Tower Center at Unity Square, the voter-approved community gathering space located at 300 S.E. Adams Blvd., is quickly becoming one of Bartlesville’s most prized amenities, with hundreds of residents and out-of-town visitors flocking to the park to attend events and other activities.
“When we asked voters to consider funding for this space in the 2018 General Obligation Bond Election, we knew it had the potential to be a very big deal for Bartlesville — not only to enhance the quality of life for our residents but also to bring people to our city,” said City Manager Mike Bailey.
Funded through the 2018 G.O. Bond Issue and several corporate and private donations from the community, “Unity Square” officially opened last summer and has since drawn thousands of people to events held at the park.
Though the City facilitated funding for the space and oversaw design and construction of the project, maintenance and operation of Unity Square is overseen by the Bartlesville Community Center and the Price Tower, with event programming handled by the BCC.
BCC Director Val Callaghan said the park’s recent Sizzlin’ Summer Series drew about 1,400 people, with an estimated 400 people attending “Native Color” in June, 700 attending “Hometown Heroes” in July and 300 people attending the “Salsa North of Tulsa” in August.
Callaghan said “Native Color,” in particular, has been a favorite feature at the park. The interactive art and water feature consists of nine 11-foot-tall stainless steel flowers with stained glass petals, representing the Oklahoma state wildflower Indian Blanket, attended by honey bees — “a nod to nature, community workers and producers,” the Unity Square Management Committee said last year. The feature was designed by Kansas City, Mo., artist Amie Jacobsen, who won a contest undertaken to decide the final project design.
“Native Color, Unity Square’s newest interactive water and art installation, has been a huge hit with Bartlesville families and exercise groups wanting to cool off,” Callaghan said. “Artist Amie Jacobsen’s beautiful, stainless Indian Blanket flowers, bring many visitors to the new, urban greenspace.”
Callaghan said Bartlesville Public Library staff has been a big help in securing funding so that free events can be offered at the space.
“We cannot thank the staff at the Bartlesville Public Library enough for writing grants to pay exercise instructors so that classes can be offered to the public for free,” she said. “It has been a pleasure to work with Library staff and exercise instructors, alike.”
Though construction at the site is complete, City officials say that improvements and repairs to the lawn and landscaping are planned.
“This park is already one of the most beautiful park facilities in northeast Oklahoma, but we believe that it can be even better,” Bailey said. “City and BCC staff are working together to determine how to further improve the appearance of the lawn and landscaping. The damaged or dead plants and trees are still under warranty, and we’re working with our contractor to replace those. We’re also developing a plan to improve the thickness and appearance of the lawn.”
He said some changes will be made soon and visitors to the park should notice some improvement in the near future. However, other items, such as replacement of sod and some plants, will have to wait until late spring or early summer of next year.
“We’re excited to help ensure that the park continues to reflect the vision of the City Council and the design committee that brought this project to fruition,” Bailey said.
For more information or to rent space at Unity Square, contact the BCC at 918.337.2787.
Photo by Michael Wray