Archives

Select DateLatest Chris StadelmanTue May 06 2003Tue Apr 29 2003Tue Apr 22 2003Tue Apr 15 2003Tue Apr 08 2003Tue Apr 01 2003Tue Mar 25 2003Tue Mar 18 2003Tue Mar 11 2003Tue Mar 04 2003Tue Feb 25 2003Tue Feb 11 2003Tue Feb 04 2003 Previous Chris Stadelman

Home
News
Sports
Opinion
Obituaries
Money
George Hohmann
Jack Bailey
Karin Fischer
Chris Stadelman
Guest columnists
Mortgage Chart
Your Stocks
Movies
Entertainment
Outdoors
Life
Special Sections
Classifieds
Weather
Sitemap
FAQ

Chris Stadelman

May 13 2003

Do I hear an "Amen"?

If so, it's only because it marks the end. The end of BIDCO's efforts to attract new, job-producing, tax-paying companies to the ill-fated business park.

When the $6 million plan was unveiled with much fanfare in August 1991, plans called for a variety of tenants in a park-like, 361-acre natural setting. It already had three tenants committed: a regional jail, a U.S. Postal Service facility and the National Weather Service.

Projections called for a full house at the park within 10 years.

Instead, the park has attracted two private entities and another public agency.

One of the private companies, a telemarketing firm now known as Telespectrum Worldwide Inc., received $400,000 from the city of Charleston to help make the Southridge site affordable.

The other, Motion Industries Inc., moved from Nitro to Corridor G and got state assistance to do that.

A new, publicly funded Metro 911 center also will be built in the park.

When it comes to attracting private-sector development from the outside, the park has been a failure. But that doesn't mean it didn't serve a purpose.

In BIDCO's defense, nothing like Southridge existed when the plan was hatched. John Wellford didn't announce plans for NorthGate, the private business park setting near Yeager Airport, until nine months later.

BIDCO also (correctly) limited itself by promising not to cannibalize existing business and trade associations from the area. Wellford (again, correctly) had no such limitations and was able to attract local law firms, doctors and lobbying groups to NorthGate.

The first public entities along Corridor G also provided the infrastructure that led to the explosion of retail stores.

But for a number of reasons, BIDCO's vision for a multi-use, light industrial business park never developed.

One big problem was the price of land, reportedly about $100,000 an acre. Not many companies need to be on the Kanawha-Boone county line that badly.

Another issue was the success of the retail complexes, which generated severe traffic problems making the business park less attractive for companies needing to ship goods.

So some land was sold to housing developers, another plot to help bring in Home Depot. Last week came word that Bible Center Church is looking at 88 acres for expanded church and school facilities.

The church wouldn't restore the land to the tax rolls, and it wouldn't create many new jobs. But if BIDCO can get a reasonable price for the property and get out from under the albatross that the Southridge business park has become, it's probably a good idea.

There's hardly a prayer of attracting new business anyway.

Chris Stadelman can be reached at 348-4834.

Printable Version

Email this to a friend