City officials have unveiled new design schematics for the planned rebuild phase of Bluefield’s 400 block.
The engineering and design plans were prepared by Thrasher Engineering and were presented last week to U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.
The city is seeking Congressionally Directed Spending, formerly known as a federal earmark, from Capito and U.S. Senator Jim Justice, R-W.Va., for the project as well as grant funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission, according to the preliminary designs released last week.
The Bluefield Economic Development Authority, which oversaw the initial abatement and demolition phases, will turn the project back over to the city, according to Anthony Heltzel, city clerk and assistant city attorney.
“We want to make it basically a city center,” Heltzel said of the 400 block. “We want to make it multi-use, you know, where you can have something similar to Fridays in the Park like Beckley does where we can have live music and movable stages.”
Heltzel said the goal is to bring more foot traffic downtown.
“We can have vendors come in and we can line both sides of the street with food trucks and have live music and just a place for people to come and hang out,” Heltzel said. “One of the other things we are looking at is a large blow-up inflatable screen where we can play WVU football games. And then after people watch the game, or before they watch the game, they can run over to the RailYard, grab a burger and get something from the food trucks. And if we can make it a city center that people are attending, then we will have businesses pop up around it.”
According to the schematics on display last week at city hall, the rebuild phase seeks to create a welcoming, lively and active downtown.
The design graphic said $2.45 million in funding has already been spent, which includes the remediation and demolition phases. The graphic said the project includes streetscape and infrastructure improvements and flexibility for event programming.
The graphic, which was prepared by Thrasher Engineering, said the rebuild phase supports both public and private investment near the 400 block.
The latest design illustration shows a vibrant downtown center with people walking, eating and sitting on benches. It shows a possible fountain or splash pad for children, an amphitheater for outdoor concerts and shows, trees, lighting, spaces for food trucks and other improvements.
Heltzel said not only live music is possible, but also birthday parties and even flea markets.
A coffee shop is plan-ned adjacent to the 400 block, near Kammer’s Furniture company, and a distillary and tasting site is still in the works for Bluefield Bourbon.
The distillary project developer is working to meet a number of state regulations, according to Jeff Disibbio, president and chief executive officer of the Chamber of Commerce of the Two Virginias.
Bluefield Bourbon is produced in Kentucky, and Dissibio said the laws between the states are different.
“The number of laws to be able to apply to the creation and distribution of alcohol apparently is tremendously different,” Dissibio said. “So it has taken him a very long time to be able to get through all the hurdles in order to be able to open. So that’s kind of slowed his progress.”
Heltzel showed the 400 block plans to Capito on Feb. 20 with city and county officials at city hall.
The 400 block project began two years ago with the remediation of several dilapidated structures downtown, including the former JCPenney and Montgomery Ward buildings, followed by the demolition of those and five other structures. Electricity was restored to the 400 block area late last year.