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Posted: Jan 28, 2020 3:46 PMUpdated: Jan 28, 2020 5:00 PM
Cherokee Nation Donates $10K to Tower Center Project
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and District 12 Tribal Councilor Dora Smith-Patzkowski have presented the City of Bartlesville with a $10,000 donation for the voter-approved Tower Center at Unity Square project.
The $1.75-million community green space was approved by voters in the 2018 General Obligation Bond Election. According to Bartlesville Vice Mayor Alan Gentges, the donation came prior to a planned event at the Bartlesville Public Library on Monday night. He said it is great the Cherokee Nation wants to be involved in such a historic project like the Tower Center at Unity Square project in Bartlesville.
The Cherokee Nation is important to the City of Bartlesville, and Vice Mayor Alan Gentges said they appreciate the tribe very much. He said the City hopes they will be present for the Indian Summer event that takes place in Bartlesville each year. The hopes is that the event will be with the boundaries of the new green space this year.
The Tower Center at Unity Square project has now received up to $700,000 in donations. In addition to the public funding and the Cherokee Nation’s donation, other funds for the project have been received from the Lyon Foundation, Phillips 66, ConocoPhillips, the Parsons Foundation, Truity Credit Union and Arvest Bank.
Vice Mayor Gentges said as they went through the process after the bond was approved, there were several things that he said that the citizens wanted to see that were additional items for the Tower Center at Unity Sqaure project. He said they followed that by doing an analysis on what could be paid and how much it would take to add everything in. The money they have been able to receive for the green space have helped the City of Bartlesville afford items like bathrooms, more trees, better finishes, lighting and sound equipment for the project.
Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said he believes that Councilwoman Patzkowski had visited with the City of Bartlesville about the local campaign to raise funds for the Tower Center at Unity Square project. He said she felt that the project was something the Cherokee Nation should be a part given the importance Bartlesville has to the Cherokee Nation today, and Bartlesville's historic fingerprint on the tribe as well.
City officials on-hand to receive the donation were, from left, Vice Mayor Alan Gentges, City Councilor Jim Curd and City Manager Mike Bailey. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Tribal Councilor Dor Patzkowski. Photo courtesy of the Cherokee Nation. The project is currently under construction at Sixth Street and Dewey Avenue.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. says, "Cherokee Nation is happy to partner with communities all over Northeast Oklahoma for the needs that they have and project they have and certainly the project they have in downtown Bartlesville is an important one to the city and, of course Cherokee Nation. Tribal Councilor Dora Patzkowski (Ochelata) is the one that brought it to our attention, She was able to earmark some funds that go to her district and that one was prominent among them."
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