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Bartlesville's state of economic development was discussed during a Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Hilton Garden Inn on Tuesday.

Bartlesville Development Authority (BDA) President David Wood addressed the impact that the 1/4-cent economic development tax has had on the growth of Bartlesville over the years. He said Bartlesville appears to be well positioned for whatever comes next thanks largely to the courage and vision of those that came before us in 1986.

Wood said it's important to look back on the passed 35 years with a spirit of humility and more than a little bit of gratitude for our enviable circumstances today. He said there's still work to do today, so we ought to get to it so we can be similarly remembered in 2056.

The 1/4-cent sales tax has helped with the construction of Silver Lake Village. It has also helped with the move of Atwoods from the Eastland Shopping Center for the construction of Chick-fil-a, the redevelopment of the former K-Mart site now known as the Shoppes at Turkey Creek, and much more.

To learn more about the impact the 1/4-cent sales tax has made on Bartlesville, click here.

Voters will have the opportunity to extend the 1/4-cent sales tax on Tuesday, April 6th.

The tax has also helped the BDA purchase the former Siemens facility, which resulted in recruiting Tritanium Labs, retaining 18 Siemens employees, and securing the lease with Apple Studios, the company filming "Gray Horse," the movie based off of David Grann's book, Killers of the Flower Moon.

Mike Fantasia, the Location Manager for Gray Horse, talked about the economic impact the film will have on Bartlesville during the luncheon. He said they will spend millions of dollars for hotel stays, and goods and services for their crew and local hires in the area.

According to Fantasia, the move to the area to film the movie will hire hundreds of people locally. Fantasia said the move will bring in people of many skill sets. He said they'll also use the services of dozens of local businesses and individuals.

Fantasia also encouraged those in attendance to extend the 1/4-cent economic development tax on Tuesday, April 6th. He said the extension will help the Bartlesville Development Authority and Visit Bartlesville attract more tourism, film makers, and other businesses to the area.

Of final note, Fantasia said everyone in the Bartlesville area has been great and they look forward to filming this summer.