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Wagoner EDA approves agreement to build The Junction event space amid $1.2 million budget and structural concerns
Summary
The City of Wagoner Economic Development Authority voted to enter an agreement with the city and Wagoner County to build The Junction, a public event space at 111 South Main Street, after discussion about rising costs, a $200,000 contingency, and structural concerns with a neighboring building.
The City of Wagoner Economic Development Authority voted to enter an agreement with the City of Wagoner and the Wagoner County Economic Development Authority to develop The Junction, a public event space planned for 111 South Main Street. The motion passed by roll call with all members voting in favor.
The Junction project budget has increased from an original $900,000 estimate to $1.2 million, with a $200,000 contingency that would raise the potential total to $1.4 million. Funding described during the meeting includes a $300,000 donation from the Chandler family and a $400,000 contribution from Wagoner County; the city was asked to provide $500,000 to complete the $1.2 million budget. Meeting speakers said the project team had hoped to rely on a “P3” (public–private partnership) grant mechanism but that the program is currently suspended, leaving a possible funding gap if contingency is used.
The authority discussed a structural issue with a building immediately south of the planned Junction site. A structural engineer first inspected that neighboring wall in February 2019 and recommended replacement; a follow-up inspection earlier in 2025 produced the same finding. The 2019 estimate to rebuild the wall was cited as $183,000. Project staff said they must negotiate access and scope with the private building owner and evaluate options before The Junction’s design and construction are finalized.
Officials described three options for addressing the adjacent building problem: encouraging the owner to repair the wall through incentives or partial funding; negotiating a property or building swap using the Harris Building as an asset; or constructing a protective barrier wall (for example, installing steel girders at intervals) to shield The Junction from a failing façade. Staff noted that a barrier would protect the new public space but would not resolve long-term safety or ownership issues that remain the building owner’s responsibility.
The project management and delivery plan was outlined: PDG (the architect/engineer) would move the design to roughly 65% completion within two to three months if the agreement moved forward, deliver 100% drawings by the end of the year, then the city would advertise bids (a typical 90-day bid period). Construction was estimated to begin about March–April 2026, with a roughly nine-month build period.
Speakers at the meeting also said local banks had discussed participating in P3-style financing by retaining payroll tax revenues if the program resumed, but that option is uncertain while the P3 program remains suspended. Staff said if contingency is exhausted and P3 funding does not return, the authority would either need to find an additional several hundred thousand dollars or scale back elements of the Junction project.
The authority approved entering into the intergovernmental agreement for The Junction by voice and roll-call vote. The motion and supporting discussion made clear that additional work—structural evaluation of the adjacent building, final engineering drawings, and confirmation of remaining funding—remains before construction can begin.
The Junction project will return to staff and the authority for follow-up as staff negotiates access to the adjacent property, refines costs, and completes design work.
