Jan. 24—By GREG JORDAN
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLUEFIELD — New highways are often a boon for communities along their routes, but sometimes these communities are not ready to reap any benefits, so a new program is being aimed at helping the communities close to the future King Coal Highway.
Jim Spencer, executive director of the Bluefield Economic Development Authority, spoke Tuesday to the Bluefield Board of Directors about Senate Bill 354, which is before the Legislature, and about the West Virginia Advanced Energy and Economic Corridor Authority Commission.
“I’ve been asked to speak at the West Virginia Economic Development Council Legislative Conference (today) in Charleston,” Spencer said. “I’ve been asked to speak ‘Why Bluefield?’ about Intuit and Alorica as far as a case study other folks in the state working in economic development can use.”
A section of the King Coal Highway opened late last year in Bluefield.
“We celebrated in December the opening part of the I-73/74 corridor. Some call it the King Coal Highway. West Virginia is part of the association with Myrtle Beach — this road goes from Myrtle Beach to Michigan — and each state is working on their parts. There’s three West Virginia folks appointed to that committee, and that is Robby Morrison in Charleston, Senator Bob Plymale and myself,” he said.
The idea for the King Coal Highway started in 1978 when the need for improved infrastructure in southern West Virginia sparked the movement for an interstate highway connecting six states, according to the National I-73/I-74/I-75 Association. The Bluefield to Huntington Association, formed in 1979, led this vision in West Virginia, gathering public support and bringing the project to the Legislature’s attention. By 1990, the goal had shifted to creating Interstate 73, leading to the formation of the I-73/I-74 Corridor Association in 1993. This advocacy led to the inclusion of the I-73/74 project in federal highway bills and its approval by President Bill Clinton in 1998.
This association was disbanded in 1999, but it reformed in 2006 under the leadership of Brad Dean, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, with an expanded scope to include Interstate 75.
“That’s part of the history,” Spencer said. “I want to talk about the future.”
Spencer showed the board members a King Coal Highway map displaying the route from Huntington to Bluefield. It highlighted a zone extending 5 miles from either side of the highway.
“And so when meeting with Senator Plymale (D-District 5) over a year ago, and he and I were brainstorming about some things over here in Bluefield, what we’re calling the Carbon Corridor out at John Nash (Boulevard) and things going on there, we talked about the I-73/74 corridor and it’s importance. Last week I spoke at the Senate Economic Development Committee to talk about Senate Bill 354,” Spencer recalled.
“And I told them that story that my father and grandfather were born in Kingston. How many of you know where Kingston is? It’s right there by Mossy. My grandmother graduated from Mahan High School. How many of you know where that’s at? You see, those places are gone. When that interstate went through, 77, there was no plan for those communities. And now they’re basically gone. We don’t want that to happen with I-73/74. Road patterns are going to change and we need to embrace that and try to take advantage of that.”
Senate Bill 354 will “create the West Virginia Advanced Energy and Economic Corridor Authority,” he told the board of directors.
“What does that do for Bluefield? Well, the corridor comes into Bluefield and exits at Huntington, so we need to prepare to look for opportunities to take advantage of this road coming through,” Spencer said.
“We’re looking for areas for development, commercial, industrial, things like that on both sides of that interstate,” Spencer stated. “And also when the road comes through being able to work with the contractors. Maybe they could field some areas for development, so this is building for the future and looking at infrastructure, workforce and all the critical things that we need to work together. We are stronger when we work together, so the bill came before the committee last week. It passed unanimously, the Senate Economic Development Committee, and it’s now on the House floor. Today since it’s public I’m going to go ahead and announce it. Senator Swope has done a tremendous job and I want to mention the others who are listed as patrons, but also Senator Plymale. He’s done an excellent job.”
Senate Bill 354, which is being sponsored by Senator Chandler Swope, R-District 6 as well as Senator Mark Maynard, R-District 6, Senator Glenn Jeffries, R-District 8 and Senator Mike Woelfel, D-District 5, would create the West Virginia Advanced Energy and Economic Corridor Authority Commission. In West Virginia, the King Coal Highway will run through McDowell, Mercer, Mingo and Wayne Counties.
The counties have “undergone significant challenges owing to widespread changes in the national and global economies; and every effort should be made to assist in the transformation of these regional economies by providing guidance to local government, business and industries which may maximize the economic development and diversification of those economies,” according to the bill. “Part of the National Highway System’s I-73/74 corridor from northern Michigan to eastern South Carolina, the Advanced Energy and Economic Corridor, will not only foster greater transportation efficiencies, but will also provide vital connectivity…”
“We want to make sure that we prepare for growth,” Spencer said. “This is the perfect opportunity, from Bluefield to Huntington and all of the area in between, to develop spots for development and plan development while the road is being built, looking for areas that could be fielded to make commercial industrial sites. We’re looking at 5 miles in both directions of the centerline of the road at how we can develop. It actually goes back to the I-73/74 corridor.”
Senator Swope said Senate Bill 354 is “the brainchild” of Senator Plymale, who represents Cabell County. Plymale has served in the Legislature for 32 years and is not running again.
Knowing that the new highway is coming, Plymale thought that unifying the economic development in the four counties along the King Coal Highway to make “a mini economic development committee” would help, Swope said.
Swope said that he believes along with Plymale that if work starts on economic development along the King Coal Highway corridor now, there is a better chance of giving communities along it a positive economic outcome. Creating the new economic development authority will also help it apply for grants and other funding.
“It’s good to see West Virginia moving forward and planning for growth for the next generation,” Spencer said.
— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
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