Bryan County Commissioners Scott Goad, Tony Simmons and Brandon Carr approved the sale of the old Federal Building during a meeting Tuesday morning.
Gabbart Holdings will be purchasing the building for $300,000.
During a prior meeting, commissioners voted to advertise for bids to sell the building at 224 W. Evergreen St. This building had previously been donated to the county by The Choctaw Nation and commissioners planned to renovate it for county offices until learning it would be cost prohibitive due to the large amount of Asbestos that would have to be removed.
Commissioners will meet with the district attorney to draw up a contract for the sale. They are moving forward with a plan to construct a new building to house county offices.
In a prior meeting, commissioners approved a $157,100 agreement with Theorem LLC architecture to design a new building on the site of the parking lot at Fifth and Beech. An apartment building beside it at 301 N. Fourth Ave. will be demolished and a parking lot put in its place.
The District Attorney’s Office, presently in the old Plaza movie theater on Third Avenue, will be moving into the Courthouse Annex once the new building is completed.
The Plaza building is being donated to Southeastern Oklahoma State University which the university plans to use for downtown events.
Nancy Ferris, director of Three Valley Museum, spoke to commissioners during the Tuesday meeting. The museum has a display in the courthouse annex and she asked if there could be exhibit space in the new building.
“I appreciate the opportunity to visit with you this morning and to tell you how much that I have enjoyed doing the exhibit out here,” Ferris said. “I think that a lot more people see the exhibits here than they do at the museum. So, it’s been a wonderful experience for me and the fact that when I come, the workers here are just so kind and nice to say that they enjoyed it and they see people watching and looking at the different things. So, when I heard the new changes taking place, I thought maybe I should come talk to you guys and see if we are going to have a space in the new facility.” Commissioners did not vote on the request by Ferris, but agreed a museum display would be a nice addition to the new building.
“Space is limited and if there is a chance at having a spot, I think it would be great,” Simmons said.
Carr added, “We’re still waiting on a design to come back so we don’t have a plan set in stone yet on exactly what we’re going to do, but I have no problem with it.”
In other discussions during the meeting, work is ongoing on the remodeling of the community building at the fairgrounds and workers were painting at the building this week. “It’s looking really good,” Simmons said.