Maybe a big-box retailer and a gas station.
Maybe.
Of course, that came true as well as much more than what the president of the Ohio County Commission thought was possible when the conversation began about a possible development along Interstate 70 near Dallas Pike.
“The Highlands today is not what I imagined it would become,” said Commissioner Tim McCormick. “When we first got started with the development, we were working with a developer out of Youngstown who said that he was going to get us a Sheetz and a Lowe’s. When he told us that, we thought we hit as grand slam.
“Each month when he would report back to us, he would always say that we were 98 percent there, but it got to the point where we were tired of hearing about 98 percent, so we went out on our own,” the commissioner recalled. “That’s when we started talking with some folks out of Columbus, and at first we were going to talk with the people behind Bass Pro Shop. When we did, they didn’t seem very interested.”
So, the commissioners at the time, including McCormick, Randy Wharton, and Ohio County Circuit Court Judge Dave Sims, moved on to Plan B.
“But we were told that we couldn’t get in touch with Cabela’s because it had to be a special contact,” McCormick explained. “That’s when Randy picked the phone up and called them, and the next thing you know, the conversation had started with the owners of Cabela’s.
“After that, Gov. Bob Wise and his economic development folks got involved, and we all went to Nebraska several times for meetings with Cabela’s officials, and here we are today,” he said. “We did get a $35 million grant from the state, and that didn’t hurt, and that grant was for the distribution center and not for the retail store. That happened separately because of the conversations with had with the owners.”
A Gob Pile
When the commissioners in Ohio County initially announced intentions to develop something at the current location, there was opposition, McCormick recalled.
In fact, bumper stickers that read, “Cob Pile Sims” can still be found around the county.
“Those stickers were put up by the person I ran against the first time I ran, and he did that because he wasn’t real happy about the project,” McCormick said. “In fact, it was an old gob pile for the old Valley Camp Mine, and I know area hunters weren’t real happy about the project either because it was prime land to hunt deer.
“The former candidate didn’t get much support against the project because the residents really wanted new development in the area because nothing had happened for some time,” he said. “But, as far as what The Highlands has become, I don’t think anyone expected it. I know I didn’t, but it just keeps growing, and that’s a great thing for the residents of Ohio County.”
And that is why earth-moving equipment has remained on site since the excavation began more than 16 years ago.
“The fact that we did get a Cabela’s was a surprise at first, but what really surprised me was that we could move as much dirt as we did,” McCormick said. “We’ve moved 14 million cubic yards of dirt, and if you don’t know how much that is, know that it’s an awful lot of dirt. The size of the vehicles that are up there doing that work is just unbelievable.
“We just kept needing more and more space, and now you see how much is up there,” he said. “We have everything from retail, the hotels, light industry, West Liberty University, WVU Medicine, and doctor’s offices. We’re very proud of the diversity that we have there now for the residents of this county, and all of those businesses are doing OK. I can’t say they are doing great, and that’s because of this pandemic, but they are doing OK.”
But Wait, There’s More
While Commissioner McCormick did not reveal any upcoming announcements, he did confirm that the growth of The Highlands is expected to continue. Not only do the commission and the Ohio County Development Authority own much more acreage in the rear of the development, but construction on a second interchange is expected to begin within a year from now.
The funds to pay for that interchange will be generated by a second TIF District at The Highlands, and the first business to open in that area will be Menard’s.
“When we first started selling bonds to finance the development, Cabela’s bought the first $100 million worth of bonds, so that was a pretty good indication that they were very, very serious about this development,” McCormick remembered. “That’s where the Cabela’s retail store came from, and since then we have definitely paid back that state grant for the $35 million.
“The bond sales continued to go very well, and that has allowed us to make the site much more than we originally imagined, and it continues to grow today,” he said. “The grand opening of the Highlands Athletic Complex for local residents is scheduled for Aug. 1, and Menard’s is ready to begin the hiring process once they get a clear idea when would be best to open. Beyond that, I don’t expect the growth to end for many more years.”
