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WELLSBURG -- Brooke County Commissioners, this week, received an update on infrastructure and economic development around the area.
Pat Ford, executive director of the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle, announced that the former Follansbee Middle School will be up for auction at the site 10 a.m., June 24.
"There has been enough interest in the property that the school board is inclined to put the site up for bid," said Ford.
For more information on the former Follansbee Middle School, interested parties are advised to contact Rob Robinsion at (304) 737-3481.
Another property being prepared for change is the Brooke Glass site in Wellsburg.
Ford thanked Ruby Greathouse for opening the gates that permitted the BDC to make contact with the West Virginia Historic Preservation Office.
"Finally we got approval after three years to proceed with the remediation and partial demolition of the property," Ford said.
On May 29 a mandatory pre-bid meeting was held for the Brooke Glass property.
"Three very qualified bidders with experience in the demolition of historic buildings that have contamination showed up," noted Ford. "June 7 at noon the bids will be in and construction will begin this summer."
Ford added the work on Brooke Glass must be done by the end of September.
"Some exciting things are happening," said Ford.
In other matters discussed at the Brooke County Commissioners' meeting held Wednesday, the Northern Panhandle Workforce Development Board was awarded a $151,000 grant from Workforce West Virginia.
The money will be used to offer assistance by means of re-employment activities to community members who have been impacted by opioids.
Residents in the region must be in an approved outpatient drug treatment program or must have been in an approved outpatient drug treatment program within the last two months.
(Linder can be contacted at tlinder@heraldstaronline.com)