Rogers State University buys building in downtown Bartlesville

Monday, December 6th 2004, 10:13 am

By: News On 6

The OU Board of Regents just approved a major expansion plan for a Green Country university. Rogers State University will now move forward with a plan to buy a landmark building in Bartlesville.

News on 6 anchor Craig Day went to Washington County to find out what it will mean to students and the community.

Andrea Tanner and Lindsey Timmons are both students at Rogers State University in Bartlesville. Their campus is small and until now, they would likely have had to commute to Claremore to finish their degrees. Andrea Tanner: "This is really really small and they don't have. They don't really offer what they do in Claremore."

But RSU says students will soon walk the halls of a new campus in downtown Bartlesville. RSU spokesperson Brent Ortolani: "With this new branch campus, we'll be able to expand the number of students we'll be able to serve, expand the faculty here. Expand the services available to students and student activities."

Rogers State University is buying the 9-story Reda building at 4th Street and Dewey Avenue in downtown Bartlesville. â€œThe building was built in 1919 as the original headquarters of City Service Oil Company.â€

The university will use the top few floors in the 170,000 square foot building. The other floors will be leased out to businesses. With the expansion to a much larger facility in downtown Bartlesville, Rogers State University hopes to expand its degree programs as well.

It is welcome news for Andrea Tanner and Lindsey Timmons. Lindsey Timmons: "I would like to be able to get my degree here without going anywhere else." Craig Day: "Now that could be possible?" Lindsey: "Yes.â€ RSU plans to begin offering classes at the new location by the fall of 2005.

About 400 students are now enrolled at RSU Bartlesville. The University hopes by expanding to a new facility, it will have an enrollment of 2,000 students in Bartlesville by the year 2015.