Construction on the Johnstone Park Pavilion got underway this week and is expected to be complete in three weeks, City staff told the Bartlesville City Council on Monday.
The 6,000 square foot open-sided facility is in the process of being constructed after arriving on Monday.
“The Johnstone Park Pavilion will greatly enhance the entrance into Johnstone Park, one of the city’s two regional parks, and is a great addition to our park system,” said Parks and Recreation Director Lisa Beeman.
“Like other city park shelters, the pavilion will be available for public or private events once the construction is complete. The Farmer’s Market is already planning to relocate there for their fall season.”
Beeman said the pavilion will also help tie the park area, which includes Kiddie Park, “several Pokémon stops,” and the Nellie Johnstone oil well replica located in Johnstone Park, to Downtown Bartlesville.
The pavilion area is the south entrance into Johnstone Park, located on the northwest corner of the Hensley Boulevard and Cherokee Avenue intersection.
The pavilion project is a multi-phase project funded with 50/50 matching funds from the Community Development Block Grant Small Cities Set-Aside Program grant. The cost of the pavilion is $345,000.
Restrooms and sidewalks will also be constructed at the site during Phase 2 of the project. Construction of the restrooms is expected to cost $130,000.
Beeman said other changes to the area are expected in the future, as the Oklahoma Department of Transportation determines the future of the Caney River Bridge, which bisects Johnstone Park.