New conference center, hotel in the works for Broken Arrow

Plans for the facility started nearly 10 years ago when the citizens of Broken Arrow approved a General Obligation Bond for the construction of a conference center and hotel.

The project was put on hold because in 2004, there were questions if such a facility was feasible for Broken Arrow, and if it could be built to meet the needs of the community. The planning wasn’t the only issue.

“The economy tanked in the late2000s and it really stalled everything for five or six years.” Said Wes Smithwick, Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Corporation President and CEO.

The BAEDC’s staff and board of directors spent nearly 2 years researching the hospitality market and vetting potential development partners to ensure they found a developer that would best serve the Broken Arrow community.

"It is a big step forward to finally have identified a development partner, and is now only a matter of time before this project can be realized for the community", continued Smithwick.