Construction Underway On New Housing Development In Tulsa

Construction of a long-awaited housing development in Tulsa is underway at the site of the old Comanche Park Apartments.

City leaders say it's the largest investment in affordable housing in Tulsa's history.  

City leaders say for decades, this part of Tulsa hasn't seen a lot of meaningful economic investment, but the new Pheonix 36 North housing project could change that.

Across the street from the now-demolished Comanche Park Apartments is a construction site, a sign that things are looking up for an area some say has been overlooked for too long.

"Back that way, you have to go over 2 miles to get to the nearest grocery store," said Duewan Triplett.

Triplett lived at Comanche with his four children for three years. He says seeing a bigger and better development here gives him hope for the future.

"I want my kids to have that secure feeling that I didn't have when I was growing up. I want my children to always know they have a place to come home to," said Triplett.

As a former resident of Comanche, Triplett will have priority when he moves back to the new apartments here, a nearly $200 million project that city leaders are celebrating.

"This project was created by the Comanche residents, so everything you're going to see is what they've asked for," said Tulsa Housing Authority President Aaron Darden.

He says the project includes 545 apartments along with retail space and single-family homes. He hopes this major development will inspire others to invest in this community.

"We are stepping out there as that first kind of domino to fall, and we're hoping that others follow our lead and see that this community is an attractive community, is worth the investment," said Darden.

For future residents like Duewan, that investment is already paying off. 

"You can already see it's starting to come back to life."

The first phase of this project is building 100 units, and that is expected to be done in a little more than two years; the entire project will take about six years. 

The project is being paid for by a number of private and public funds, including a $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.