Claremore's City Council has approved more than $75 million in infrastructure projects covering streets, electric service, water and sewer systems, and stormwater drainage, all funded by a sales tax increase voters approved last year. The package is designed to modernize aging systems across the city while accommodating residential and commercial growth.
The money comes from a one-cent sales tax Claremore voters approved in 2025, according to KOKI FOX 23. The new rate pushed the city's sales tax from 3% to 4%, and that higher rate took effect July 1, per News 6. City Manager John Feary said the additional revenue will fund critical projects to boost public utilities, road safety and storm resiliency, and he said the investment fulfills a commitment to voters to reinvest tax proceeds in the community.
Streets and Intersections Get the Biggest Single Chunk
Street and transportation improvements received $17.4 million of the package, with work set to begin immediately. That includes construction on Frederick Road, intersection improvements at Blue Starr Road and Sioux Avenue, and at Will Rogers Boulevard and J.M. Davis Boulevard, along with design work for the Archer Avenue, Holly Street and Brady Street intersection. Funding also covers the first phase of improvements to Muskogee Avenue and roadway resurfacing and rehabilitation citywide, with the overall street improvement program expected to span 48 months and potentially take up to four years.
The Frederick Road work alone is an $8 million project expected to take place over the next two years, the same News 6 report notes. Separately, a council-level financing vote reported by citizenportal.ai authorized staff to shop a financing package not to exceed $48.5 million, carrying an interest cap of 6%, tied to a larger $85 million project list covering substation expansions, relay replacements, reconductoring work and multiple street and utility projects.
Electric Grid Upgrades Target Growing Demand
The electric utility system received more than $26 million under the plan. That money covers construction of Substation No. 6, capacity improvements at Substation No. 1, and installation of an advanced electric metering system throughout the city. According to the city, these upgrades are part of Claremore's long-term infrastructure plan, intended to meet growing power demand and expand system capacity, though city officials say the work is not tied to any specific industrial project.
A separate, nearly $3 million project will upgrade the substation serving areas north and east of Claremore, including the community of Sequoyah, per News 6's earlier reporting. That outlet also reported the city is planning a broader citywide power-system upgrade that includes building a new substation and increasing capacity at several existing facilities.
Water and Sewer Lines Slated for Overhaul
Water system upgrades received $13 million and are planned for completion within 36 months. Those projects include installing an AMI water metering system, design work to replace the raw water intake at a lake dam, water line replacements beneath U.S. 66 beginning at Seventh Street, and planned water line work along Will Rogers Boulevard between First and Fifth Streets.
Sanitary sewer improvements received $10 million, covering the second phase of the Valley View sewer line replacement, line replacements in Stonegate, and sewer rehabilitation in Original Town. The sewer program also includes design and permitting for future wastewater treatment plant expansions and a new sewer line serving the east side of Claremore. Per city officials, the upgrades will allow outdated systems to be decommissioned and reduce long-term taxpayer costs.
Stormwater and drainage projects received $7.8 million, funding drainage improvements at Industrial Avenue and Jay Street, storm drain rehabilitation along Muskogee Avenue, Weenonah Avenue and Chickasaw Avenue, and the first phase of rehabilitation for the historic downtown storm tunnel. The water, sewer and stormwater work is expected to be completed in phases over approximately 36 months.
A Fraction of a Much Larger Need
Even at $75 million, the new plan addresses only part of what the city says it actually needs. Claremore faces an estimated $387 million in unmet infrastructure needs beyond the scope of this plan, according to the City of Claremore, which noted the city's current five-year capital project list was projected to take 17 years to complete because of funding limitations tied to inflation and rising materials and labor costs.
On the sewer side specifically, Claremore needs to invest $90 million in its aging sewer system to keep up with growth, according to an engineering firm's multi-year study reported by the Claremore Progress. That figure covers short-, medium- and long-term projects both at the wastewater treatment plant and along city sewer lines, and stems from a sewer master plan the city has been developing since 2022 with Garver Engineering.
The new plan builds on recent completed work. The city finished a $28 million project to modernize its water treatment plant, a five-year effort designed specifically around Claremore's water source and treatment needs, according to FOX23. That outlet reported the city has invested more than $50 million in its water distribution system and treatment plant over the past eight years, with studies projecting the improvements will support anticipated growth through 2070.
City officials say they will share construction progress, project milestones and traffic-impact updates through the city website, mobile app and Facebook page as the multi-year work gets underway.
