During meetings held April 10 and April 15, the City Council voted 5-0 to hire a construction manager as a general contractor for the Tower Center at Unity Square project. The project, approved by voters in the 2018 General Obligation Bond Election, consists of constructing a community gathering space between the Bartlesville Community Center and Price Tower.
On Monday, the council voted in support of contracting with Jonesplan, a specialty construction company based in Tulsa. City staff said the company has agreed to act as general contractor on the project for a lump sum payment of $290,000.
Voters approved $1.75 million in funding for the Tower Center project, of which $118,238 has been spent on professional services and another $12,500 has been reserved for water line materials needed for a water line relocation due to the stage placement and engineering staff time during construction.
The base design for the project includes all elements presented to voters in March 2018 at the approved $1.75 million in funding. Additional elements, restrooms and a storage facility, were added during the design process, pushing the overall cost to an estimated $1.9 million. City staff members have applied for a grant that, if ultimately approved, will fund those items.
“The concept (as presented to the council) does include several items not initially planned or budgeted for in the project — specifically a bathroom and storage room adjacent to the stage,” said Water Utilities Director Terry Lauritsen.
The estimated construction cost of the restroom and stage combined is $251,000, the amount the City is seeking in grant funding. Additional adjustments made to the plan in an effort to reduce the remaining $77,320 over-budget cost include:
- Reduce the owners contingency on the project to around $50,000, which will save approximately $42,000
- Remove the standing seam roof on top of the stage canopy, which will save $27,300
- Utilize standard concrete in lieu of a color and exposed aggregate concrete on the sidewalks, which will save $60,439.
The council voted to support the changes, which were recommended by the design review committee appointed by the council to oversee the design process.
The project is still set for “substantial completion,” meaning the space would be operational with only minor issues to be completed, by Oct. 31 of this year. Lauritsen said staff hopes to receive bids next month. If that occurs, construction could begin late May, pending weather conditions.