August 23, 200915 yr $20M I-64 project to begin soon Improvements aimed at roadway longevity By CARRIE STAMBAUGH, The Independent, August 20, 2009 ASHLAND — A $20.1 million rehabilitation project on an eight-mile stretch of Interstate 64 in Boyd County will focus on repairing and improving the ridability and safety of the roadway to ensure its longevity.
August 31, 200915 yr Maddens petition demolition Restraining order sought for former Sears building By CARRIE STAMBAUGH, The Independent, August 29, 2009 ASHLAND — The owners of the former Sears building have asked a judge to issue a restraining order to prevent the City of Ashland from demolishing it. Perry and Susan Madden filed a petition seeking the order in Boyd Circuit Court last week. Circuit Judge C. David Hagerman was scheduled to hear the matter during his motion hour Friday but it was postponed until Thursday.
August 31, 200915 yr Custom pieces installed in sidewalk in front of Keith-Albee Herald-Dispatch, August 28, 2009 HUNTINGTON -- Custom pieces of white, black and red granite were delivered to 4th Avenue in Huntington on Thursday to be installed in the sidewalk in front of the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center.
September 5, 200915 yr City considers downtown corridor By Christian Alexandersen, Herald-Dispatch, August 02, 2009 HUNTINGTON -- City officials are planning to provide a safer, more inviting link between two key components of downtown Huntington -- Pullman Square and Heritage Station. To do that, they are hoping to complete a variety of improvements to the 2 1/2 alleyway between 10th and 11th streets, the alley that runs behind Mac & Dave's store on 3rd Avenue. The city has applied for a $200,000 grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act/Stimulus Act to fund much of project. Increased lighting, new sidewalks and curbs, and installation of decorative panels are among the improvements slated for the alley to make it safe and appealing for pedestrian and vehicle traffic. The alley would provide a connection to downtown Huntington's business community from the Cabell-Huntington Convention and Visitors Bureau, now located in Heritage Village. Heritage Village is a collection of shops and businesses at the old B&O railroad depot at Veterans Memorial Boulevard and 11th Street. The visitors center is currently isolated from recent developments in the central business district, including retail, entertainment and dining a block away at Pullman Square, according to CVB Executive Director Tyson Compton. He said the corridor will serve as another way the downtown Huntington business community can be opened up to tourists stopping by the visitors bureau, which moved into Heritage Station this year. "This is an attempt to bring two really important portions of downtown together," said Charles Holley, the city's director of development and planning. That goal makes a lot of sense, said Bill Dargusch of Metropolitan Partners, a private company that partnered with the Tri-State Transit Authority to develop Pullman Square. Dargusch said he's in favor of a project that connects visitors to Pullman Square and wants to learn more about the city's plans. Holley said Heritage Station was Huntington's Pullman Square of the 1970s. Its central location brought people downtown, but it began to lose patrons when several businesses proved unsuccessful. Years later, Pullman Square opened, and there was a disconnect between Heritage Station and the rest of downtown, Holley said. The pedestrian corridor project is aimed at restoring Heritage Station to a more prominent role. Holley said he's confident the grant will be approved because it follows the guidelines for shovel-ready construction projects, but if it falls through, the city would seek other forms of funding. The alley currently has no sidewalk. Since the alley would remain open to vehicle traffic, Compton said, increasing lighting and constructing sidewalks would be among the major parts of the project. The project calls for ornamental streetlights, fencing, benches and landscaping. According to project renderings, brick columns and ornamental fences will be used along the newly constructed sidewalks. Trees also will line the area between the sidewalks and driving lane. The city also is working with Appalachian Power to improve the look of its sub-station, which is at the northwest corner of 11th Street and 2 1/2 alley. Holley said the plan is to construct a brick and panel fence to screen the sub-station and enhance the new streetscape design. The plan also calls for putting decorative panels inside the fence, Holley said. Themes emphasizing the Ohio River, the railroad and the role of coal in the national energy market could be used to decorate the fences. "The alley has the opportunity to become interesting and appealing," Compton said. "The fence panels can depict virtually anything we want." Holley said the city is considering using removable panels so that they can be changed throughout the year. The city also is considering using the removable panels along the ornamental fence that will stretch the entire length of the alley. "I really like the idea of changing the panels out every six months or so," Holley said. "There'll always be something new to attract you down to the corridor." Holley said the soonest the project can start is next spring. The pedestrian corridor is part of a larger plan the city has to create a triangle of safe passages between Heritage Station, Pullman Square and Harris Riverfront Park. Holley said building better sidewalks and crosswalks to the riverfront is a short-term goal, but the city has larger plans for the future. "We're hoping for an overhead corridor into Harris Riverfront Park," Holley said. "And we're considering putting a (traffic) signal on 10th Street (at Veterans Memorial Boulevard)." Nice. Heritage Station does kind of feel like it's in a pocket off to the side. Huntington is a naturally walkable/bikeable place and this makes it even better.
September 8, 200915 yr Boyd to green up courthouse infrastructure Carrie Stambaugh, The Independent, August 25, 2009 Catlettsburg — The Boyd County Fiscal Court is moving forward on plans to upgrade the courthouse with new green infrastructure to improve efficiency and increase accessibility. Officials plan to install a new heating and cooling unit, update existing electrical supply systems, replace the roof, remove asbestos and eventually add a new elevator.
November 5, 200915 yr Dining downtown Longtime eatery invests in community Tim Preston, The Independent, November 1, 2009 Ashland — Doing business in downtown districts and investing in the community are serious commitments for the people at CJ Maggie’s American Grill.
November 13, 200915 yr Kirk Street case begins in Boyd Attorneys present arguments in suit By Kenneth Hart, The Independent, November 12, 2009 CATLETTSBURG — A judge on Thursday heard oral arguments in a lawsuit involving Ashland’s zoning board and its decision to deny a permit for a controversial housing development on Kirk Street. Developer Richard “Gene” Meyers, his company, Terrace Park Townhomes Ltd.; and Mark E. Dempsey, Paula E. Dempsey and Paul G. Hughes, the owners of the property on which the housing complex would be located, are suing the city of Ashland and its board of zone adjustment over the board’s July 21 decision to not grant a conditional use permit for development.
November 20, 200915 yr Police: It’s starting to come together New station on schedule to be complete in December By CARRIE STAMBAUGH, The Independent, November 19, 2009 ASHLAND — The new Ashland Police Station is expected to be completed on schedule by the end of December but it will not be fully operational until 2010. City officials took action Thursday to revise the traffic laws in place for the alley next to the police station in preparation for the opening.
November 24, 200915 yr Council to vote on stimulus funding By Bryan Chambers, Herald-Dispatch, November 22, 2009 HUNTINGTON -- Huntington City Council will vote Monday evening to accept stimulus dollars that will be used to provide a safer, more inviting link between two key components of the downtown.
December 3, 200915 yr Judge reverses BZA’s Kirk Street decision By KENNETH HART, The Independent, December 2, 2009 Ashland — A judge has reversed the Ashland Board of Zoning Adjustment’s decision to deny a conditional use permit for a controversial housing development on Kirk Street. In a 10-page ruling handed down Wednesday, Boyd Circuit Judge C. David Hagerman wrote that the BZA’s July 21 denial of a permit for the 48-unit townhouse project was “clearly unreasonable” based on evidence that was presented to the board by the developers and by city staff.
April 28, 201015 yr Ashland 'eyesore' could be removed City preparing to demolish former Sears building By CARRIE STAMBAUGH, The Independent, August 11, 2009 ASHLAND The corner of 17th Street and Winchester Avenue may soon undergo a dramatic change. City officials are preparing to demolish the former Sears building, which has been condemned for more than a year and vacant for more than a decade. Bid packages for its demolition are expected to go out next week and officials say the building could be torn down within two or three months. Looking better... http://dailyindependent.com/local/x912864508/City-officials-say-former-Sears-building-on-track
May 12, 201015 yr First information station on 'Chuck Ripper Trail' dedicated at riverfront By Jean Tarbett Hardiman, Herald-Dispatch, May 10, 2010 HUNTINGTON -- Two of Huntington's proudest claims were celebrated Monday morning at Harris Riverfront Park: the beauty of the Ohio River and the artistry of renowned wildlife artist Chuck Ripper, who has called Huntington home since 1953. Ripper joined officials from the Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District and the city of Huntington in unveiling the start of a new attraction at the riverfront, a series of information stations explaining plant and wildlife along the Ohio River. They'll feature paintings by Ripper of the flora and fauna he's spotted and observed at the riverside.
May 27, 201015 yr Mountwest completes building purchase By Christian Alexandersen, Herald-Dispatch, May 21, 2010 HUNTINGTON -- First a new name and now a new campus. Mountwest Community & Technical College President Keith Cotroneo announced Friday morning during the institution's Board of Governors meeting that the college has completed the purchase of a facility that will become its new home. MCTC has agreed to spend $7.5 million on the purchase of the former Arch Coal building at 2205 5th St., atop the hill that overlooks W.Va. 152 and Interstate 64, just south of downtown. -- Project funding on ACF site tabled By Bryan Chambers, Herald-Dispatch, May 20, 2010 CHARLESTON -- A project near downtown Huntington that would include a baseball stadium, hotel, restaurant and retail space suffered a setback Thursday when a state agency tabled the developers' application for $50 million in tax-exempt bonds. RiverPlace, LLC, the development group proposing to build the project, does not have formal agreements with Marshall University or the West Virginia Public Port Authority to move forward, Economic Development Authority Executive Director David Warner told board members during the agency's monthly meeting in Charleston. Marshall and the Port Authority are envisioned to be public partners on the deal, which could blossom into a $250 million investment if RiverPlace can obtain the financing and property and if feasibility studies support conceptual plans for the public component. -- Huntington Middle, Southside Elementary moving to site of former Cammack school By Bill Rosenberger, Herald-Dispatch, May 27, 2010 HUNTINGTON -- Two Huntington schools conducted classes for the last time Wednesday in preparation for a move to a new middle and elementary school campus in the Southside neighborhood. Huntington Middle School, known as West Middle until 2007, and Southside Elementary, known as Miller Elementary until 2007, are moving to the old Cammack middle and elementary between 9th and 10th avenues and 2nd and 3rd streets.
June 1, 201015 yr I had a chance to visit Huntington about eight months ago and I must say it's a nice city to visit. The shopping center was built to compliment the downtown area and is very similar to NOTL.
June 1, 201015 yr Pullman Square, built by Metropolitan Partners (now Continental Real Estate Cos.), also built many of the Nationwide Arena District properties in Columbus, Oh., Easton Commons, Victorian Gate, and Craughwell Village in Columbus, Carson Street Commons in Pittsburgh, and manage the "Cap at Union Station" over Interstate 670, among dozens of other projects. I wanted to say they built Easton Towne Centre, but they built the power center across the street instead.
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