Stride Bank takes first steps towards Doolin move

Stride Bank is taking its first steps towards its new site on Doolin where it will continue operations as normal, allowing the City of Blackwell to relocate its City Hall to the Stride Bank building on the corner of Main Street and Blackwell Avenue. 

As discussed at a city council meeting in May 2024, Stride Bank is donating their large facility to the City of Blackwell which will relocate from west Blackwell Ave down to the bank building. 

The move will also allow for the City of Blackwell’s Public Safety building, currently housing the Blackwell Fire Department and Police Department as well as dispatch and the holding cells, to split up. 

The Blackwell Police Department will move their administrative operations to the current City Hall building, allowing Blackwell Fire to maintain operations at the current FD / PD. The Blackwell Fire Department also has another site on 13th Street, Station 2, which officially opened earlier this year. 

Dispatch holding cells will remain in the current FD / PD building.

The “new City Hall” which will move into the Stride Building will house City of Blackwell’s Administration as well as Code Enforcement and Utility, also allowing more space for the potential of other entities being housed there as well. 

The move, as discussed at the May 2024 meeting previously mentioned, will not require any remodeling or costly work done to the building. 

While plans are still being solidified, City Council meetings and municipal court are still expected to be held in the current City Hall building after the move.

City Manager Jerry Wieland previously spoke on the matter, noting that it should be as simple as moving offices and computers and that the infrastructure of the bank as-is will allow the City of Blackwell’s operations to seamlessly move. 

“It’s a tremendous opportunity to take possession of what, I think, is one of the most beautiful buildings in town. Moving City Hall would, I believe, be a shot in the arm for the downtown area. It would increase traffic, driving more people downtown, which would benefit our Main Street businesses,” said Wieland.

As the building is a donation to the City of Blackwell, Wieland noted that any possible incurred costs would be minimal as Stride is expected to leave much of the furniture and other items at the building.

The City of Blackwell is also acquiring the bank’s drive-through windows on Blackwell Avenue and B Street and the plan, tentatively, is to offer Blackwell residents a way to pay their bills through the drive-through as well as in-person.