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Dignitaries broke ground midday Friday at the corner of Silas Street and Osage Avenue near the Bartlesville Community Center. The ceremonial groundbreaking was for the highly anticipated Tower Center at Unity Square project.

Oklahoma Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell was one of those dignitaries for Friday's groundbreaking. As the Secretary of Tourism & Branding, Pinnell said the project will help Northeast Oklahoma thrive.

Pinnel said Friday that a gathering space like the upcoming Tower Center at Unity Square space opens up opportunities for citizens to go out an visit other tourism sites in the area. The Bartlesville, Pawhuska and Ponca City locations offer what Pinnel called a "three-day package" for people to enjoy. He said he believes the three City locations combined offer the hottest tourism attractions in Oklahoma.

With that in mind, Pinnell said the Department of Tourism has to do a better job of promoting the tourism destinations in Northeast Oklahoma. While Pawhuska has been famously known for The Pioneer Woman, Pinnell said they need to point people outwards toward locations like the Price Tower in Bartlesville and the rich culture in Ponca City.

Projects like the Tower Center at Unity Square will help with that tourism extension, but Pinnell said they need to keep creating marketing campaigns in the Department of Tourism to show the whole package in the area.

Designed by Ambler Architects, the Tower Center at Unity Square project will sit proudly between Frank Lloyd Wright's historic Price Tower Arts Center and the Taliesin-designed Bartlesville Community Center. Bartlesville's Vice Mayor Alan Gentges was also a dignitary and said there are still plenty of steps to take now that the groundbreaking ceremony is over.

Currently the sewer and storm water projects are underway along a part of Silas Street. Once that project is complete, some demolition may take place before construction for the project starts in early June. Bidding will most like start in April. The Tower Green Design Committee that Gentges co-chairs tabled sending unit price items and bid alternates to Bartlesville's City Council as they await a guaranted estimate with Jonesplan. You can read more on that story here.

Gentes said when he ran for Council, he heard a lot of citizens say they could not understand why project would be approved if they took a long time. He said he remembered their words and wanted to be on this project so it could be completed quickly and efficiently for the people.

According to Gentges, the hope is to have the project completed by October 31st. He said the City of Bartlesville should see that happen as long as everyone works together.