http://www.newsok.com/article/3399996  Friday, September 11

By MICHAEL MCNUTT

The state Democratic Party headquarters is moving to Bricktown.

Party Chairman Todd Goodman said he signed a lease for office space at 401 E California Ave.The party will move next month from the first floor of the George Krumme Center, 4100 N Lincoln Blvd, Goodman said.

The party will pay about half the rent for the Bricktown space, Goodman said. He estimated savings of about $20,000 a year.

He said the Carl Albert Foundation, bought the Krumme building and leased it to the state Democratic Party at below-market rent. However, rent rose after Oklahoma Property Investors, a company led by former first lady Rhonda Walters, bought the building. The company is owned by Walters Power International; of which former Gov. David Walters is president.

The decision to move offices has concerned some Democrats.

E-mails last month between Goodman and David Walters about rent and renovations were posted last week on the Democrats of Oklahoma Community Forum’s Web site.

The e-mails show that Walters agreed to reduce the rent and renovate office space.

In a statement released Thursday night, Walters said: "If the Central Committee of the Democratic Party decides to accept another offer and move to another location, that is certainly their prerogative and we wish them well.”

Goodman said leases don’t require approval from the party’s central committee. He said the party appreciates Krumme’s help and will name the new office the George Krumme Center.

The buildings are about the same distance from the state Capitol, he said.

"We’ll get more visibility,” he said. "There’s obviously a lot more life during the day than the traffic that goes by on Lincoln.

"It’s an exciting part of Oklahoma City and, Oklahoma City being the capital of the state, it’s an exciting part of the state,” Goodman said.