WVLSC Wins $500,000 EPA Grant

Remediation of Industrial Park’s Smokestacks Property Begins This Fall

The WVLSC was awarded a $500,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Cleanup Grant to prepare a 2.31-acre parcel in the Morgantown Industrial Park for redevelopment. The WVLSC will use Cleanup Grant funds and in-kind contributions from industrial Park owner Enrout Properties to remediate environmental hazards and demolish dilapidated structures on the property. Once remediation is completed, Enrout plans to build a loading and storage facility on the site to make transferring commodities hauled in by train more efficient.

This is just one part of a larger effort to strengthen the Park’s infrastructure. Enrout is currently updating its barge access and working closely with state and county officials on development of a new interchange off I-79 that would improve access to the Park. The combination of interstate, rail, and barge access will help attract new businesses and provide better route options for companies hauling large loads.

Seeking New Land Bank Properties

The WVLSC Land Bank focuses on previously-used, strategically located commercial or industrial properties whose current owner is willing to sell or convey. It assesses and remediates each property’s environmental issues and leverages grant funds and public and private investment to help communities maximize their developable land and stimulate economic growth. Using the WVLSC as an interim property owner can provide access to funding that isn’t available to individuals or for-profit entities and help put problem properties back to good use.

If you know of a property that might be a good fit, contact us to find out more.

Sustainable Planning and Assessment for Recreation and Commerce (SPARC) Assessments Continue

This Spring the WVLSC conducted limited Phase II environmental assessment of the Historic Morgantown Post Office building on High Street using EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant funds. The building is owned by Your Community Foundation and is currently undergoing a feasibility study to determine plans for its historic preservation and renovation.

The WVLSC plans to conduct a Phase I at another riverfront property in the coming weeks and will also be conducting additional assessments at the Smokestacks property in the Morgantown Industrial Park in preparation for the development of a remediation plan for the property.

Empower Albright Project Progresses

Despite limitations on public meetings due to Covid 19, the task force assembled to address the planned reuse of the former Albright Power Plant and the removal of the associated dam on the Cheat River continues to make progress. This Spring the WVLSC entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Friends of the Cheat to coordinate efforts to safely remove the dam.

We’re Moving!

Although we loved our time in the Seneca Center, we are relocating our office to a new co-working space in downtown Morgantown. The WVLSC will be one of several non-profits located in the upstairs of the Spruce Center, which was recently purchased by the Morgantown Land Reuse and Preservation Agency. The building is next to the Farmers Market Pavilion downtown and is now part of the City’s downtown campus.