The City of Enid at last night’s city council meeting delayed a vote on whether or not to approve renovations to the Great Plains Bank building. Repairs on the building would cost the city $878,311 for asbestos removal, a new roof, and other renovations. That figure does not include the $550,000 that will be needed to replace the building’s boiler with a new one, which will need to happen within the next 5 years.
Controversy has surrounded the building since the city purchased the building for $250,000 in 2020. Some are elated with the city’s decision to purchase the building and see it as an opportunity to host non-profits and children’s programs within the building.
While critics believe the purchase is a misuse of government funds and that more money shouldn’t be placed into the project. They also criticized the city for purchasing the building and wanting to repair it without concrete plans in place for the building.
2 members of the city council forwarded a motion to table the vote for the funding until the next meeting. The motion was passed by the city council. Ward 4 Commissioner Whitney Roberts voiced concerns about the project saying that as a businesswoman she would need to have a business plan in place to receive funding for a building and that has not happened.
Roberts however did express support for repairing the roof, saying that she wants the building in better condition so that the city can sell it. Ward 6 Commissioner Scott Orr was the other Commissioner to forward the motion to table the vote for the next meeting.
Orr expressed concern for a lack of clarity on what the city would use the building for. But not everyone is down on the decision for the city to repair the bank, some non-profit leaders see the building as an opportunity for youth programs, citing the building’s prime location in downtown Enid.
Whatever decision the city makes, Great Plains Bank will move to its new location in October 2022 and will no longer lease the old location from the city.
