Project to include expansion space for Phillips Precision Machine
The Bartlesville Development Authority is set to move forward with construction on a 20,000-square-foot speculative building at the Bartlesville Industrial Park thanks to a vote of the City Council Monday night.
The project, approved by the council in a 5-0 vote, also provides for expansion by Phillips Precision Machine, which has been located at the industrial park since its last expansion, in 2019.
“If you’ll recall, Phillips Precision Machine is kind of our text-book case for exactly how economic development should work,” said BDA Vice President of Business Development Chris Batchelder. “They’ve been a great partner, and they are busting at the seams. They currently have 45 employees and could probably double that and still be lagging on work. So they are ready for another expansion.”
The council voted to transfer 15 acres to the BDA for development. The land will be split into three five-acre parcels, with at least one-third of the northern-most parcel to accommodate the PPM expansion and the southern-most parcel planned for the speculative building.
“With the success that we’ve had over the last couple of years, we have run out of real estate,” Batchelder said.
He said companies often choose locations based on the facilities available, as they often require specific ceiling height or other structural specifications. Batchelder said BDA worked with a commercial real estate company to better identify what companies are looking for nationwide.
“That will allow us to better meet the demand,” he said.
In all, the transfer will provide upwards of 80,000 square feet of industrial space, Batchelder said.
“This will allow us to expand and build additional facilities that could accommodate up to 80,000 square feet of industrial space,” he said. “We think this initial 20,000 is going to allow us attention and recruitment of a lot of different industries.”
Construction on the spec building could start as early as late spring, after bids are approved by the BDA Board of Trustees.