$650K grant to restore buildings on historic Black Wall Street

TULSA, Okla. — The Greenwood Chamber of Commerce has received a $650,000 grant from the National Park Service to restore 10 commercial buildings along historic Black Wall Street.

The project will focus on structural repairs and architectural preservation to fix damage from drought and water intrusion. The chamber says the restoration will target both exterior and interior infrastructure, addressing serious deterioration in these historic landmark buildings.

Construction starts later this month and should take about 10 months, weather permitting.

Business managers say the work will include making doors more accessible, updating the brick and mortar, and replacing windows.

Cyndii Cosper, who manages Black Wall Street T-Shirts and Souvenirs on Greenwood and Archer, said the grant helps businesses maintain their historic character.

"It's a beautiful thing because so much effort has been put into tearing down Black Wall Street, tearing down the historical buildings. There has been so much that has gone on to where they've pieced off the land where they have come in with urban renewal and claimed eminent domain and you know, people have not been able to keep their homes. They took over a lot of space in the buildings. They rezoned a lot of it and because of that it's been neglected and hasn't gotten the attention that it really deserves to get."

Cosper said there have been some updates in recent years, but nothing as significant as what this grant will bring.

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This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.