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A federal grant will help area officials take the next step in the potential development of a new conference center in Weirton.
The United States Department of Agriculture awarded a $97,750 rural business development grant to the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle to assist with the early planning phases of the conference center, which is being eyed for a site along Park Drive.
"It shows one more federal agency that is willing to invest in Hancock and Brooke counties," explained Anthony Clements, program director for the BDC.
The grant would go toward costs for initial design work.
Park Drive already is seeing some development, with the construction of a new retail and residential area, funds for which were derived from grants from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the city of Weirton's Tax Increment Financing funds.
"Everybody who can has thrown skin in the game," noted BDC Assistant Executive Director Jacob Keeney.
For the first phase of the conference center project, the BDC is providing $5,000 toward the costs, with the Top of West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau contributing $20,000. The two entities also have approached Weirton Council about the possibility of supporting such a project, though no decision has been made.
In order to qualify for a rural business development grant from the USDA, a project has to show an impact on small businesses in the targeted area.
According to Keeney, development of a conference center, in addition to hosting local events, would be a draw for outside organizations, with people attending in need of hotel rooms, restaurants, cleaning services and more.
"It's a multiplier effect," he said.
The BDC and CVB already have funded a market analysis for a conference center, with support from the EPA, and are looking at options for buildings sized to either 9,000 square feet, 16,000 square feet or 24,000 square feet.