WCEDA.ORG

A Note from the Executive Director

Prichard Intermodal Facility

Work to acquire the landfill is still in progress. Western Gate (Brandon) has had numerous contacts with the local Republic representative and we continue to press on this rather time-limited initiative. It may well be that we must visit their corporate HQ (Phoenix or Lexington; at this point it is not clear) to conclude. If this is necessary we will do so sometime within the next 30 days. At a meeting this past week in Mingo county, Senator Sypolt (from Kingwood) suggested that he could set a meeting with Brandon and myself and the CEO of Mountaineer Contractors in Charleston and hopefully at the next interim of the Legislature the third week of November. My understanding is that all of the earthmoving previously contracted for from the bridge site on US 52 has been completed but the land acquisitions (Dillon and Viers) have not.

True construction is most likely to commence in late March, 2013. I anticipate some sort of ground-breaking event before that (and perhaps as early as November), but that is not really clear at this time. Recent discussions with RTI have re-emphasized the importance of pursuing appropriate infrastructure improvements as soon as possible. Western Gate is pursuing at least two grants to gain funding for property purchase and to assay site selection and infrastructure needs for our initiatives there. We continue (Western gate and WCEDA) to work on mapping and property acquisitions in the area and are very grateful for the professional assistance Herma Davis has brought to the effort.

Coyne

Nothing to report at this time, and no contacts this month from either EPA or Coyne.

Corbin

Clean-up continues with Scott Pancake to meet Brandon on site Friday to discuss putting more emergency lighting in the basement such that clean-up may be finalized. Brandon will have a more extensive report in the Western Gate segment, including where we are in terms of completion date, a possible "yard sale", and funds acquired through sale of salvage. Cameras have not yet been installed and some outside weed cutting has been done. Brandon has been contacted by a company who may wish to enter a lease-purchase agreement (or outright sale) and will describe in the Western Gate report.

TSA

The Industrial Roads grant application for the additional funding to complete the infrastructure part of the Southside project has been submitted. Significant questions have been raised by the Development Office concerning the potential KCI development and the additional costs described (+160,000 dollars) in the new application over and above the original cost estimates. At this time it is not clear how successful this proposal may prove to be.

LED Grant

WCEDA is officially the "local economic development" entity for Wayne County, and has been since mid-July, according to Brett Jones. I have been in touch Marc Sprouse regarding this designation and how it impacts budgeting for HADCO and we have discussed the possibility that , for this fiscal year (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013) we could share funding with HADCO as a repayment for their assistance in making certain the requirement for a jobs retention plan were robust and replicable. New information regarding LED and how the requirements to qualify may be observed has been gained at a recent meeting in Mingo County with the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority (Steve Kominar) and I have asked Brandon and Carol to follow-up over the next week or so and to prepare our application as soon as possible. This process dove-tails with our previous discussions regarding adding a VISTA volunteer or using the EXCEL program (presently de-funded) to acquire low or no-cost assistance for WCEDA.

New Offices

Carol is pursuing signage for our offices and I would hasten to say that, while it may well cost upwards of 3000 dollars, the mock-ups we have seen are very noteworthy.

MISC.

a. Prichard PSD request: We have not yet received any further documentation vis Burke Hollow and the Prichard PSD. However: Speaker Thompson has made a request for 45K from the IJDC budget directly to the development office and, at present, I am not aware of the response.

b. I have heard that the Ceredo grocery store initiative is moving forward but have not had any recent descriptive delivered to me regarding time frame.

c. The new Behavioral Health center (next to Griffith and Fiel) has had its licensure approved by OFLAC and is now operating as per its business model.

d. While the landfill initiative is involved in the main with just the initial acquisition of the property we continue to gather information.etc. regarding the possible placement of a recycling center there.

e. WCEDA is acting as intermediary between the County Commission and Sogefi to redesign incentives for the placement of a new manufacturing process in the area of the plant that was originally sited for the now-passé suspension assembly line. I expect Mr. Thomas to meet individually with each county commissioner sometime in the next 2 weeks.

f. Earlier this month a marketing representative hired by DNR was in the area to do a survey analysis for Beech Fork (I believe in a 50 mile radius). It is my understanding that this report will be delivered shortly. At this time I have no other/new information regarding the construction of the Lodge.

Don Perdue
Wayne County Economic Development Authority