I hadn’t been so excited about something for a long while when I read about three new projects in Oklahoma City to convert closed hotels and motels into needed housing. I think three projects constitute a trend, so I’m running with it!

The first is a conversion of OKC’s downtown Holiday Inn. Long vacant, this hotel will be transformed into 204 micro-apartments, with most around 316 square feet. Amenities and places to meet will be offered in this “live-work-play community”. This property is ideally situated on Main Street and within walking distance to offices, restaurants, and a growing entertainment district on Film Row. Aimed towards young professionals, and with an estimated monthly rent of $850, this should be a winner. Read more in this Oklahoman story by Steve Lackmeyer.

The second project involves the chronically troubled Plaza Inn. Recently declared a public nuisance, this hotel has been the subject of regular news stories involving violent crime. The project is a partnership between the motel owners and a veterans organization to convert 160 rooms into apartments for homeless military veterans. Read more in this Oklahoman story by Jessie Christopher Smith.

This third project is guided by the Oklahoma City Housing Authority and converts 75 rooms at the former Motel 6 at MLK and Reno into apartments for the chronically homeless. With a multitude of services, the goal is to help residents transition to meaningful employment and into permanent homes. Read more in this Oklahoman story by Jessie Christopher Smith.

This trend is exciting and could be modeled in Oklahoma’s rural communities. It seems every small town has one of these motels that has been closed down and has become a blighted property. And while a hotel room might make for a pretty small studio apartment, but for students, or those who are priced out of the current rental market, or those on waiting lists for housing, this could be part of the solution.