Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Projects topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
COPTA project office outlines $2.88 million South May remodel and $503,000 Transit Center restroom upgrade; TC to close during work
Summary
Project Management Office staff presented timelines, costs and scope for a multi-phase remodel of the South May administration building (bids ~ $2.88 million) and a Transit Center employee restroom expansion (estimated $503,000). Trustees accepted the report and asked questions about access during construction and restroom design.
Project Management Office staff from the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority outlined two capital projects at the agency’s Aug. 1 trustee meeting: a multi-phase remodel of the South May administration building and an employee restroom expansion at the Transit Center.
Candy Thompson, projects planner, said bids for the South May remodel came in at about $2,880,000 and that phase 1 work on the south side began May 12. She presented a timeline that schedules phase 1 completion Jan. 19, 2026, relocation of staff, the start of phase 2 on Feb. 24, 2026, and a project completion target of Aug. 3, 2026. Thompson said the contract has had one small change order (0.7%) to locate an unanticipated incoming electrical line discovered beneath a sidewalk; the project’s contract allows up to 10% in change orders.
Thompson described the remodel scope for the South May building as including new HVAC, plumbing and electrical work; replacement of a cast-iron sewer line with PVC; an interior rework that will create 16 private offices, 49 cubicles, three conference rooms, a large 42-person conference room, acoustic baffling and three sleep pods (one that can serve as a nursing room), plus expanded locker space and an operator lounge.
Joshua Pitt, project manager, presented the Transit Center restroom project as a targeted fix to reduce operator delay. He said the center’s pulsing bus schedule can put eight to nine buses at the terminal at the same time; limited stall capacity forces drivers to wait, which can delay route starts. The planned remodel will expand employee facilities by doubling stalls and fixtures: four stalls and two sinks in the women’s restroom and two stalls, two urinals and two sinks in the men’s restroom. The project will also move the employee entrance to improve circulation, add an indoor vestibule, and install a sink and new countertop in the break area. Pitt said the Transit Center interior will be closed to the public during construction; staff estimated closure could be four to six months for safety and access reasons.
Pitt gave an estimated project cost of $503,000 and said the team intends to complete the work in July 2026. Thompson said the South May contract was awarded to Cade after seven bidders; phase 1 is scheduled to finish in January 2026.
Trustees asked questions about restroom privacy and maintenance. One trustee compared U.S. stall-style partitions with some European restroom designs that offer more enclosed privacy; PMO staff said the main constraints for changing stall style were space and maintenance costs, though they did not rule out different designs in future facilities. Another trustee praised staff for the detailed timeline and the work so far.
The board voted to receive the program reports; no new contracts were approved at the meeting (the board had previously awarded the South May contract). PMO staff said they will continue to report progress to the trustees as construction proceeds.
