Creek County Human Services Center Groundbreaking Scheduled

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL -- The Oklahoma Department of Human Services will hold a groundbreaking at 3 p.m. on Nov. 7 for its new Creek County Human Services Center in Sapulpa. The center will be located on Dewey Ave. (U.S. Highway 66) between Hickory and Mounds on the north side of the road.
The new human services center to be constructed on the site will be 25,812 square feet and will house 107 employees once completed. The center will bring together two human service office locations that are currently located in separate buildings in Sapulpa; the human services center located in the old post office building downtown and the Child Support Enforcement offices that are several blocks away.

OKDHS Director Howard H. Hendrick told the human services commission in October that the project was necessary to move staff from buildings that were tired and needed more maintenance and repair than funds should be spent. Staff, space and technology needs have also outgrown what is necessary to provide adequate services for the citizens of Creek County. The new facility will co-locate services and will meet the demands of buildings that have a considerable amount of daily public traffic.

Pending the approval of bonds being secured to fund the project and bids being let for construction, the project should be underway by mid summer 2008 and the new center should be ready for occupancy by the fall of 2009.

The Oklahoma Legislature approved the paying of the debt service on the bonds during the 2006 session. The estimated cost of the new center is $4.4 million. The Small Group architectural firm has been retained to begin designs for the new center.

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