Clarksburg Exponent Telegram
by Jeff Toquinto, BRIDGEPORT NEWS EDITOR
BRIDGEPORT (Tuesday, October 1, 2002)
The city of Bridgeport has received word it was awarded a $1.5 million federal grant to be used for infrastructure at the Charles Pointe Development.
"We were anticipating this for some time, and Friday we finally got the word," said City Manager Kim Haws. "To finally have it approved is tremendous."
The city applied for the EDA grant in April. Since then, the grant had been approved regionally and officials were waiting for approval at the federal level.
The grant requires a 40 percent match by Bridgeport, or $600,000. The city has 30 percent of the match money already budgeted and has applied with the Region VI Planning and Development Council for $80,000 from the Governor's Community Partnership Grant program for the remainder.
"If (the governor's grant) is not approved, we have the money available to cover the difference," said Haws.
The money will be used for a 1 million gallon water storage tank, a pump station and 9,000 linear feet of water and sewage lines. Along with providing necessary infrastructure for Charles Pointe, it will also meet the needs of a new United Hospital Center located across Interstate 79 at the Jerry Dove Drive exit when, and if, it comes to Bridgeport. Haws said it will also aid a Bridgeport Convention Center.
The grant award comes just a few days before Bridgeport will interview engineering firms to handle the work. The city opted to advertise for an engineer for the project well before knowing if it would receive the grant in order to expedite matters in the event officials did receive the money.
The city will be interviewing three finalists for the job today. Those firms include Clarksburg's Hornor Brothers Engineering and Thrasher Engineering, as well as Hannah and Associates of Elkins.
The new water tank will be the fourth in the city. It will also be the largest.
Jamie Corton, president of Genesis Partners, the developers of Charles Pointe, could not be reached for comment.
