A downtown revitalization project in Wellsburg is getting a financial boost after U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito helped local volunteers secure a lump sum of money to put toward transforming the city’s downtown.

Capito said part of her interest in the effort is tied to housing needs and changing preferences, particularly among younger people.

“Part of it is housing, a lot of the housing we have in West Virginia and really across the country is older it doesn't match what younger people want,” Capito said. “They like to be downtown closer to where the action is where you can walk places instead of having to drive everywhere.”

One example of the project’s progress is work led by the Wellsburg Urban Renewal Authority, which has been working to change the look of a downtown Wellsburg building.

“This building has been empty for several years,” WURA Chair Alex Weld said. “The Wellburg URA purchased it a handful of years ago and ahs since been working to rehab it. We're all volunteers but um we're community members who really love this town so we've been working hard and writing grants and managing the project and Shelley Moore- Capito was one of the reasons why we got a congressionally spending award through the Small Business Administration and as you can see now we have a great small business in there the Kookie Jar and apartments on the second and third floor soon to be occupied.”

As plans continue to take shape, Capito said the goal is about more than physical improvements.

“It means a lot to me that rather than knock these old buildings down and sort of loose the flavor of Wellsburg it really revitalizes it and brings it back and it's going to bring more people back in and uh I think that's the key,” Capito said.