MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Monongalia County Commission has announced plans to relocate the health department and sell the property along Van Voorhis Road in a public auction.
Commissioner Sean Sikora said they have been working on the transaction for many years. He said it’s a very desirable piece of property on the WVU Medicine campus and centrally located in the city. The complicated process includes selling the existing building, locating a new facility, and then preparing the facility for the health department, Sikora said.
“The purchase price we have set is no less than the greater of $6 million or 75 percent of the appraised value,” Sikora said. “Which means someone would appraise it and bring it to us.”
The initial advertisement will hit the streets this week to begin the legal process of the sale.
“It’s going to be posted this week,” Sikora said. “It has to be posted for two consecutive weeks, and we can entertain bids on the 6th of May.”
Commissioner Jeff Arnett has been working on the sale since he came to the body in 2021. His work has included negotiating the sale and looking for the next home for the Monongalia County Health Department.
“I feel like we’ve looked at every possibility within five miles of the current location to find a new home for the Monongalia County Health Department,” Arnett said. “We think we have an idea of where we are moving next and I’m excited about the prospect.”
Before a law was passed in the most recent legislature, the process to make the sale would have been very complicated. The options for the sale would have been to run the sale through the Mon County Development Authority or the County Building Commission, or they could sell to WVU and allow them to sell the property to WVU Medicine.
“I want to thank the delegates and senators in Monongalia County,” Bloom said. “Here’s a perfect example of the Democrats and Republicans working together on a Monongalia County issue, and we got it passed and can move forward.”
Commissioners also approved retaining the services of the Stephens Law Office to represent them as an intervener in the Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link (MARL) Project. Commissioners said Brad Stephens has extensive knowledge and will represent the commission as the process moves forward.
During the public portion, Judith Delegarza asked the commission to share their resolution opposing the project with U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice along with Riley Moore, R, 2, WVa. She pointed to comments from Senator Capito that appeared to send a mixed signal about whether or not she opposes the project.
“They need to understand there will be no power coming from the MARL for use by our residents or businesses,” Delegarza said. “This line was approved to provide power for the data centers in northern Virginia.”