Don't let another study gather dust
Jan. 19—While we approve of the Beckley city council voting to pay an outside consultancy to develop a strategic development plan to take full economic advantage of all that the newly designated New River Gorge National Park and Preserve presents — and it is much — we will throw caution to the wind. This is not the first time council members past and present have been down this road. But, to date, it has little to show for those past investments in expert advice.
Does anyone recall what became of the recommendations in the 2018 study, costing $9,000, by consultants Miller Development Services and Arnett Muldrow and Associates? Well, that one said the city should lean on West Virginia University Tech for all that it is worth.
The kind of businesses the city should pursue, the study said, were boutique hotels — yes, plural — a wine shop, recreational activities, a hair salon and a shop that sells WVU Tech gear. Respondents also wanted guarantees of a low crime rate, more arts, student-geared pubs, housing for students and faculty, and eateries and retail outlets that cater to students and staff.
And this: The city should hire a "redevelopment" specialist.
It is fair to ask, how's that working out?
Beckley has been moving away from its past as a town dependent on a local, coal-based economy. In partnership with Tech, city officials have gone on the record as saying they want to turn Beckley into a safe and welcoming college town — and one that can attract tourists. That, of course, is where the newly designated New River Gorge National Park and Preserve can help in spades if appropriately leveraged. Just like Tech, right?
In March of 2021, Jina Belcher, executive director at New River Gorge Regional Development Authority, said her group would be procuring a study on the redevelopment of downtown Beckley.
The plan, Belcher said, would identify walkability from the Tech campus, buildings that should be torn down rather than rehabilitated, potential housing and residences and then address the specific interests of some developers in store fronts.
That report, too, was coming from Miller, but we do not recall seeing it.
Listen, it is always good to take a measure of where your municipality stands among its peers, what amenities it is offering its citizens, what kind of personality and character it projects to those passing through. It's prudent for city and development officials to consider what improvements can be made, to develop a plan of action and then pursue it with discipline, gusto and community buy-in — which, of course, will take a fully informed public.
This new study will cost $20,000 — just to begin the process. The maximum? $337,000.
For that kind of money, we expect more than a study collecting dust on a shelf in some municipal office. The public will rightfully expect a smart and sensible action plan — and for city officials to keep citizens in the loop.
