After facing demolition, the Lindsey Street water tower is being revitalized as the “Fansville” water tower through a contract with Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc. that will allow the city of Norman to share the cost of the tower’s refurbishment. However, with the city’s recent approval of light fixtures and a pocket park, there has been online discourse concerning the city’s plans to fund the project and its future maintenance.
The water tower was deemed unfit to store drinkable water in 2014. Because of its deterioration, Norman City Council had planned to demolish it, concluding it would not be economically feasible to use the tower for non-potable water storage in 2024. The cost of demolition would amount to around $400,000, according to an estimate presented at the July 14 City Council Conference.
In a July Facebook post, Norman Mayor Stephen Tyler Holman announced he and the city staff decided to move forward in repainting the nearly 100-year-old water tower.
“It’s the oldest water tower still standing in our city, and while it has been out of service since 2010, it has remained a familiar landmark for generations, including mine,” Holman wrote. “I grew up in this area, and this tower has been a constant presence my entire life.”
Norman City Council approved a contract with Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc. on July 21 to put the company's logo on the tower. As part of the agreement, Dr Pepper will pay the city a fee totaling $500,000 over a 10 year period beginning Jan. 15, 2027.
“This agreement ensures it will be preserved and maintained for years to come,” Holman wrote in a Facebook post.
Holman wrote in the same post that he sees potential to use the tower for storage of non-potable water that could be utilized for irrigation of areas including Reaves Park and its surrounding areas.
At a Norman City Council meeting July 28, the council unanimously approved a contract between TMI Coatings LLC and Norman Utilities Authority that priced resurfacing the tank at $532,200. This price included a three-coat paint system and two logos on opposite sides of the tank. The water tower’s updates are projected to last a minimum of ten years.
To fund the project, $276,874.04 is to come from a capital budget fund intended for the Lindsey Street water tower, according to a staff report. An additional $300,000 was reallocated to the Lindsey Street water tower from funds that previously intended to finance the Robinson Street water tower resurfacing, which was completed in 2024.
Norman City Council approved a bid Oct. 20 from AMR Industrial Coatings, Inc. for the water tower’s lighting priced at $150,173. In addition, the council approved a request from the parks and recreation department for $50,000, which will help fund park landscaping.
The funding comes from the guest tax — a tax on visitors’ overnight stays in short-term rentals, hotels and motels in Norman, which is intended to fund community areas and programs.
The Norman Utilities Authority expects low costs to maintain the tower, according to City of Norman Utilities Director Chris Mattingly.
“This one will not have drinking water in it so I suspect we will only need to mow and maintain the grounds,” Mattingly wrote in an email to the Daily.
Other than park maintenance costs, Mattingly wrote that costs will also include the replacement of beacon lighting that alerts air traffic, possible repair of LED lighting and eventually a new paint coating.
“If some of the lighting needs repaired for any reason, (Parks and Recreation) will most likely use similar style contractors that are not afraid of climbing these 100-ft heights,” Mattingly wrote. “The TNEMEC paint coating is sometimes known to get 30 years but we anticipate this paint job to last 10-20 based on the contractor used Series 700 Hydoflon and we allowed it to go 30+ years as it was last painted in 1989-93 timeframe.”
Line Maintenance Division Manager Scott Aynes wrote that on average, a tower beacon light lasts 10 years or more. Aynes added that a replacement would cost $500 with the labor to replace the light currently priced at $1,250.
According to City of Norman’s Director of Parks and Recreation, Jason Olsen, the department is installing native, drought-resistant landscaping that will require little maintenance. Olsen additionally wrote that the park will require minimal mowing.
“All maintenance will be covered by existing staffing and nothing contracted out,” Olsen wrote. “So the cost of maintaining this small pocket park will be covered by existing funding, aside from the start-up capital required to create the park.”
According to a press release from a Dr Pepper spokesperson, a ribbon cutting event for the new park will be held Nov. 13 at 11 a.m.; essential partners and Norman leaders along with “Fansville” sheriff and former OU football player Brian Bosworth will attend the event.
The Lindsey Street water tower’s renovation progress has been as follows:
•Norman City Council discussed potential demolition or restoration on July 14.
•Norman City Council approved a contract with Dr Pepper on July 21 to put the company’s logo on the water tower.
•Norman City Council approved using capital budget and remaining funds from the Robinson Street water tower refurbishment July 28 to fund the renovation costs not covered by Dr Pepper.
•Work on the water tower began Aug. 17.
•The renovation was projected to be completed mid-October.
•The renovation’s completion was delayed to November.
•Funding for lighting and park addition was approved during the Oct. 20 city council meeting.
•Dr Pepper logos were completed Oct. 21.
•The Dr Pepper “Fansville” water tower’s ribbon cutting has been set to Nov. 13 at 11 a.m.
“What began as a creative vision for an iconic water tower,” the press release stated, “has evolved into a permanent gathering place where fans can connect, celebrate gameday traditions and experience a piece of Fansville - the longest running active College Football campaign - in real life.”
This story was edited by Spencer Windholz. Andrew Higgins and Kennedy Johnson copy edited this story.
