By Stephen Smoot
Several years ago, a tourist to Pendleton County shared an idea with one of the county commissioners. He had come with his family on vacation, but still needed to stay in touch with his office and get work done.
He told the commissioner that the county needed a place where people could use a temporary space to do work, hold meetings, or do what needed done with high speed internet and comfortable, professional surroundings. When Laura Brown steered the Pendleton County Economic Development Authority into merger with its Grant County counterpart, one of the first priorities of the new Seneca Rocks Regional Development Authority lay in undertaking this project.
Now Sherri Mongold serves as administrator and Derek Nesselrodt as chair of the board. Nesselrodt mused that “a little over two years ago, my first event was right out here where we got a very big check from Ryan Thorne at USDA.” He concluded, “That started a journey that turned into a pretty great destination.”
That destination, the Franklin Innovation Hub, will serve multiple purposes. Like counterpart facilities in Martinsburg and elsewhere, clients can secure temporary spaces for work or meetings. The SRRDA will use the facility as its Pendleton County office. It also served as one of multiple downtown Franklin building renovations to take place in the past three years.
That list includes the former theater that now contains a coffee shop, a salon, and a novelty shop in addition to units of affordable housing, as well as the Historic McCoy House.
Dayne Davis, representing SRRDA, stood to thank West Virginia University for assistance in bringing together the Innovation Hub in Franklin, while also assisting in setting up another in Petersburg. Ray Moeller, representing the Brownfields, Abandoned, and Dilapidated, or BAD, buildings program at WVU, stated that “it’s great to see old buildings brought to constructive use.”
Roger Dahmer, Pendleton County commissioner, praised the organization because “it’s good that the two counties can work together” and “the combined effort . . . will benefit both counties very well.”
The Franklin Innovation Hub had previously served as the central office for Pendleton County Schools. The structure’s deterioration and lack of space forced PCS to move to a new location, allowing SRRDA to obtain the building and ensure its continued use.
After the brief words of celebration, officials bundled up and exited into the chilly late afternoon air for a group photo. They then returned to a spread of savory and sweet treats spread across an entire table for the enjoyment of all attendees.
Afterward, the SRRDA board conducted its regular meeting. Board members discussed the challenging condition of a “multitenant building” that will soon house services related to WVU Medicine – Grant Memorial Hospital. Nesselrodt shared that condensation from the HVAC system had caused damage to the walls, mostly causing paint to peel.
Sarah Moomau, also a board member, added, “If it continues and we don’t get it fixed, it will just get much worse.” Nesselrodt noted that “vacant buildings degrade faster,” but Moomau replied that does happen if one only paints over problems without fixing them.
Davis shared that the LED grant funding from the state will decline this year over last, dropping from $41,800 to $30,800. He explained, “It’s like that across the state” and that it was not directed solely at SRRDA. Moomau explained that the amount varies from year to year and that “last year it was the highest that it’s been for a while.”
The LED grant supports the efforts of county, municipal, and regional economic development organizations.
Annie Humes attended not as a member, but representing the Pendleton County Convention and Visitors Bureau. As the board went into executive session during its first Innovation Hub-based meeting, she stated to the room, “My public comment is congratulations!”
