Renovated Pioneer Plaza extends life of historic building

The Tulsa Housing Authority has finished a $47 million renovation of Pioneer Plaza, a high-rise subsidized apartment building that opened in 1969. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The building underwent a floor-by-floor renovation, with displaced residents moving within the building during the work. THA Vice President Ginny Hensley said the remodel was long overdue, and focused on expensive, but hidden from view, replacements to mechanical and electrical systems.

The historic register listing noted in 2022, "Pioneer Plaza retains a high degree of historic integrity, with few alterations since its initial construction." This 19-month remodel included new appliances, paint and fixtures for each apartment.

The 201 unit property was worth saving, according to Hensley, because "Building new housing is great, and much needed, but we also have to preserve and keep what we have, because Tulsa cannot afford to lose a single unit when there's such a deficit."

THA is also renovating Mohawk Manor and Seminole Hills, while building 36 North, a complex with 7 phases of construction continuing on the site of the former Comanche Park Apartments.