Aug. 26—FAIRMONT — Main Street Fairmont recently honored five local developers who have taken it upon themselves to revitalize a historic building in downtown.

Each developer was awarded a Pierpont Award, named after the family which was instrumental in founding and building Fairmont at its beginning.

Now the Pierpont name is being used to honor those who are rebuilding the city's downtown.

"These people have been instrumental in rebuilding Fairmont," Main Street Director Dan Swiger said. "These are individuals that are investing heavily in Fairmont because they believe in Fairmont."

Along with the Pierpont Awards handed out Tuesday at Main Street Fairmont's annual meeting was the Corporate Sponsor of the Year Award, which was presented to WVU Medicine and the staff of Fairmont Medical Center.

WVU Medicine has been committed to Fairmont and Marion County as a whole. The company came in and decided to revitalize the shuttered former Fairmont Regional Medical Center on Locust Avenue after it had been abandoned in March 2020 by its former owner, Alecto Healthcare Services LLC of Irvine, California. Last month, WVU Medicine celebrated its second year operating as Fairmont Medical Center.

"They came into a community at a time when COVID was at its height, they reopened a closed facility and have been expanding that facility ever since," Swiger said. "And since they've shown a vested interest in the community... so we thought it was important to recognize them."

Aaron Yanuzo, vice president of operations at Fairmont Medical Center, accepted the award alongside Kari Morgan, the facility's head nurse.

Yanuzo has experience in saving hospitals that have gone over the edge in West Virginia. He led efforts at Summersville Regional Medical Center and at Braxton County Memorial Hospital to revitalize the locations for WVU Medicine.

He spoke about the important role hospitals play in close-knit areas like Marion County.

"Seeing these communities that have hospitals close — they're often the primary source of business in that community — their closure can often prevent other large businesses from coming to those communities," Yanuzo said. "A lot of towns who lose their hospital tend to have a large economic development crisis."

When the hospital reopened in July 1, 2020, it brought with it 250 jobs that were lost in the closure, and WVU Medicine plans to bring that number up to 500 within the next four years as part of a lengthy redesign and remodel plan.

The local developers who received the awards have either totally revitalized a building downtown or are in the process. The first awardee is Claudio Corp., which remodeled one of the oldest buildings on Adams Street into office space for a real estate company.

Next was East Side Story LLC, owned by Jeff Merrifield and Doug Yost who have bought five vacant buildings along Merchant Street that haven't had tenants in years. They are remodeling them into commercial space. One space at 306 1/2 Merchant St. is already complete and work on the rest is ongoing.

The Orange Goat LLC is best known for its redevelopment of 94 Fairmont Ave., which currently houses Fox's Pizza and several apartments. Their next challenge is the old Post Office and city center at 200 Fairmont Ave. that has sat vacant for over a decade.

The plans for the building currently are a commercial space in the lower floor and market-rate apartments in the upper levels.

At last year's annual meeting, Main Street unveiled its aggressive plan for reshaping Monroe Street and its purchase of 217 and 219 Monroe Street. This year, Main Street sold 219 to Loving WV, a clothing and merchandise brand.

Over the last several months, Loving WV has begun fully remodeling 219 Monroe for its first brick-and-mortar storefront and merchandise print shop.

The final Pierpont Award was given to the New Generation Barber Academy, which is being started up by Revel Williams Jr., owner of Simple Cutz Barbershop on Adams Street. The academy has taken over the old OIC building at 120 Jackson St. and has already started enrollment for its programing.

"This makes other developers realize that these buildings that were originally used for one thing can be reused," Swiger said. "I think that's the model that will help propel Fairmont to a new, brighter future."

Reach David Kirk at 304-367-2522 or by email at dkirk@timeswv.com.