Wood County Commission mulls business complex prospects | News, Sports, Jobs

Bryan Waller, president of JaniSource in Marietta, spoke to the Wood County Commission Monday about a business park development he is interested in doing outside Williamstown near I-77. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG — A developer is looking to create a business complex outside of Williamstown.

Bryan Waller, president of JaniSource in Marietta, appeared before the Wood County Commission on Monday to discuss his ideas for a development near Williamstown off Interstate 77.

“We need some good jobs here in the Mid-Ohio Valley,” Waller said.

He has done business with many large industrial operations in the area and knows many such jobs have left the area through closures over the years. He estimates the Mid-Ohio Valley has lost thousands of manufacturing jobs.

“I would love to get high-tech jobs here,” Waller said adding he was also looking at possible light manufacturing or high-end office operations.

Waller has around 120 acres and be believes around 80 acres would be available for development once the hill was leveled off.

“Office space, retail and manufacturing would be great,” Commission President Blair Couch said adding the commission would support the project in anyway they could and put him in contact with people he would need to talk to about it regarding water service and other issues.

“We would love somebody come in there and we would support that,” he said.

County officials said local development officials were trying to get a Cabela’s store there, but a deal couldn’t be worked out.

Waller wants to do a nice restaurant or convenient store at the bottom of the hill to get the project started which could take advantage of the traffic along Interstate 77 from Ohio or leaving West Virginia.

Officials said a road would have to be engineered to gain access to the developable land at the top of the hill. Waller estimates he would need around a 400-500-foot road.

“It wouldn’t take that much to get up there,” he said.

Waller has talked to local development officials about the project and has been making the rounds to talk to different people.

There has been a need in the area for 50,000 to 100,000 square foot buildings with muncipal city/sewer access.

Waller expressed interest in setting up a tax increment financing district, like one set up for the Emerson Commons development.

The commission offered any help with regulations and they could review the project to see if they would be able to contribute funding to some aspect of it or help find federal and state funds that might be able to be used for the access road.

Brett Dunlap can be reached at [email protected]