The delay in an announcement about the proposed cracker plant in Dilles Bottom from PTT Global Chemical has many valley residents on edge, fingers crossed, hoping for some desperately needed good news.
Count the staff and students at the Shadyside School District amongst them. Superintendent John Haswell announced in March 2020 a deal that would see PTT infuse $38 million to the district that would go toward a new K-12 school building upon the site where Leona Middle School currently sits.
That deal is still in place, in theory. Once PTT makes its announcement official—provided said announcement goes the way the majority of the Ohio Valley wants—then the ball can get rolling on the district’s new facility.
Haswell met recently with leaders from PTT as part of a group of village and township representatives.
“We met with their leaders two weeks ago, myself, the school board, township trustees and the Belmont County Commissioners,” Haswell said. “They assured us, the search for a partner continues, and they still have a lot of confidence in this project.”
That ball was ready to get rolling last March; then COVID happened, Daelim Chemical USA withdrew from the project, leaving PTT searching for a new partner.
That search has put the project on hold. Haswell, for his part, is still quite confident. A lot of money has been invested already in the project, both by PTT and the state of Ohio.
“I can only go by what they tell us. I can’t give an update, but they can still meet their matrix, even with cost inflation,” Haswell said. “There is a lot of money already gone into the project down there, not only from PTT, but JobsOhio. I think it put around $30 million in already, reclaiming land, tearing down the old Burger Plant.”
Speaking of Inflation
The costs to build the proposed cracker plant aren’t the only construction figures rising in this conversation.
Back when this new district building was first discussed officially in March 2020, the proposed cost for the building was roughly $32 million. Now? The district is looking at $40 million.
That’s a 25 percent increase in a little less than two years. Ouch. But PTT isn’t about to leave the district hanging.
Haswell stressed his hard conversations—he stressed just oral conversation, nothing in writing yet—that PTT is willing to help the district make up the difference in cost for the project. The company wants to be a great partner and corporate citizen for the community and surrounding areas.
“Again, all of this is dependent upon some type of announcement,” Haswell.
That announcement has been delayed, but many are looking to after the first of the year for the long-awaited and much-needed official bit of good news.
Haswell is taking solace in each sliver of good news he can. After all, the March 2020 announcement was just the first official publication declaration of the plan. It had been in the works for some time.
Knowing that, if not for the global pandemic, construction might have already been underway is a tough dose of reality to swallow.
“For now, we wait, just like we’ve done for the last eight and half years, along with the school board members sit and wait,” Haswell said. “It’s a real heart breaker knowing that, if not for COVID, there would have been an official announcement about moving forward.”
Purposefully Skimping on the Details
That’s why you won’t see any conceptual drawings or intricate design plans being bandied about for the proposed new school building. There obviously are some, hence the original estimated construction cost and now, the updated figure.
Haswell is waiting until it’s a certainty before going into that much detail. He doesn’t want to engage the community, get it excited, and share the district’s vision for the building and beyond, while it’s still just a possibility, however likely a possibility it may be.
“I know what’s going on behind the scenes, but until the announcement, we’re keeping most of it quiet,” Haswell said. “There’s no sense getting everyone hyped up, only or a big letdown. We remain hopeful. It’s our future, so, I pray to goodness it comes through.”
