Business and Economic Development

Is your WV business impacted by Coronavirus? The SBA is trying to reach you.

03.17.20

UPDATE 3/23/20:

West Virginia is now approved to receive SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans
Small businesses and nonprofit organizations are eligible for these loans (provided they meet the SBA requirements)
The WV Small Business Development Center is hosting trainings through March 27 to support people in filling out loan applications – read our story for more information: http://wvhub.org/economic-injury-disaster-loan-trainings-for-wv-small-businesses-this-week/.

UPDATE 3/19/20:

The Governor’s Office received the required number of worksheets and submitted a request to the Small Business Administration this week to open up Economic Injury Disaster Loans for small businesses in West Virginia.
The Governor’s Office is now waiting for approval from the Small Business Administration.
When the Small Business Administration approves West Virginia’s request, they will open up an online portal for businesses to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans.
The Governor’s Office will post about this online portal on its website and distribute an announcement to all major news sources.
The team at the WV Community Development Hub will continue to monitor this situation, and we will share an announcement as soon as we receive word that the portal has opened. Please sign up for our mailing list for further updates – click here to sign up.

Original story:

Has your business suffered substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus? Substantial economic injury occurs when a business is unable to meet its obligations as they mature or to pay its ordinary and necessary operating expenses.

The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act 2020 (H.R. 6074) expanded the Small Business Act’s definition of a disaster to include Coronavirus (COVID-19). As a result, the Small Business Administration (SBA) will be able to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) under a Governor’s Certification Disaster Declaration.

Among other qualifying criteria, in order for a small business to apply for this program, either the state as a whole or their specific county of business must meet the requirements for eligibility. Eligibility occurs in two ways – either one business from each of the state’s 55 counties complete the Estimated Disaster Economic Injury Worksheet (linked below) and the SBA deems it meets the injury requirements OR five businesses from a county must complete for just that county, and surrounding counties to be eligible.

The Governor must submit a written request to SBA with supporting economic injury loss information.

If your businesses meets this criteria please complete the Estimated Disaster Economic Injury Worksheet (linked above) and submit it to the West Virginia Governor’s Office at the earliest opportunity to:

Attn: Ann Urling
Deputy Chief of Staff
Office of Governor Jim Justice
State Capitol
1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East
Charleston, WV 25305
Ann.V.Urling@wv.gov
304-558-2000 (office)
304-342-7025 (fax)

For additional information, please contact:

The WV Small Business Development Center at 304-558-2960.
The SBA disaster assistance customer service center at 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) or e-mail disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

Historic preservation development grants now available through State Historic Preservation Office

02.24.20

FROM THE PRESERVATION ALLIANCE OF WEST VIRGINIA

Applications are now available for historic preservation development grants through the State Historic Preservation Office of the Department of Arts, Culture and History. Eligible projects include the restoration, rehabilitation or archaeological development of historic sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Deadline for receipt of applications is postmarked March 31, 2020.

Privately owned properties are only eligible in instances where there is evidence of public support or public benefit. Governmental properties that are not accessible to the public are not eligible for funding. Applicant may be a state or local government agency, not-for-profit organization, private citizen, for-profit firm or organization, religious organizations, education institution or Certified Local Governments.

A complete program description, including funding priorities and selection criteria is available from the grants staff of the Historic Preservation Office at (304) 558-0240 or at http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/GrantManual/development.html. It is anticipated that approximately $369,000 will be available for these grant awards, which are contingent upon an appropriation of funds from the West Virginia Legislature or United States Congress.

For more information on the programs of the Historic Preservation Office call (304) 558-0240.

Join the first statewide conference on WV’s entrepreneur ecosystem

02.11.20

A network of entrepreneurship support organizations will bring thinkers and doers from across the state under one roof to build connections and discuss innovative trends in promoting and supporting entrepreneurship in West Virginia.

The West Virginia Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Builders Conference will take place Wednesday, April 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center. The conference will feature national and state speakers who will share emerging trends that support a diversified economy.

“There is an abundance of entrepreneurial resources throughout West Virginia,” said Bill Woodrum, director of Entrepreneurship at the Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI), one of the event organizers. “By bringing these resources and organizations together under one roof, we hope to create an intentional holistic process to support entrepreneurs.”

Keynote speaker for the conference is Andy Stoll with the Kauffman Foundation. Stoll also will join Joe Kapp with the National Center for Resource Development and Mary Hunt of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation for a panel discussion on building a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem. The conference will feature breakout sessions on entrepreneurship funding opportunities; community entrepreneurship; educational entrepreneurship (K-12 & higher ed) and government’s role in entrepreneurship.

The breakout sessions will be followed by a discussion on breaking down barriers to entrepreneurship led by West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner and Michelle Christian, the National Director of the Office of Rural Affairs at the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The conference is sponsored by the Entrepreneur Ecosystem Builders, a network of 25 entities including state and federal agencies, K-12 and higher education, regulatory entities, financial institutions, and public and private support organizations.

Tickets to the conference are $20 for individuals and $100 for a display table and admission for five individuals. Tickets can be purchased by registering at www.rcbi.org/go/eship. For more information, contact Bill Woodrum at bwoodrum@rcbi.org.

National training on mixed-use real estate development coming to Charleston

01.21.20

Downtown Buckhannon. Photograph by Kristian Thacker.

BY EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

The Downtown Appalachia Redevelopment Initiative, a partnership between Natural Capital Investment Fund and the WV Brownfields Assistance Center at WVU, will offer a nationally recognized training on Main Street – Mixed-Use Real Estate Finance from the National Development Council on March 31 – April 2 in Charleston, WV.

A course overview webinar will be held on February 6 – click here to register for the webinar.

United Bank is the lead sponsor for this training.

Space is limited for this training and interested parties are being asked to submit applications to take part. Applicants must be active in central Appalachia and priority placement will be offered to people working on West Virginia-based projects. The training is valued at $1375, but is being offered free of charge thanks to sponsorship from United Bank and the Downtown Appalachia Redevelopment Initiative.

Download the application as a PDF file »

Download the application as a Microsoft Word file »

Applications are due on Friday, February 21. Email a copy of your completed application to Ray Moeller at raymond.moeller@mail.wvu.edu. Approved applicants will be notified by Friday, February 28.

West Virginia towns are at their best when their historic downtowns showcase their vibrant communities. Understanding how to finance mixed-used real estate development is a critical tool to help energize Main Streets with shopping, dining, culture, and entertainment.

Buildings put to use for opportunities like housing, small businesses and retail, local services like accountants and lawyers, arts and culture, and others are at the core of this kind of activity. Mixed-use real estate development allows for one space to have multiple uses.

The training looks at debt, equity and public/private financing tools available for this type of real estate development with a focus on the topics:

Mixed-Use Development Challenges,
Mixed Financing,
Taxes & Real Estate Development, and
Financing Tools.

Lunch will be provided. Travel scholarships may be made available on a limited basis.

Please direct all questions to Downtown Appalachia Program Lead Ray Moeller at raymond.moeller@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-0390.

Spots going fast for Small Communities, BIG Solutions conference

11.12.19

Conference attendees via The Alliance for the Economic Development of Southern West Virginia Facebook page

BY EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

Spots are going fast for the Small Communities, BIG Solutions conference. The event looks at economic and community innovation in Southern West Virginia and is hosted by the Alliance for Economic Development of Southern West Virginia, West Virginia Community Development Hub and Coalfield Development.

Small Communities, BIG Solutions will be held at BridgeValley’s Advanced Technology Center, located at the West Virginia Regional Technology Park in South Charleston, on Monday, November 18, 2019.

Find more information and register for the event »

The second annual conference will be an opportunity to share best practices, discuss southern West Virginia successes, explore opportunities that exist in the region and develop new connections and partnerships. A wide array of topics will be discussed by state, federal, community, educational and industry leaders. Some discussion topics include: southern West Virginia’s successes and opportunities; Addiction, Recovery and Reentry; Workforce Development; Education; and Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Find more information and register for the event »

Preservation Alliance of WV: Morgantown school building finds second life

10.14.19

Volunteers at work in Morgantown (Photo from Preservation Alliance of WV story)

BY SUMMER PHILLIPS, WVU BAD BUILDINGS PRESERVE WV AMERICORPS FOR PRESERVATION ALLIANCE OF WEST VIRGINIA

Built in 1910, the Woodburn Elementary School served the children of the Woodburn Neighborhood of Morgantown, WV for decades as a place of education and as source for childhood memories. When the school closed in 2010, the children left but the school building remained, a lonely monument to times gone by in the neighborhood. However, in 2013, the building was acquired by the city and in 2014 the Woodburn School Redevelopment Commission was created in order to bring life back to the building and make it a place for childhood memories once again.

Thanks to the efforts of the commission, the former Woodburn School building has been transformed into a non-profit hub. It’s home to several programs and organizations that are dedicated to improving the community and serving the children such as Friends of Deckers Creek, Boys and Girls Club, and PopShop…

Read the full story on the Preservation Alliance of WV’s site »

The Journal: 2 Eastern Panhandle communities look toward their downtowns

10.07.19

Photo from Main Street Martinsburg Facebook page

BY JOSEPH LAFAVE FOR THE MARTINSBURG JOURNAL

Tucked into the Eastern Panhandle about 10 miles from the banks of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, sits the historic town of Charles Town, a quaint community of fewer than 6,000 residents.

However, the town is currently building a reputation as one of the premier destinations in the state of West Virginia, thanks in no small part to the work of the town’s residents to revitalize the downtown area and transform it into a destination.

Bars and restaurants, an art space, a coffee shop and other local businesses line the eight or so blocks that constitute the city’s downtown — each of these establishments is unique and is part of the larger institution that is downtown Charles Town…

Read the full story on The Martinsburg Journal’s site »

Bluefield Daily Telegraph: National dignitaries in Welch for Reconnecting McDowell groundbreaking

09.24.19

Photo from the Reconnecting McDowell Facebook page

BY CHARLES BOOTHE FOR THE BLUEFIELD DAILY TELEGRAPH

Local, state and national dignitaries were in Welch Monday morning to celebrate the official groundbreaking of Renaissance Village, a housing project for teachers.

A $7 million project by the revitalization group Reconnecting McDowell, the four-story facility, which is located beside the movie theater in downtown Welch, will include 16 apartments designed specifically to house teachers, offering rental property at an affordable price.

It will also include retail commercial space…

Read the full story on the Bluefield Daily Telegraph site »

Congratulations to the Rural Economic Development Innovation assistance winners

06.18.19

BY EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

Congratulations to the City of West Huntington, Mingo County Redevelopment Authority, and Economic Development Greater East (EDGE) for being selected to be a part of the Rural Economic Development Innovation (REDI) initiative provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture!

Through the REDI initiative, these groups and associated communities will receive free technical assistance for up to two years to help create and implement actionable economic development plans.

Actionable actionable economic development plans include:

Evidence-based assessments;
Quantifiable goals;
Plans to improve the local and regional economy; and
Metrics to track implementation and progress.

The USDA’s Innovation Center created REDI to support recommendations identified in the Report to the President from the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity.

WVPB: Reviving Appalachian towns with local assets

06.11.19

Image via Greensboro Art Cooperative Facebook page

BY CAITLIN TAN FOR WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC BROADCASTING

Walking down the streets of Greensboro, Pennsylvania, it feels a bit like a ghost town. There are houses, business signs, a post office, but only two cars drive by in 10 minutes and no one is walking the streets.

The small town in southern Pennsylvania is just across the West Virginia border. It sits on the banks of the Monongahela River, surrounded by small hills and patches of trees. In years past, the town has weathered the boom and bust of a pottery industry, river trade and coal. Lately, it has been more bust than boom.

But now, some artists are trying to stimulate the local economy using what they know best: creativity…

Read/listen to the full story on the WVPB site »