According to engineering reports, temporary bracing work to the first three floors of the six-story Financial Building at 111. N. Peters is complete, and "clear zone" recommendations have been relaxed.

With three levels of bracing complete, the city has relaxed the threshold wind velocity criterion from 50 mph to 60 mph, officials said.

"The design intent of the temporary bracing was to produce a lateral system that could safely resist code level wind forces while a permanent solution was designed and implemented," said a press release issued Friday by the City of Norman. "Prior to the bracing efforts, structural engineers reported the building could sustain wind speeds of 50 mph" before the clear zone was instituted.

The "clear zone," established on several occasions, required the evacuation of certain properties adjacent to the Financial Building as well as traffic modifications to Peters Avenue and Main Street.

Engineers determined earlier this year that the concrete building constructed in the early 1970s had insufficient lateral support and could potentially collapse in extremely strong winds. The building's 18 tenants, including Vista Sports Grill and several law offices, were evacuated in February due to the structural integrity concerns.

Work on the fourth floor also is complete, officials said. However, the City's engineering evaluation report is not finished, so the fourth floor work was not considered in relaxing the threshold wind velocity criterion.

"Additional modifications to the wind speed threshold may occur as the interior bracing continues," the release stated.

For more information, e-mail Susan Connors, director of planning and community development at susan.connors@normanok.gov.

Tom Blakey 366-3540 tblakey@normantranscript.com