BUCKHANNON, W.Va. –Upshur County is receiving a grant to support its multi-sport complex.
Governor Patrick Morrisey, local officials, and community members gathered Thursday in Buckhannon to announce a $12 million Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) grant for the John C. Allen Regional Hub.
The grant will be combined with previously secured local, state, and private resources to support the project.
“We’re talking about a grand total of about $16.5 million dollars for phase one of the project and it’s something that is going change the lives of a lot of kids and a lot of people in the community,” Morrisey said.
The project has been years in the making, with assistance from the J.F. Allen Company and Joyce Allen, as well as her son John Allen, who donated 70 acres of land.
The Upshur County Commission developed a master plan for the property in 2022 and expects to open the project for construction bids before the end of the year.
Joyce Allen said Thursday the project reflects both county leadership and her late husband, John Allen.
“This project is the result of the county commissions hard work and vision combined with the generous spirit of my late husband John,” she said. “He dedicated his life to improving the lives of West Virginians by building better roads and strengthening transportation throughout the state.”
Current facilities planned for the hub include baseball, soccer, and lacrosse fields, mountain bike flow tracks, an ice-skating rink, and a Snowflex tubing hill for year-round recreation.
Commission President Kristie Tenney said the donation was much more than that.
“It is a gift of opportunity, health, recreation, and hope,” she said. “Because of their generosity children will play here, families will gather here and memories will be made here for decades to come.”
Morrisey also announced that since October, the state has secured a record $12.8 billion in private-sector investments, which are expected to create more than 12,000 jobs across West Virginia.
He said projects like the regional hub help grow the economy while also strengthening quality of life.
“When we are talking about projects like this, and having the community engaged, having kids engaged, there can’t be anything better because we have to continue the spirit of our kids participating in sports, our kids being active out on trails, doing the type of things that we want everyone to do,” Morrisey said.
Once phase one of the project is complete, officials expect future phases to include additional athletic fields, a large indoor sports complex, and on-site lodging to support weekend tournaments and regional events.