Media contact: Leslie Blair, Public Information Officer
Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department
(405) 815-5241
leslie.blair@okcommerce.gov
Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department Hosts Groundbreaking for New Headquarters Building
OKLAHOMA CITY — On Oct. 24, the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department broke ground on a new office building that will serve as the agency’s headquarters.
On hand to help OTRD Executive Director Dick Dutton and the Department’s staff mark the occasion were Governor Mary Fallin, Secretary of Commerce and Tourism Deby Snodgrass, and Tourism Commissioners James W. Farris, Dr. Rick Henry, Sandra Kunz, Chuck Perry, Rhonda Roush and Mike Wilt. Other state officials present included Secretary of Transportation Mike Patterson and Rep. John Pfeiffer (R-Orlando).
“We are so excited to get this project underway,” Dutton said. “We are thankful to our friends at the Department of Commerce who have shared their building with us these past few years, and happy that we get to continue to be their neighbors in this new building.”
The Tourism Department’s move to share office space with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce was intended to be a temporary solution after it was necessary for Tourism to quickly vacate its previous offices in the First National Center building more than three years ago. The search for replacement office space has been ongoing since then, and a 30-year cost comparison showed that total costs to build were about half that of renting space.
Legislation authorizing the issuance of $9 million in bonds for the purpose of providing office space for the Tourism Department was passed in 2007 but never utilized until now. The building will be located adjacent to the Department of Commerce’s headquarters at 900 N. Stiles Ave. in Oklahoma City.