Downtown Bluefield demolitions steadily approaching the project's last phase
May 24—bluefield — Ever since they started working on Feb. 26, contractors running excavators have been demolishing downtown Bluefield buildings and working their way toward the former Montgomery Ward standing over Chicory Square.
The demolition project started in 2019 with a Brownfield Assessment grant which let the city of Bluefield assess several buildings including the current downtown locations of Intuit and the Bluestone Clinic and the building which once stood in the Bluefield Avenue location now occupied by a Dollar General store. In October 2020, the city deeded the properties to the Bluefield W.Va. Economic Development Authority.
Except for Scott Street, which has been closed during the project, traffic has kept moving along the downtown avenues of Federal Street and Bland Street. There are plans to reroute traffic when work starts on tearing down the last structure on the 400 block, but other work needs to be done before this can begin, Jim Spencer, the economic development authority's executive director, said Thursday.
"It's probably two or three weeks away, probably three weeks," Spencer said when asked when the old Montgomery Ward's demolition could begin.
Spencer said he has been watching the project's progress from his office at the Bluefield Arts Center which overlooks the 400 block. Before proceeding with the Montgomery Ward demolition, contractors must remove debris including metal and wood from the basements of the other structures that have come down.
The public will be notified when downtown traffic needs to be diverted during the demolition project's final phase.
"We're still a few weeks out from that," Spencer said.
The city has asked the public for suggestions about how to use the 400 block's new space once it has been cleared. Spencer said people with ideas for the open space can still contact him at jspencer@bluewv.org.
Spencer said longtime residents have told him how buses used to pass beneath the 400 block's buildings in order to reach streets on the opposite side, adding he would like to see photographs that were taken when this was possible.
"I'd love to document any photographs of the 400 block's history," he said.
People wishing to share photographs can email them to Spencer at jspencer@bluewv.org.
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
