MORGANTOWN — Glenn Adrian, co-owner of Enrout Properties, and therefore the Morgantown Industrial Park, said news is imminent regarding a major employer coming to the park.
“Hopefully, next week. It’s been a long, arduous process,” Adrian said Wednesday, following the Monongalia County Commission meeting. “Something this big takes time, but hopefully next week there will be some news on that.”
That employer, officially unofficially identified as Mountaintop Beverage, has been called a “game-changer.”
Adrian previously described the outfit as a clean manufacturer looking to operate around the clock, seven days a week, in a facility of at least 300,000 square feet.
The commitment of this company is what helped drive the expansion of the park through the creation of a second Morgantown Industrial Park TIF district, as well as the push to create a back entrance to the park via an overhauled I-79 Harmony Grove interchange.
As for the TIF district, the commission on Wednesday approved a term sheet from MVB bank for a private placement of the new Series 2021 A bonds in an amount not to exceed $10 million.
“This funding would provide the infrastructure and site development needs for this additional, large project that’s been targeted,” Bond counsel Tom Aman, of Steptoe & Johnson, explained.
Part of those infrastructure needs include millions in water and sewer upgrades from the Morgantown Utility Board in order to handle the demand from Mountaintop Beverage, and the park expansion.
Through the TIF process, Enrout will pay for the sewer upgrades as well as a portion of the water enhancements, the remainder of which will likely be covered by a U.S. Economic Development Administration grant.
As for the new I-79 interchange, Adrian said he’s hopeful the West Virginia Division of Highways can wrap up the various environmental and traffic studies this fall and move forward selecting one of the three designs being considered.
He said the two leaders at this point are both divergent diamond-style interchanges.
“Our budget was $30-$35 million and we think it could be less than that. Not much less, but that’s what the state was interested in, making sure the cost doesn’t go crazy,” Adrian said. “We’re encouraged. We’re encouraged by the cost and we’re encouraged by the design, hopefully minimizing the right-of-way needed. It looks very favorable.”
Commissioner Tom Bloom said the new interchange and industrial park expansion is just one of the reasons why Monongalia County will continue moving forward despite the closure of Mylan Pharmaceuticals, now Viatris.
He pointed to the continued growth of the WestRidge development as well as the plan to overhaul nearly 10 contiguous acres along Morgantown’s Richwood Avenue, and the development of a new I-68 commerce park in conjunction with the Morgantown Municipal Airport’s runway extension project as others.
“Yes, there are concerns, but I want it very clear that the three county commissioners will work with the city of Morgantown and other cities. We’re not going to sit back,” Bloom said. “We’re probably the only community that could take this punch and move forward. Yes, it’s going to be difficult. But we’re going to continue to work.”
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