FAIRMONT, W.Va. –– The city of Fairmont is poised for a year of growth, development, and utility upgrades.
Fairmont City Manager Travis Blosser said in recent months they’ve been able to acquire the old box factory property for redevelopment; welcome the maker of gourmet charcoal maker Prime 6; acquire the former Novelis facility by Kibar Americas; and announce a plan to deal with Locust Avenue properties damaged during Father’s Day flooding last year. The state Department of Highways has also awarded a contract to Anderson Excavating for the repaving of the Gateway Connector that is expected to start soon.
In preparation of the paving work, the city has been upgrading sidewalks and sidewalk ramps to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and to complete the work before paving starts.
“Millions of dollars in asphalt resurfacing that’s happening by the state Department of Highways and being prioritized in the city of Fairmont,” Blosser said on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.” “The Gateway Connector is next on the list, and that contract has already been awarded—paving will hopefully start in the next couple of months.”
The city is also working with economic development agencies and local governments to better define their economic development strategy and alliances. Blosser hopes to consolidate economic development efforts with surrounding communities to strengthen future efforts to land major employers.
“We want to make sure we have more residents and that we’re a growing community and we’re seeing investments,” Blosser said. “We have to multitask; governments don’t have the ability to be one-trick ponies and focus on one thing—we don’t get that luxury.”
Water and sewer upgrades are coming, and those will require some fee increases. Blosser said a water project is planned that won’t require a rate increase, but the same is not true for the sewer system, specifically the wastewater sewer system. The city has a long-term goal of meeting EPA standards to separate combined sewers, and that could cost nearly $1 billion to complete the work over the entire city. Upgrades at the wastewater treatment facility are expected to cost about $108 million, and the two sewer projects will lead to future rate increases.
“Those rate increases are going to feel substantial to anybody no matter how much they are,” Blosser said. “But we’re working to mitigate those as much as we can, but we’re also being honest with residents that we have to make these critical investments.”
The upgrades lay the foundation for new businesses to bring new jobs and grow the economy of the Fairmont area. Blosser said they are working with FirstEnergy to quantify future power needs for the city and the I-79 High Tech Park, where the demand for electricity continues to grow.
“Power is going to be a huge need, but in the same way we’re trying to build resiliency in our water system so we’re prepared for those growth needs,” Blosser said.
The region boasts major economic centers like the North Central West Virginia Airport, the I-79 High Tech Park with all of the federal agencies, and primary and secondary education options, but the promotion of those assets is not united. Uniting the message, Blosser believes, will make the region much more attractive than any municipality could be on their own.
“We need to expand these partnerships as it’s related to economic development and expand them with the other cities and counties around us,” Blosser said. “To focus that regional economic development strategy so we can punch above our weight class and compete with other regions.”