Greenwood Rising History Center Gets New Location

The Greenwood Rising History Center will be built at the corner of Greenwood and Archer, after a foundation donated the land. The original site, by the Greenwood Cultural Center, was abandoned when negotiations fell through.

The new location is a block away at what traditionally has been consider the entrance to the Greenwood area.

Project Manager Phil Armstrong believes they've ended up at the best possible spot.

"To have Greenwood Rising set right there at the entrance Greenwood and Archer, I don't have words to describe how awesome it is that this came about" Armstrong said.  

The new site was to be the location for a five story retail and office building called 21 North Greenwood. That building will instead be built at the back of the lot, while the Greenwood Rising building will face the intersection. The Hille Foundation donated the land.

"We're excited to be a piece of that happening, so our kids and grandkids and finally know the full story of Black Wall Street" said Maggie Hille-Yar, a trustee of the Hille Foundation.

Her husband, Kajeer Yar, is the developer of the 21 North Greenwood project.

"Greenwood is really a story about people coming together, and that's why we thought it was important to have it where it is, but also just to make sure that story is told" said Yar. 

The site was ready for the other project when this one came along. That means construction can start quickly. Armstrong is hopeful the building can be complete before the Centennial of the massacre, in June, 2021.