 City breaks ground on two projects
The City of Broken Arrow broke ground on two important projects on Sept. 14.
Fire Station 7
In the morning, officials broke ground on replacement Fire Station 7 at 201 E. Washington St, directly south of Arrowhead Park.
Once complete, the new station will replace an aging Station 7, currently located about one mile away on Elm Place north of New Orleans (101st) Street. This station had been decommissioned once before when the current Fire Station 2 was completed, but was put back into service when the Broken Arrow Fire Department expanded operations to include a seventh station in 2016. Among other deficiencies, it was built when firefighting apparatus were much smaller than they are today, meaning many of the department’s modern fire engines will not fit in the old fire station.
The new Fire Station 7, which will cost about $3.6 million, will have four bays sized and equipped for modern firefighting apparatus. Coweta-based Bravo Builders is the contracted
builder. The project is funded by the voter-approved 2018 Build Our Future BA General Obligation Bond package.
Broken Arrow Veterans Center
In the afternoon of Sept. 14, officials from the City of Broken Arrow as well as representatives of various veterans groups broke ground on the Broken Arrow Veterans Center, just north of Veterans Park on Main Street.
The future 4,600 square foot facility will feature home offices, meeting space and a catering kitchen for the local chapters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, Vietnam Veterans, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the Blue Star Mothers.
Originally called the Armed Forces Meeting Hall, the City Council approved the new name for the facility on Oct. 6.
Local contractor Magnum Construction is building the new facility at a cost of $1,091,750 also funded by the 2018 Build Our Future BA GO Bond.
Development adding life to New Orleans Square
On Sept. 8, Red Dog Construction and Cypress Place Development, announced new businesses coming soon to New Orleans Square.
The development, named Cypress Place, will be on the northwest corner of the intersection at Elm Place and New Orleans Street.
Cypress Place already has four tenants signed, including Jimmy’s New York Pizzeria, Secret Gardens Candle Shop, Waters Edge Winery & Bistro and Griffin Orthodontics. Josh’s
Sno Shack will also have a presence on the development.
“We are excited to announce the new businesses coming to this area,” said developer Josh McFarland.
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Impact series focuses on residential growth
At the Sept. 15 Broken Arrow Economic Development Authority (BAEDA) meeting, the City’s Economic Development Manager Norman Stephens made his third Economic Development Impact presentation to the Authority.
In this presentation, Stephens addressed two more common social media misconceptions about economic development in the City: 1. The City intentionally tries to keep retail from
South BA and 2. “If you build it, they will come”.
Community Development Director Larry Curtis updated BAEDA about the history of residential growth in BA between 1984 and 2019, especially as influenced by Highways 169 and 51 and the Creek Turnpike. Curtis also showed the numerous housing developments in various stages of planning on the south side of the City.
To conclude the presentation, Tourism and Economic Development Team members Brent Brassfield and Erin Hofener presented the plans for this year’s holiday celebration in the Rose District, which is planned to kick off Nov. 19 with It’s a Wonderful Life in Broken Arrow! Two events making their annual return this season will be the Civitans Christmas Parade and the Broken Arrow Chamber’s Buy Broken Arrow contest.
The monthly video presentations are available on the City’s website at BrokenArrowOK.gov/TED and on the City’s YouTube channel.
The Together Project, a collaborative effort between the City of Broken Arrow and Broken Arrow Public Schools (BAPS), has been awarded the Public Communication Award from the Water Environment Federation (WEF).
Started in 2017, the project led City engineers and Broken Arrow High School students to create an outdoor classroom and training center focused on educating the student body and the general public on environmental stewardship benefits. That area directly north of Broken Arrow High School came to be called Tiger Creek Nature Park.
The Together Project’s three goals are to protect the community’s floodplains, improve source water quality, and enhance the natural habitat within Tiger Creek and the larger Adams Creek watershed.
“The backing of the community is what’s surprised me more than anything,” said Kenny Schwab, assistant city manager of operations. “It’s been extremely rewarding having many people in the community be a part of it.”
Broken Arrow students gained valuable hands-on experience by working with City staff to design and construct a floating wetland in the shape of the school logo. The project also includes a rain garden, a nature park, a master plan for the Tiger Creek watershed corridor, a litter prevention program and an art competition.
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