At its June 1 meeting, the City Council approved a voluntary termination agreement to close out Phase One of the Buffalo Roam development at the former Bartlesville Christian Church, 520 S. Osage Ave. The action finalizes the first phase of the disposition and development agreement originally executed in 2023.
Under the original agreement, the City and the Bartlesville Redevelopment Trust Authority (BRTA) committed up to $2 million in matching grant funds for a two‑phase project. Phase One of the project was to rehabilitate the existing building to operate a film academy and is now nearing completion; final Phase One expenditures were approved May 18. Phase Two of the project was to construct a soundstage in place of the parking lot to the north. Both of these phases were eligible for up to $1M each in matching grant funds.
However, Buffalo Roam notified the City that it no longer intends to build the planned soundstage for Phase Two, citing market conditions.
The voluntary termination agreement releases Buffalo Roam from the soundstage obligation and returns the remaining project funds — $1.05M — to the City and BRTA in equal shares. The Council’s action completes the administrative steps needed to close the project while preserving the City’s and BRTA’s share of the remaining funds.