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| Economic Development |
 Economic Development--- Two words synonymous with Bridgeport. Since the year 2000 and the beginning of the new millennium, over $397 million dollars has been invested into the growth of this vibrant community. The 5,647 building permits issued cover a broad range of industrial, commercial, and residential projects unparalleled anywhere in West Virginia.
 The city sees nothing but more of the same excitement on the horizon as we begin 2008. With an administration that has done a superb job of managing this massive growth, the 8,000 residents still refer to Bridgeport as the “Community of Choice” to live, work and play. Charlespointe, a multi faceted master planned community, is located at the northern end of Bridgeport. Charles Pointe continues to thrive with the construction start of a new 57,000 square foot office complex that will be home to a myriad of businesses.  The 2,000 plus acres that comprise Charles Pointe already has several businesses in operation such as; Wingate Inn Hotel, Microtel Hotel, a 15,000 square foot municipal conference center, the corporate offices of Petroleum Development Corporation, Womancare Health Services, Exxon On The Run Convenience Plaza, Fairmont Federal Credit Union, Cubby’s Day Care, and most recently, Buffalo Wild Wings Restaurant.  Adding to this mix are two residential communities in the North Land Bay. Parkview Village is a duplex style development that has 14 units completed with several more under construction. Barrington Manor has 48 townhomes located in six different structures with several units completed and the remainder under  construction. The second phase of Charles Pointe is the South Land Bay where work continues on the creation of two single family subdivisions to be called Hunter’s Chase and South Village. More information about the exciting opportunities at Charles Pointe can be found at www.charlespointe.com.
 A landmark in Bridgeport, the Meadowbrook Mall is the leading shopping destination for much of north central West Virginia. The Cafaro Company, which is the owner of the mall, has been an instrumental partner in the development of Bridgeport. The Meadowbrook Mall contains over 725,000 square feet of shopping and socializing space with such companies as Target, Elder Beerman, Sears, JC Penny, Toys-R-Us, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Cinemark occupying prominent  locations. Add to this impressive line-up over 115 additional retail stores and restaurants and you quickly see why the mall is the place to be and be seen. More information on the Meadowbrook Mall can be found at www.meadowbrookmall.com.
 Looking at the northern end of the city and in close proximity of Charles Pointe, one will find the creation of the new United Hospital Center (UHC) which is a 280 million dollar sophisticated medical campus that will serve a wide sector of West Virginia. Slated to open in 2010, construction is well underway.  Some other notable projects slated for the UHC campus include the creation of a municipal fire substation, a 100,000 square foot private medical office building that will be connected to the main UHC, and an urgent care facility. This positions Bridgeport as a leader in the healthcare community and allows the best possible care for its residents.
 Just across the arterial road serving UHC, you will find another multi use master planned community which will be known as White Oaks. This development has infrastructure under construction at present time. The developers state they have  as many as six projects that will break ground in 2008 including restaurants, professional office buildings, hotels, convenience service plaza, etc. Information on White Oaks can be found by calling (304) 624-4108 and asking for H. Woody Thrasher.
  Bridgeport’s downtown corridor is the heart and soul of the city and has not been forgotten with all the peripheral growth. The city is committed to keeping the downtown corridor vibrant. Over the last seven years, the city has invested well over two million dollars in streetscape improvements that include sidewalks, street lights, signage, public gathering areas and much more. This has proven to be well worth the   investment as the private sector has renovated many of the older buildings on Main Street and brought them back to life with various service industries, restaurants and more. The streets of downtown Bridgeport are now alive and well with the bustle of pedestrians. The city is extremely proud of the Main Street accomplishments and will continue to work on this area in the future.
Another important spoke in the wheel of success for Bridgeport is the North Central West Virginia Regional Airport.  Now providing daily commercial flight service to Washington DC, the airport affords both business and leisure travelers with connections to the world right here at home. The North Central West Virginia Airport Industrial Park is home to many national avionic companies which include Pratt & Whitney, Aurora Flight Services, Bombardier Service America, the Robert C. Byrd Technology Institute, and Fairmont State University. There is room for your business and the airport marketing department staff is actively seeking new business partners. More information can be found by contacting Tracy Gossard of MAAC at www.maacinc.com.
 Long before all the economic development, Bridgeport was touted as the place to call home. This is still true today as Bridgeport offers a wide variety of housing opportunities coupled with a great school system. The city has one high school, one middle school and two feeder elementary schools. All have been recipients of awards from the state for athletic and academic excellence. Whether you are looking to rent, buy, or build, Bridgeport has something for everybody from single family housing, multi unit housing, townhomes, apartments with great amenities and even a senior living environment known as Maplewood.
 If you have any questions concerning economic development or housing, please contact Randy L. Spellman, Director of Community Development at Randy.Spellman@Bridgeportwv.com. |
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