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Work seemed to have stalled on the parking lot being constructed between the Washington County Administration Building and the Courthouse, but Commissioner Mike Dunlap was pleased to announce that Stout Construction was able to do some work last weekend.

Stout Construction did a two-inch lift last Saturday. Commissioner Dunlap said the crew should be able to do the final lift on Saturday, Dec. 21st. He said the weather should be nearly perfect for their efforts.

The forecast for the weekend includes sunny skies. Highs throughout the weekend are forecasted to be in the mid to lower 60's.

It is not set in stone, but Commissioner Dunlap approximates $130,000 will go towards the project. He said he anticipates the project will be completed by December 2019 or by January 2020.

30 to 35 stalls could be put into place for Washington County employees by the time the parking lot is completed. There will be access to the parking lot from the alleyway behind the Administration Building and the Courthouse.

There would be no cut through from the parking lot onto Johnstone Ave. itself. Commissioner Dunlap said there is plenty of foot traffic on the sidewalk in front of the two buildings and they do not want to hinder the people that walk through the area.

While the parking lot is being put into place now, Commissioner Dunlap said in October that they are looking at future developments for the area. He said if someone were to approach the Washington County Commissioners with a proposal for a parking garage, they would be more than happy to hear from any developers.

This has been something that has been pursued by the attempts of getting interest from developers has not yet succeeded. Commissioner Dunlap said this is still something they still have an interest in getting for the area. He said the parking garage with the possibilities of having retail on the bottom, or placing a hotel / motel or restaurant on top is not out of the question.

Earlier this year, preliminary sketches were given to Commissioner Dunlap. In those drawings, there were 4 to 6 levels for parking with retail on the bottom and a potential motel on top. He said the development and the financing has not quite materialized, but he was optimistic that someday it might.

Commissioner Dunlap said the development of a parking garage and business in the area along Johnstone Ave. would be big for revenue and jobs if it were to come into fruition in the future. He said the County is tickled to have the opportunities they have to make Downtown Bartlesville look better.