ginny Hensley said.
"There was a significant fire just a few years ago, it pretty much consumed the entire tenth floor," Hensley said. "So that was a huge issue that we had to try to deal with. There have been freezes of the pipes. There has been flooding. So this building over the last several decades has experienced a lot."
Johnny Baldwin has called the high-rise home for 23 years and is happy to see the end of 19 months of renovation work that encompassed all eleven stories.
"It was kinda downhill, before it was," Baldwin said. "But now they're showing some improvement at the moment."
The complex's 200 residents had to deal with temporary stays on different floors as part of the work, which even THA admitted was an unprecedented challenge.
But because it's both on the National Registry of Historic Places and vital in the local housing shortage, Pioneer Plaza had to be preserved, Hensley said.
"This type of investment is critical and we're excited to be able to finally be done and our residents able to enjoy our finished product," she said.
The project's $47 million cost was funded thanks to low income housing tax credits meant for renovations.
In addition to improvements to all housing units, the work added a pickle ball court and dog park outside, and a new lobby and recreation room inside.
Baldwin told 2 News that's fine, but he needs a piano to play and teach with.
"I'll teach everybody, anybody around here that wants to learn piano lessons," Baldwin said.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Watch LIVE 24/7 on YouTube
