The Greenwood Chamber of Commerce plans to revitalize 10 historic commercial buildings on Black Wall Street through a $650,000 National Park Service grant.
The federal funds will go toward the installation of new windows and doors as well as replacing damaged bricks and tiles. It’s an effort to ensure the structural integrity of buildings around the district.
“If we didn’t do nothing to the buildings, in about 15 years, part of the building will probably collapse, especially the back areas of the west building,” said Freeman Culver, president of the Greenwood Chamber.
The historic buildings have suffered damage from “intense summer droughts and severe water intrusion,” Culver said in a statement announcing the grant. He told The Eagle the chamber was awarded the money last fall, but it took almost a year for NPS to completely vet the area.
The federal agency, which helps protect historic sites, visited the Historic Greenwood District to do an environmental screening and make recommendations on which areas needed to be worked on. This process took about eight months to complete.
Culver is hoping this grant will take care of all the exterior damage. His next plan is to apply for funds to upgrade the area’s sewage system, which he said was built in the 1930s. He also wants to upgrade the HVAC systems and elevators for all 10 buildings.
He said the systems work but need modernization. Their age has made it especially difficult for businesses to operate during the summer. This year, Tulsa saw more than 30 days where temperatures hit triple digits. Culver said utilities for all 10 historic buildings cost around $13,000 to $15,000 a month when it’s hot.
“Of course, it’s more than just the buildings. But we have to get our home in order to truly thrive because these business owners deserve a good home,” Culver said.
This is the fourth grant the chamber has received from the National Park Service. The first, in 2021, was for $500,000 to replace leaking roofs of historic buildings.
Construction for the revitalization plan is scheduled to begin later this month and is expected to be complete in less than a year.
Ismael Lele is a Report for America corps member and writes about business in Tulsa for The Oklahoma Eagle. Your donation to match our Report for America grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting this link.
