Regional Development Corporation returns after break
Feb. 21—FAIRMONT — The Hydrogen Hub will be the prevailing project before the Marion Regional Development Corporation this year.
The MRDC returned on Tuesday, after a multi-month hiatus since October. Member health issues and weather events precluded the organization from holding its meetings for several months in a row.
"Our job right now is to act as a facilitator to help Mr. Redmond," Nick Fantasia, MRDC president, said. "Get the resources that he needs. We may be asked to help in infrastructure. We may be asked to help in resource development. It's just going to be a question of what the city or the county asks us to do as we move forward over the next weeks and months for the organization."
Brian Redmond is managing partner at Hog Lick Aggregates. He is embarking on an ambitious project to create a hydrogen depot and associated infrastructure in the county.
"This is the kind of innovation that we need in this space," Jonathan Board, MRDC treasurer, said. "You look at most of West Virginia, narrow it down to Marion County, we have such proud history of strong folks with strong work ethic and brilliant problem solvers. It's wonderful to see those folks broadening their scope and embracing new technologies and new ways to develop solutions to old problems."
The organization will also continue working on its development project within the I-79 High Tech Park. Fantasia said the group is having discussions with collaborative partners which could result in a vote down the line for some important decisions for the development of the project.
The MRDC was also name dropped at Monday night's meeting of the Marion County Board of Education. School board member James Saunders referenced the MRDC in comments he made referring to the upcoming auction of the Fifth Street Gym. The Board of Education is placing the gym on the auction block sometime in mid-March.
Despite supporting the auction, Saunders has reservations.
"There's a group in the county, not the county commission, but a group in the county that wants to take it over," Saunders said at the Board meeting. "We have to do something for kids. I'm afraid if we auction it, if somebody buys it, they may use it for a year or so for the kids and then use it for something else."
Board president Donna Costello replied that the board should not disclose who is interested in the gym, at least not formally yet. Although Saunders agreed, noting that it was a subject for discussion inside executive session, he said he preferred to hold off on the auction and let the MRDC play its role.
Saunders declined to name which group was interested in acquiring the gym. However, he reemphasized his concern over ensuring that regardless of who acquires the gym, it still provide a place for students to gather for sports and physical recreation.
Fantasia explained that the Board of Education approached the MRDC to see if the group could act as a conduit for the disposal of the gym.
"We certainly could be a conduit, but there's been no discussion within our board," Fantasia said. "There's been no discussion with any other entity other than taking people's temperatures to see if, in fact, anybody wanted to do that."
Fantasia said he wasn't aware if anyone had more definitive plans, but did indicate the gym was up for auction.
The next MRDC meeting is March 19.
Reach Esteban at efernandez@timeswv.com
