Abatement crews now inside of old JCPenney building

Jun. 28—BLUEFIELD — Abatement crews entered the former JCPenney building in downtown Bluefield Tuesday, and are now actively looking for asbestos, mold and other hazardous materials that may be inside of the aging structure.

The old JCPenney building, which more recently housed the Bluefield Regional Wellness Center, is the first of several downtown buildings that will undergo an abatement process before the structures are then demolished. It's all a part of a large-scale abatement, demolition and rebuild project for the 400 block of the downtown area that is being coordinated by the Bluefield Economic Development Authority (BEDA).

"I hope you guys are all excited," Bluefield City Manager Cecil Marson told citizens in attendance at Tuesday's board of directors meeting. "This is historical."

Marson said the abatement, demolition and rebuild project is one of the most "exciting things" to occur in Bluefield since he has served as city manager.

Marson said public safety will be the city's topic focus during the abatement and demolition process.

"Those buildings are old and in extremely horrible shape," Marson said as he pointed at a map highlighting the 400 block project area. "But right now it is just between here and Scott Street that is blocked off. They are inside doing the remediation."

While traffic pattern changes may be necessary as the project advances, Marson said the goal is to keep the 400 block area as open as possible for citizens and businesses.

"The block is owned BEDA, which is working with the contractor on getting the permits" BEDA Executive Director Jim Spencer said. "If you notice there are fences right now at the JCPenney building. They want to control the work zone so that no one can just wander in off the street. BEDA owns the block so we will be the permit holder. If there is something that is going on that is unsafe, we definitely need to know."

Daniel Wells, a member of the city board, asked Spencer what steps will be taken to keep the public updated throughout the nearly year-long project.

Spencer said all steps will be taken to keep the public informed, including through the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, local television stations and social media. Project updates also will be provided at the monthly city board meetings.

Wells said social media, including Facebook, is another good way to keep citizens informed of the project.

"A lot of people don't have a Facebook (account), and I get that," Wells said. "But it is a great way to be informed."

"We will keep the public informed," Spencer added.

"We will do everything we can to get the word out and notify the folks," Marson said, adding that the city is even creating a new Instagram page.

Spencer said he has already been meeting with downtown business owners about the project. He said public meetings will begin later in July, and will most likely be held at the Bluefield Arts Center to ensure there is sufficient room for citizens to attend and learn about the downtown project.

Spencer said traffic disruptions should be minimal during the first phase, which is the abatement process.

Motorists will likely notice a chainlink fence, and a dumpster, beside of the former JCPenney building. But otherwise they shouldn't see a lot of activity during the initial abatement process. Crews that are inside of the old buildings will be wearing protective equipment, but won't be wearing that gear outside.

The largest of the structures included in the 500 block project is the old Montgomery Ward building, a structure that also once housed Wells Fargo. That eight-story building also will be demolished in the project. Spencer said it will probably be the last structure to undergo the abatement process.

Decades ago, before the opening of the Mercer Mall, both J.C. Penney and Montgomery Ward were located in downtown Bluefield. Those businesses left the downtown area in the early 1980s when the Mercer Mall opened.

All of the buildings scheduled for abatement and demolition are now empty.

Spencer said the abatement process, which includes the removal of asbestos or any other hazardous materials that may be inside of the structures, will take 90 to 120 days to complete. Then it will take about 60 days for the temporary removal of utilities on the block, including broadband and water, which must be completed before the demolition work can begin.

Once the abatement work and demolitions are completed, the next phase of the project involves the rebuild of the 400 block of the downtown.

Spencer said a local engineering firm has presented BEDA with four options for the rebuild phase.

All four of the options either retain or expand upon the existing Chicory Square while adding parking. Three of the four call for new retail construction in the downtown block.

The options are as follows:

—Option one keeps the existing Chicory Square intact, adds additional parking and food truck offerings, and calls for the development of new commercial/retail construction at the site of the former JCPenney/Bluefield Wellness Center building.

—Option two would expand parking opportunities in the existing area of Chicory Square while providing an area for food trucks. It too calls for commercial/retail construction at the site of the former JCPenney/Bluefield Wellness Center building.

—Option three would add even more parking, and a larger green space while still providing an area for food trucks. It would retain an area for public gatherings or musical performances similar to the existing Chicory Square.

—Option four would add additional parking, but also calls for new retail construction along Scott and Bland Streets, while retaining an area similar to Chicory Square.

In other action Tuesday, the board approved a resolution transferring two parcels of land at Exit 1 off Interstate 77 to Omnis Building Technologies.

A recommendation to transfer the property to Omnis, which is opening a $40 million, 150,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at Exit 1, was already made last week by the Bluefield Planning Commission.

"This is the Exit 1 property," Spencer said. "The parts subdivided will be sold to Omnis Building Technologies."

The Omnis Building Technologies plant is expected to open this fall. Already more than 1,500 area residents have applied for jobs at the company.

The plant will manufacture Composite Insulated Building units that will be used to create residential homes. The plan is to build 3,000 housing units a year in Bluefield. Components constructed at Omnis will be shipped and then assembled on-site to make pre-designed homes, according to the company. Once delivered, they are turn-key homes.

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com

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