Construction of Marina Tower Slated for December
Building will be tallest in the Wharf District

Morgantown Dominion Post
14 November 2005
By Eric Bowen

Rising eight stories above the Monongahela River, a new mixed-use building with a view of the marina might be under construction by the end of the year, developers for the project said last week. And work on the docks and marina building could start shortly after.

Rich Lane, director of development for Petroplus and Associates, said that his company filed site plans for the Marina Tower in early November. The plans will be under review by the Morgantown Planning Commission, and could be approved in time for construction to begin by December.

"We actually hope to start doing some preliminary work before the end of the year," Lane said.

The Marina Tower plans call for a restaurant on the first floor, two stories of offices, four stories of condominiums and an office pent-house on the top floor, Lane said. It will be the largest building in the Wharf District, standing two stories above the Jackson Kelly building.

Lane said construction on the 100,000-square-foot building should cost about $18 million and take 11/2 years to complete. He expects the condominiums to sell for about $200,000, and the building already has a waiting list for units.

Construction on the marina building and docks is likely to hap-pen at the same time as the tower, Lane said. Petroplus held a pre-bid meeting Thursday and expects to receive construction bids by the end of this week.

Lane said he has gotten a lot of interest in the project, especially from boaters. He said that the company already has a waiting list for docking reservations, and he expects to see more boating coming through the river in the future.

"We're certainly excited," Lane said. "I know the city is excited. We've been talking about this for a couple of years now."

The Marina Tower and dock development will be welcome additions to downtown, said Terri Cutright, executive director of Main Street Morgantown.

Cutright said the tower provides mixed-use development and will help bring together residential, office and retail all in one area. Both projects together, along with the West Virginia Public Theatre and other attractions should be a destination for the region.

"That whole marina concept is going to attract a whole different market in itself," Cutright said. "It's another project that as economic developers we can all point to and continue to stress the strength of our market."

The Marina Tower will replace the former O.J. White Building, a historic structure that was torn down in August. At the time, Lane said that his company had tried to save the building, but couldn't make a renovation work financially.

The entire Wharf District has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1998, said Susan Pierce, deputy state historic preservation officer. The state does not have any authority to stop demolition of privately-owned historic structures in a historic district, Pierce said.

"We're not taking any action regarding the nomination at this time," she said. "It's not something we're looking at de-listing or pursuing any action regarding the remainder of the buildings in the district."

City Manager Dan Boroff said that the developers worked hard to maintain the development, but couldn't save it. He said that the Wharf District development is exciting for the city and he expects that it will retain its character.

"With the proposed materials and look of the building, I believe the historic flavor of the area will still be evident," Boroff said. "The continuing development of the Wharf District is an exciting project. These recent announcements are just indicative of that."