Study to determine need for conference center in Bartlesville
The City Council on Monday voted to approve a contract to conduct a feasibility study regarding the need for a conference center in Bartlesville. Hunden Strategic Partners was selected for the job following the recommendation of a review committee established to oversee the matter.
Talks regarding the need for a conference center have been ongoing for some time but ramped up considerably late last year when representatives for the First Christian Church, located at 520 S. Osage Ave., offered to donate the facility to the City to house the center.
A non-binding letter of intent was ultimately approved by the council in January, pending the results of a feasibility study to determine the need for the center. The FCC location will be included in the study as a possible location for the center, if the feasibility study indicates one is warranted. (FCC must approve any alternate uses for the facility prior to donation.)
A committee consisting of officials and staff representing the City of Bartlesville, Bartlesville Community Center, and Visit Bartlesville reviewed and ranked six Request for Proposal responses and interviewed the top three, of which Hunden Strategic Partners was selected for the recommendation.
The study will include:
- Analysis of state/regional conference/convention market
- Survey state and regional planners, etc.
- Estimate total market demand for Bartlesville region
- Needs analysis
- Analyze ability of current regional facilities to meet demand
- List limitations of current facilities in capturing unmet demand
- Estimate size of facilities and amenities necessary to capture unmet demand
- Site analysis for potential conference center locations
- Determine preferred region(s) of Bartlesville to locate a conference center
- Identify advantages and limitations of each region
- Identify advantages and limitations of possible FCC site
“Now that the council has approved a consultant for the study, City staff will execute a contract with Hunden Strategic Partners and begin the study,” said City Manager Mike Bailey. “The review committee will oversee the process and present the findings to the City Council once the study is complete.”
It is anticipated the study will take approximately 15 weeks to complete.