Ridges funding legislation races through West Virginia Legislature

Aug. 8—Legislation creating a funding source for the new Ridges Economic Opportunity Development District in Mercer County was fast-tracked through the West Virginia Legislature Monday.

Lawmakers were called into a special legislative session Sunday by Gov. Jim Justice, which continued Monday and coincided with the already-scheduled August interims. Sunday evening the West Virginia Senate approved SB 1020, a bill authorizing the Mercer County Commission to levy a special district excise tax for the planned development district near Princeton.

Then on Monday morning, the same measure passed the House Finance Committee, according to Delegate Marty Gearheart, R-Mercer.

"It passed the House Finance Committee this morning without amendment and it will go to the full House floor where I would expect it to pass," Gearheart said.

Gearheart said the sales tax increment finances the payment of bonds for the proposed development.

It's not a new tax, and no tax-payer dollars are coming out of the county commission budget. Instead the plan simply allows the county to use future funds that are generated inside the boundaries of the district to help fund the proposed sports complex and commercial development area planned along Halls Ridge Road and Turnpike Industrial Park Road off Route 460.

The site of the proposed development district covers approximately 250 acres.

"I've watched the progress of this project from its inception a few years ago, and the more that I get to know about it the better I feel about it as a positive development in Mercer County and southern West Virginia," Mercer County Commission President Bill Archer said. "I really commend all those who worked diligently to put this package together and to get to this point in its development. I know that it still is a distance from completion, but this is more than a giant first step. It opens doors that otherwise would not necessarily be open to the concept without the support of our legislators and the state government."

Mercer County Development Authority Executive Director John O'Neal, and other officials, were in Charleston Monday watching the status of the Ridges legislation.

The project — also called the Ridges Sportsplex and Expo Center — envisions a variety of assets.

One asset is a ball field complex with six softball fields and five baseball fields that would host traveling teams and tournaments. A section dubbed the Northern Play Areas consists of a playground, dog park and multi-sports field.

Another large part of the development, the commercial district, would feature retail shops, a sports-themed restaurant, pickle ball courts, an event/performance lawn, facilities for private dining and entertaining as well as a sports bar. A multi-purpose grand hall, conference center and full-service hotel will also be part of the district, according to the proposed plans.

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com. Follow him @BDTOwens