B.A. Breaks Ground for Veterans Facility
OPENING REMARKS: Mitch Reed, Commander of the local chapter of Order of Purple Heart and Chair of the B.A. Veterans Building Committee, gives opening remarks at the future Armed Forces Meeting Hall facility. Included in the photo are B.A. Vice Mayor Scott Eudey, B.A. Mayor Craig Thurmond and B.A. City Manager Michael Spurgeon.
Officials from the City of Broken Arrow broke ground Sept. 10 on its new Armed Forces Meeting Hall.
The ceremony was held at 1117 S. Main St., the future site of the 4,600-square-foot facility. The hall will feature home offices, meeting space, a catering kitchen for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, Vietnam Veterans, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the Blue Star Mothers. The city is working with the representative veteran organizations that will use the facility on a building name and should have a decision in the near future.
B.A. City Manager Michael Spurgeon opened the event and introduced Maggie Bond, who sang the National Anthem. Also taking part were B.A. Mayor Craig Thurmond, Vice Mayor Scott Eudey and Councilors Debra Wimpee and Johnnie Parks, along with Mitch Reed and building committee members Ralph Pointer, Ted McElroy, Janet Viel and Eddie Whitsett. Reed is Commander of the local chapter of Order of Purple Heart and Chair of the B.A. Veterans Building Committee
The city sought input from each of the representative organizations throughout the design process. Beginning in 2018, the City formed a building committee and each organization had one person designated to provide feedback on the hall’s design. The five groups are subsequently forming a centralized non-profit organization and will enter into a use agreement with the city to occupy the facility at completion which is projected for August 2021.
Local contractor, Magnum Construction, will build the new facility at a cost of $1,091,750 paid for by voter-approved 2018 General Obligation Bonds.
