Tulsa's Gathering Place Drops Manhattan Construction, Hires Crossland

The project manager for Tulsa's Gathering Place announced they are switching construction firms after completing the initial phases of dirt and utility work. Crossland Construction Company will replace Manhattan Construction at the helm of the project, according to Jeff Stava, executive director of Tulsa's Gathering Place.

Stava did not give a reason for the replacement other than to say the project is a team effort, and they are grateful for Manhattan's contributions.

“George Kaiser Family Foundation is thankful for Manhattan’s partnership on this effort as well as their work on other GKFF projects throughout the city of Tulsa," Stava said in a news release.

"They are a great corporate member of our community and we appreciate their leadership on the initial phase of the Gathering Place project."

Crossland will manage future phases of the project, and there will be no noticeable change to the budget or timeline for completion, the release states.

Special Coverage: A Gathering Place For Tulsa

John Priest, president of the southwest region for Crossland, said they look forward to joining the team behind the future park.

A two-mile stretch of Riverside Drive was closed last month for the construction project. Two land bridges will connect the park to the trails along the river and turn parks of the road into a tunnel. That closure is expected to last two years.

7/27/2015 Related Story: Brookside Traffic Ramping Up With Tulsa Riverside Construction

Major dirt work started in June with the topsoil scraped off to improve it and haul it back in. The City of Tulsa has been working on a concrete canal on the north side of the park that will improve drainage, taking water out to the Arkansas River. A second drainage line will run on the southeast corner of the park.

The $350 million park project is still in Phase I which is expected to be complete by the end of 2017. All the money funding the park is from private donors.