Dirt moves at site of long-anticipated Bluestone project

By GREG JORDAN

BLUEFIELD, Va. – A long line of dignitaries grasped golden shovels Thursday and broke ground for Phase I of a development venue offering the possibility of new jobs and economic diversity for both Virginia and West Virginia.

The Bluestone Regional Business & Technology Park off U.S. Route 460 is expected to create approximately 867 jobs, said Margie B. Douglass, economic development & tourism coordinator.

“That’s permanent jobs not counting jobs created during the construction,” Douglass said. The figure also does not count jobs created by businesses that would supply the enterprises at the park, she added.

Located near Bluefield, Va., the 680-acre park will have development options including business, residential, education and recreation. Designed for development in phases, Phase I will include access roads, installation of water and sewer systems, underground electrical and communication systems, and the development of five acres and 12 acre sites.

Supporters and local leaders who gathered at the future park’s construction site thanked the many individuals and organizations that contributed to its planning, funding and promotion.

Keynote speaker David N. Smith, deputy secretary of commerce and trade for the Commonwealth of Virginia, said that speaking as the son of a preacher, people must have a vision, and without a vision, they perish.

Using Biblical figures to illustrate his point, Smith said that Noah, who had never seen rain, accepted the vision God had given him of an impending flood and spent 100 years building an ark. David had to overcome the odds when he faced the giant Goliath, and Moses gave up being a prince to follow a vision of a better life for his people.

The people who worked to bring the new Bluestone park to fruition have shown the same perseverance, he said.

“On behalf of our governor, I want to congratulate you for having a vision,” Smith said. “Thank you for having that vision. You couldn’t see this project six months ago, and now you are breaking ground today.”

For the initial phase of the project, the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors and the Industrial Development Authority of Tazewell County are partnering with the Commonwealth and regional leaders such as the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission, Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and the Hugh I. Shott Jr. Foundation.

“When times are hard, you have a vision and go forward, and this could move Tazewell County forward,” said David Anderson, chairman of the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors.

Similar endeavors are appearing in other southwest Virginia counties such as Scott and Washington, said Neal Noyse, executive director of the Virginia Tobacco Commission. Tazewell County’s Bluestone project is “truly commendable and very gratifying.”

The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority had an “easy decision” to make when it received a request for a $1.5 million grant for Phase I of the Bluestone project, said Executive Director Jonathan Belcher.

“What made this an easy decision for the board was that it was done right. Tazewell County does an excellent job,” Belcher said. “Being near I-77 should make it very marketable.”

R.W. “Buzz” Wilkinson, president of the Hugh I. Shott Jr. Foundation, said the Bluestone park will have a regional impact benefiting both West Virginia and Virginia residents. Neither state can think only of its own economic problems.

“We can’t think this is West Virginia and this is Virginia. This is a regional problem, and this will help everybody,” he said.

“This is a great day for Tazewell County and all of southwest Virginia,” said State Sen. Phillip Puckett, District 38.

— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com

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