FORT SILL, Okla. (Feb. 4, 2016) -- Times have changed since 1986, when families lived in Army housing with such nicknames as "Flintstone Village" because the homes were 800-square foot cinderblock houses with linoleum floors.
And that was officer housing.
Now because of privatized housing and Corvias Military Living at Fort Sill, families live in modern, open-concept houses, with massive yards and some with two-car garages. The neighborhoods also feature community centers, which are meccas for recreational and social activities, and the sites of the neighborhood management office.
Corvias opened its 30th community center at a military installation Feb. 1, when the Fort Sill Buffalo Soldier Acres Community Center opened its doors. It joins the Southern Plains and Old Cavalry Post community centers here. The new center can be used by any Fort Sill resident.
"It looks so nice, I'm so impressed," said Buffalo Soldier Acres neighborhood resident and family member Tatiana Taylor, of the center.
She was at the ceremony with her husband, 1st Sgt. Joseph Taylor, A Battery, 1st Battalion, 30th Field Artillery. Tatiana said they live within a short walk from the center, and that she plans to take advantage of the center's fitness area and take her dog, Viki, to the dog park.
AMENITIES
The 6,400 square-foot main facility features a multi-purpose room, that includes a lounge, full-kitchen, pool table and arcade style games, said Buffalo Soldier Acres Community Center community manager Jennifer Benson. A workout area includes treadmills and elliptical equipment, strength and resistance equipment and an open studio with a fitness-on-demand kiosk for specialized workouts. Free Wi-fi is available throughout the building.
An outdoor living space of almost 2,200 square feet features a gas barbecue grill and a gas fire pit for gatherings. There are also two outside restrooms.
The splash pad and spray park is 50 feet in diameter. Its push-button activated controls use a recirculating water filtration and chlorine system which conserves water. The dog park measures 100-by-50 feet and is divided in two play areas, one for large dogs and the other for smaller dogs. Doggie clean-up bags and receptacles are provided.
Community centers are very popular, said Kolby Stobbe, Corvias resident relations manager. In addition to the center's amenities, resdients can meet the community management team for work orders or any concerns about the neighborhood.
The center is at the location of the former Cedar Lakes Pro Golf Shop. Corvias used sustainability when constructing the new center, said Amber McNeil, Fort Sill Corvias business director.
"The site reused existing parking, meaning minimal new asphalt. The repurposing of the existing building minimized the impact to a landfill and the need for new raw material," she said. "It also enabled us to use the existing utility infrastructure." Windows were reglazed with energy efficient thermal pane glass and an Energy Star water heater and appliances were installed.
The last of Corvias' 510 new homes in the Buffalo Soldier Acres neighborhood will be completed this month, McNeil said.
BUFFALO SOLDIER TRIBUTE
When groundbreaking for the Buffalo Soldier Acres neighborhood began in November 2010, members of the Lawton-Fort Sill Chapter Buffalo Soldier 9th and 10th (Horse) Cavalry Association were on hand. They were also there for the ribbon cutting at the Buffalo Soldier Acres Community Center. Corvias worked closely with the chapter to find artwork for the center that accurately depicted the Buffalo Soldiers contributions to the nation, McNeil said.
Wallace Moore, who is the chapter's historian, said the new center was top-notch.
"The people who built this facility stuck with the theme of authenticity, so when you look at the pictures and paintings you see how the Buffalo Soldiers would have appeared in the 1800s," said Moore, who is a retired sergeant major. "It's important to present the correct image."
The entrance to the center displays a plaque listing Buffalo Soldier units, campaigns and the names of 23 of its Soldiers who were awarded the Medal of Honor. Five of those were officers (all Buffalo Soldiers officers had to be white by law, Moore said). Three of those officers broke from cover and risked their lives to pull black privates to safety, he said.
"They are our brothers, they are Buffalo Soldiers, and yes, we're extremely proud of the black history that was made, but at the same time American history was being made."
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