BEECH BOTTOM — A portion of site readiness grants announced Friday by Gov. Patrick Morrisey will be put toward future plans for the Beech Bottom Industrial Park.

Morrisey announced $525,000 in grants through the state’s Ready Sites Program, to be used for engineering or architectural needs at six sites in West Virginia. Among those receiving the funds was the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle, which will receive $75,000 to support site readiness efforts at the industrial park located in Brooke County.

“Speed to build is critically important when companies are deciding on a location to do business, build facilities and create jobs,” Morrisey said in the announcement. “We are very proud to be partnering with these counties and it reflects our shared commitment to support economic development initiatives that strengthen community infrastructure, enhance site preparedness, and attract new business investment.”

The BDC acquired the former Wheeling Corrugating facility in 2012, working with officials from Brooke County and the village of Beech Bottom, along with the state of West Virginia, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Economic Development Administration and private investors to reinvigorate the site for occupancy by several new businesses.

“To date, there’s over $20 million in investment, public and private, that has turned it into a vibrant industrial park with many tenants,” noted BDC Executive Director Anthony Clements.

Clements noted, while much of the focus has been on remediating the existing building for use by businesses, the site includes approximately 100 acres of open land, including riverfront property, ready for development.

The grant funds are set to be put toward preparation costs, including traffic counts, site cleanup and engineering, of the open land, Clements said.

“The village of Beech Bottom appreciates all the work of the BDC and the state of West Virginia in the development of the Bech Bottom Industrial Park,” said Beech Bottom Mayor Becky Uhlly. “Their continued efforts have allowed us to care for our community and residents, something we were very doubtful about with the closing of the mill.”

Clements noted the grant will assist in leveraging additional funds toward improvements to the property, which officials hope will give the site an advantage over others in attracting additional economic development to the county.

“The Beech Bottom Industrial Park is a critical property for the future of Brooke County, and this grant brings us another step closer to unlocking its full potential,” said Brooke County Commission President A.J. Thomas. “The Business Development Corp. has invested years of effort into preparing and positioning this site, and their hard work is the reason it now qualifies for competitive funding opportunities like this. With its infrastructure and location, Beech Bottom has the ability to attract transformational investment, and we are proud to see that progress continue.”

Funding also was awarded to the Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corp., the Randolph County Development Authority, the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority, the Hungtington Area Development Council and the Lincoln Economic Development Authority.