Eastern Oklahoma Development District has contracted to buy the former OG&E office building in downtown Muskogee for $210,000.

The 14,000 square foot building in the 500 block of Court Street is three times larger than the present EODD office building at 1012 N. 38th St., EODD officials said. The OG&E building was appraised earlier at $500,000.

Al Stevens, manager of Community Relations for OG&E, was the last person to office in the building. He moved from the building in June 2007.

At one time, OG&E accounting offices for the area were in the building, as well as meter readers, consultants, and salesmen, and the outer office was where people paid their electric bills. Those services later were centralized and all outlying offices were closed, Stevens said.

Ardmore, Norman and Muskogee offices were among the last to close, he said.

In an earlier board discussion, EODD officials estimated there would be some repairs to be made to the OG&E building, including removing some asbestos from the boiler room.

Air conditioners also would have to be removed from the roof and put on the ground, said EODD Executive Committee Chairman Jim Hargrove of Wagoner.

The Department of Commerce, which already occupies an office in the present EODD building would move with EODD.

There would be other space available in the building, EODD officials said.

Reach Donna Hales at 918-684-2923 or Click Here to Send Email