History of Morningside Condominiums
1973 - 1975
The history of Morningside Condominiums began in May 1973 when the first building, Building C, (6980 E. Girard Ave) opened its doors. Even though the building was not completed, residents were allowed to move in.
A few months later, in August 1973, Building B (6940 E. Girard Ave) greeted its first owners, though the building was still under construction. One of the unique features of Building B is the combination of the two one-bedroom condo(s) into "townhouse" condos, which feature internal spiral staircases.
In December of 1973, during a blizzard, Building A (6930 E. Girard Ave) was partially completed. The upper floors were not entirely finished, and there was no phone service yet. However, residents were willing to move in.
Construction of the Clubhouse began during the summer of 1973 and continued through the winter. The Clubhouse opened officially on January 13, 1974. Despite the fact that it was Super Bowl Sunday, over two hundred residents and guests attended the gala event. It must also be noted that only buildings A, B, C and D existed at that time. The party was catered by Tommy Wong's restaurant and hosted by Fulenwider Construction Company, the builders of the community.
Building D (7020 E. Girard Ave) opened for occupancy in July of 1974.
In early 1975, the fifth building, Building E, (7040 E. Girard Ave) opened its doors for occupancy. It was the first building to have two baths in the end units. All of the lanais were open. All buildings constructed after Building E had all lanais enclosed, and some condo(s) had washer and dryer hookups. |
1976 - 1979
In 1976, Building F (3470 S. Poplar St) greeted its first residents. The offices and show apartments were located on the first floor and were used while Building K was under construction. In 1983, the Parks Department developed Hutchinson Park east of Building E and north of Building F. Before that, it was overgrown with wild grasses, weeds, and was the home of many prairie dogs.
Building K (6960 E Girard Ave) was a partially finished building when residents started moving in August 1977. While building K was being built, there was such an interest in condos that a decision was made to build three more buildings: G, H and J.
In June 1978, some condo(s) in building G (3460 S. Poplar St) were ready for occupancy although not all the work had been completed. No trees or lawns graced the property, it would be several months before the lanais would be enclosed. The mirrored office buildings to the east, now so tastefully landscaped, were built several years later.
Building H opened its door to new residents in 1978.
In 1979, Building J was opened for occupancy. The offices and model condo(s) were located on the first floor of Building G and were used while J was under construction. The first residents moved into their condos with no electricity, and the elevator wasn't in operation.
In May of 1979 owners were offered the opportunity to have their lanais enclosed in all buildings. |