Ben Hill Community Center Gets Renovation From Local Foundation

The Reed Community Foundation has continued making repairs at the old Ben Hill Community Center, a once pivotal building to North Tulsa that has been vacant for more than a decade.

Foundation leaders say they plan to open the building in May so they are working to make those updates quickly.

According to foundation leaders, they have had a lot of financial support from the community, but a limited number of volunteers because of the pandemic.

“We’re all working hard and can’t wait to get it open. Like I always say, it’s a part of God’s land and we’re trying to get that land open," said foundation founder Keith Reed.

In the past few months, the city replaced the steps at the front of the building and installed new plumbing and lighting.

Currently, there are plans to repair the floors, paint the doors and eventually start working on the STEM lab.

The foundation’s vice president Andy Coe said that it will be ready just in time for the summer.

“We will be able to be in the building, we will be operational," said Coe. "The architecture out front probably won’t be complete. We’ll have some design elements done to make the building look a lot better from the exterior.”

The foundation said that the project will cost around $1 million.