June 7, 2010
Huntington Corps of Engineers Re-Build Coming; Corps Seeking Four Year Temporary Home
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) – The former generic “Federal Building,” which houses the Huntington Corps of Engineers will be getting a full make over, according to informed sources. Re-construction from top to bottom will necessitate a “temporary” move from the Fifth Avenue and Eighth Street location by the Corps of Engineers.
Sources indicate they would like to remain in downtown Huntington during the makeover of the structure which will take up to four years to complete.
Additional information on the coming construction and move may be revealed, in part, later this week.
Finance Committee Chairman Steve Williams confirmed that the Corps of Engineers building will undergo the renovations and that the time frame will equal a four year “temporary” move. Although Williams has not been “close enough to the discussions” to know “the options,” he stated that Tom Bell, executive director of the Huntington Municipal Development Authority and city economic development director, has been assisting to help find temporary space.
Although some nearby restaurants (such as Jim’s) have expressed worries about the four year relocation of the Corps of Engineers, Williams said, “there has not been a concern that they will move outside of the city limits, but they are looking for temporary quarters.”
Asked whether the Corps. Temporary need could synergize with tenant replacements (Amazon will soon vacate the Jean Dean Municipal Building, for instance),
Currently, the former home of the Anderson Newcomb/Stone & Thomas Department Store has been undergoing renovations. “I don’t know if Dr. Touma’s building is for that,” William speculated, then, suggested, “a fairly large tenant” under discussion “that would have a long term effect on downtown Huntington and the area.”
The structure had been previously mentioned as a home for the Mountwest [Marshall] Community and Technical College and a possibility for a downtown campus of the School of Art and Design. However, due to a freeze on new construction by WV Governor Joe Manchin, the latter plan has not yet gained state funding.
Still, as windows have been cut in the upper floors on the west side of the former Department Store, Williams hinted, “Dr. Touma does not do anything by accident.”
But, Williams firmly stated, “I have not heard anything about discussions with the Corps.” Instead, he opined that “a new large business” for the area may be destined for the location directly opposite Pullman Square.
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Huntington Corps of Engineers Re-Build Coming; Corps Seeking Four Year Temporary Home
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) – The former generic “Federal Building,” which houses the Huntington Corps of Engineers will be getting a full make over, according to informed sources. Re-construction from top to bottom will necessitate a “temporary” move from the Fifth Avenue and Eighth Street location by the Corps of Engineers.
Sources indicate they would like to remain in downtown Huntington during the makeover of the structure which will take up to four years to complete.
Additional information on the coming construction and move may be revealed, in part, later this week.
Finance Committee Chairman Steve Williams confirmed that the Corps of Engineers building will undergo the renovations and that the time frame will equal a four year “temporary” move. Although Williams has not been “close enough to the discussions” to know “the options,” he stated that Tom Bell, executive director of the Huntington Municipal Development Authority and city economic development director, has been assisting to help find temporary space.
Although some nearby restaurants (such as Jim’s) have expressed worries about the four year relocation of the Corps of Engineers, Williams said, “there has not been a concern that they will move outside of the city limits, but they are looking for temporary quarters.”
Asked whether the Corps. Temporary need could synergize with tenant replacements (Amazon will soon vacate the Jean Dean Municipal Building, for instance),
Currently, the former home of the Anderson Newcomb/Stone & Thomas Department Store has been undergoing renovations. “I don’t know if Dr. Touma’s building is for that,” William speculated, then, suggested, “a fairly large tenant” under discussion “that would have a long term effect on downtown Huntington and the area.”
The structure had been previously mentioned as a home for the Mountwest [Marshall] Community and Technical College and a possibility for a downtown campus of the School of Art and Design. However, due to a freeze on new construction by WV Governor Joe Manchin, the latter plan has not yet gained state funding.
Still, as windows have been cut in the upper floors on the west side of the former Department Store, Williams hinted, “Dr. Touma does not do anything by accident.”
But, Williams firmly stated, “I have not heard anything about discussions with the Corps.” Instead, he opined that “a new large business” for the area may be destined for the location directly opposite Pullman Square.
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