Clarksburg City Council discusses economic development plan

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — The Clarksburg City Council held its regularly scheduled meeting Thursday evening which featured a presentation regarding economic development within the city.

Officials with the city said that it already has specialists working together to bring economic development forward in Clarksburg including a community development officer, a grant writer and a consultant from APEX Consulting. Much of Thursday’s discussion was about revitalization and opportunity zones that include programs to incentivize development.

“I think Clarksburg has such a rich history we can really capitalize on that to make economic development flourish in downtown. It’s a beautiful city,” Clarksburg City Manager Tiffany Fell said.

Sxi goals make up the city’s current economic development plan :

• Revitalize downtown Clarksburg and spark economic growth.
• Nurture innovation and education for human capital.
• Position Clarksburg as a historical and cultural tourist destination.
• Cultivate a thriving community through strategic land use planning.
• Building an inclusive economy and empowering local businesses.
• Enhancing community life and community wellness.

Fell said that restoring downtown Clarksburg is incredibly important and that there is already a facade program through the Urban Renewal Authority. She also said that it’s important for the city to ensure that buildings that need to be on the historic registry are on the list and to utilize available programs to help with the revitalization process.

“Bringing it to council was the first part of bringing it out to the public,” Fell said. “We’ll be putting this plan up on our website so that people can see what we are working towards.”

The presentation also outlined the preplanning and initiation process to help the city establish a baseline to assess its specific economic needs, opportunities for growth and opportunities for change.

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