The Washington County Public Facilities Authority meets to discuss the next steps to potentially create an exposition center and new fairgrounds.

A report from the Authority's Facilities Design Subcommittee and Architect Dan Keleher was heard.

Authority Chairman Mike Bouvier says Keleher and Visit Bartlesville Executive Director Maria Gus met with the subcommittee prior to Tuesday evening's meeting to discuss aspects of the future site. Bouvier says much of the site will be for fairgrounds, rodeos and things of that nature. He says the expo center will accommodate events such as weddings, basketball games, parties, monster trucks and more.

The only other item of discussion between the subcommittee and Keleher was the need to relocate to bathrooms.

The Authority would go on and approve Kent Stroman's proposed financial feasibility study agreement for the project. Bouvier says the study was set to begin on Wednesday. He says it will last until Sunday, February 20, 2022, when they should know what to expect for the project.

Bouvier says financial feasibility studies are important to see if they would have enough money to make the project happen.

Proposed bylaws would be approved and Tyler Vaclaw would be sworn-in as a new trustee of the Authority as well.

There will still be plenty of work to do after February 2022. Bouvier says they will once again gauge community interest after they get a better idea for the project through the feasibility study. He says they may go on to pursue a Bond Issue election in the fall from there.

If the measure were to pass, they would have approximately 90 to 180 days before they would break ground and start construction. Bouvier says they still plan to build the expo center west of Highway 75 between 2300 (Yorman) Road and 2400 Road. He says there haven't been many more discussions about the future of the current Washington County Fairgrounds in Dewey, but they do want to recognize the rich history of the site. He says they want that history and tradition to follow them to the new location if the project is approved.

The Authority has plans to visit fairgrounds across the State of Oklahoma in the next couple of months. Bouvier says they will head out in teams. He says they will see what is liked and not liked at the fairgrounds that they visit.

Bouvier says he is excited about the project. He says the site will play a major role for Washington County moving forward.

The Washington County Public Facilities Authority meeting was held in the basement of the County Administration Building (pictured), 400 S. Johnstone Avenue in downtown Bartlesville.

The project was first discussed with the public in January 2021.