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Council discusses Doctor Pepper sponsorship to preserve historic water tower
Summary
Council described a proposed 10-year Doctor Pepper partnership to repaint and preserve an out-of-service water tower rather than demolish it; some residents objected to corporate branding while staff framed the deal as cost-neutral preservation and a public-art opportunity.
Council members and staff described a proposed partnership with Doctor Pepper in which the company would fund repainting and restoration of an out-of-service Norman water tower in exchange for placed branding for up to 10 years. Mayor Holman said the city faced a roughly $500,000 demolition cost and that the sponsorship would preserve the historic structure at approximately the same cost, while opening possibilities for future nonpotable uses for the tower.
Some residents objected to the appearance of corporate branding on a prominent skyline landmark and said they would have preferred a public process; others praised the move as a creative way to preserve local history without a significant city outlay. Mayor Holman said staff had explored other options and that the Doctor Pepper proposal offered an opportunity to keep the tower and create a visible civic landmark rather than tearing it down.
