Middletown Commons set to be nearly 80% filled by end of summer

General Acquisitions co-owner David Biafora said the cost of construction so far has “well exceeded” what the company ever planned, pushing $60 million now and, by then time all is said and done, probably closer to $70 million.

While it may have been more of an investment than initially thought, Biafora said the response and the growth the Commons has seen have made the entire project so far worthwhile.

He said that in the past year alone, storefronts have been filled with popular restaurants and stores like Apple Annie’s, Michael’s and Aldi, and even more have been leased by “mom and pop” stores like A&K Clothing, spaOasis and White’s Fine Jewelry.

“The reaction could not be better,” Biafora said. “The construction period was a little longer because we had to keep some of the businesses open, and for the ones that wanted to get in early, we had to redo all of the public utilities. …

“There were some inconveniences here and there with traffic, but the traffic has just been marvelous. The traffic flow now is great all the way back to the Canterbury housing development, where there will be 100-plus homes built by Stella Construction.”

Now, infrastructure and construction work on the project is nearly completed. The entire parking lot has been paved, new streetlights have been installed and, largest of all, a new entrance to the Commons is now open directly across from the entrance to White Hall’s Walmart.

“We’re 99% complete,” Biafora said. “It’s pretty much done. There’s just a pad in front of the car wash and one out by Truist, which is scheduled to be Aspen Dental. We’re talking to Starbucks and Chipotle, and those plans are being completed now.”

Biafora said the Commons is close to 65% capacity when accounting for both open storefronts and signed leases, and if current negotiations go through, he believes that number will jump to 75% or 80% by the end of summer.

He said this is the perfect kind of project for Marion County, one the area has needed for quite a while.

“(Marion County) deserves this, and everybody has been so cooperative,” Biafora said. “The politics have been out of it. It’s been all about capitalism and moving forward. There’s been none of the other baloney involved in it. It’s just about getting it done. Our family has taken the risk and taken on the debt to invest in the community, and we just love it there.”

In recent years, General Acquisitions has constructed successful projects in Monongalia County such as the Suncrest Town Centre and Pierpont Landing. While he admitted coming to Marion County for a similar project was a risk, Biafora said it was one well worth taking, noting that his family has roots in the county.

“It was kind of natural, and there was opportunity,” Biafora said. “We’ve built these projects and our sons are taking over to manage them and continue on. They’re not something where we’re in for the short haul to just turn around and flip it. We’re going to stick with it through thick and thin. It’s great to do that and keep it local and not sell it to a national company and have that different influence. We just work with the people. …

“We have a lot of mom and pop (shops). We put a lot of people in business. We do some things that developers did back in the day in the 1970s where we help finance some equipment for people looking get into business or expand their business. We really appreciate the mom and pops. We appreciate the national chains, too, but it’s nice to have a mix.”

Before construction on the Middletown Commons began, the property was the longtime home of the Middletown Mall, which began seeing less and less business after the turn of the millennium. Although there may have been some initial detractors saying that nobody could turn the property around, Biafora said that at this point, the success of the Middletown Commons is undeniable.

“There were a lot of promises and rumors in the past, but when our family sets out to do things, we set out to do the best we can with what we have,” Biafora said. “The experience we have tells us what way to do something or what way not to do it. … Sometimes, statistics and models aren’t the answer. It’s trial and error. …

“It sure is sometimes a gamble and a risk. … The people of Marion County made this work. All we did was put the money out and get it built. If they don’t show up and support it, the businesses would fail and, obviously, it wouldn’t work, but Marion County should be a model for the state.”

Marion County Chamber of Commerce President Tina Shaw said the Middletown Commons has already been a wonderful addition to Marion County, adding that she’s looking forward to seeing the finished product and that she’s deeply grateful to the Biaforas for making such a large investment in the area.

“I give all the credit to the Biaforas,” Shaw said. “Their blood, sweat and tears are in that project. … They had the passion and dream to bring that center back to life. … They want to see things succeed, and they’re very forward thinking. They are persistent, and they were determined to bring shopping and services back to Marion County, and that was the perfect location to do it.”