A lot of people don’t believe Tom Tucker when he explains the Midtown home of Valir Hospital, 721 NW 6, was originally a Holiday Inn built in the early 1960s by developers gambling Oklahoma City was set to host the 1967 World’s Fair.
That dream, however, didn’t work out and the fair instead went to San Antonio, Texas, where it was credited with transforming the city into the tourist mecca it is today.
Tucker, CEO of Valir, meanwhile, has photos and original building plans to prove the hospital’s origins — which also make the campus an attractive target for a $10 million renovation that is set to be completed in 2017.
Tucker admits the old rooms were showing their age, reflecting a decor that might have been current in the early 1980s.
When the renovations are complete, the hospital will have 55 modern rooms with ample space for visitors to stay overnight with their ailing loved ones.