Clarksburg Exponent Telegram

by Jeff Toquinto, BRIDGEPORT NEWS EDITOR

BRIDGEPORT (Tuesday, July 23, 2002)

City Council took the first step in pulling in more than 170 acres of land by approving a trio of annexations last night. The largest of the annexations, however, will be put on hold.

City Manager Kim Haws said the city will wait to take the annexation of 151.7 acres of Charles Pointe property before the Harrison County Commission as part of a minor boundary adjustment. The annexation will go to the county when, and if, the city is granted a $1.3 million West Virginia Economic Development Authority grant needed for infrastructure at Charles Pointe.

"It's a good faith agreement with the developer (Genesis Partners)," said Haws. "We won't submit the request to the commission until after we receive formal approval of the EDA grant."

Bridgeport applied for the 70-30 matching grant in April. The money would fund water and sewage for the tract.

Haws said the grant is "looking good" and anticipates approval "by the first part of September." The annexation, if it moves ahead, could signal the beginning of what may be several announcements for the $750 million Charles Pointe development.

Genesis President James Corton said last week that annexations would serve as precursors to economic development, but stopped well short of saying they would be major announcements.