Parks director proposes OU student-built shelter at Rees Park amid $600,000 playground grant

Parks Director Jason Olson proposed a partnership with the University of Oklahoma School of Architecture to have fifth-year architecture and senior construction-science students design and build a park shelter to complement a new playground at Rees Park. Olson said the playground received notice of a $600,000 TSET grant and that the city would place $75,000 into an owner-direct materials budget for the student-built shelter, with a 10% administration fee to cover non-material costs.

Brian Bloom, who teaches in OU’s construction-science division, described the program’s model of donated student labor and client-provided materials. “We donate the students’ labor, 100%. There’s no labor cost to our clients,” Bloom said, noting previous projects have ranged from roughly $10,000 to $90,000 and typically fit a 600–1,200 square-foot scale that can be completed across the academic year. Olson told council staff will coordinate permitting and reviews with public works and planning so students gain municipal-process experience.

Council members expressed broad support and asked how local schools or nonprofits could participate; staff said groups typically approach the program but offered to help with grant-assembly and will bring concept designs and a cost estimate back to council in mid-September. The parks team emphasized that the partnership is meant to be repeatable, giving students construction experience while reducing design cost for the city.