Belpre Hopes Completion of Corridor D Will Help Business
2/27/2008
BELPRE — Belpre is hoping the completion of Corridor D this spring will attract new businesses into the city and surrounding area.
In 2007, 11 new businesses, offices and community programs opened in Belpre and the Belpre Area Chamber of Commerce hopes those openings are met with more in 2008.
“These are great companies and we hope for more,” said Erica Bennekamper, public relations director of the Belpre Area Chamber of Commerce.
One of the biggest changes in 2007 was the opening of the Mid-Ohio Valley Medical Complex in the former Foodland building on Washington Boulevard.
The center opened in April and offers the latest technology in CAT scans and endoscopy with the space to allow the group’s 14 family practice physicians to see patients on a rotating basis.
Lambert-Tatman Funeral Home also opened on Washington Boulevard in the former Lloyd Middleton Dolls shop.
The funeral home moved from their former residence on Main Street in the spring.
The opening of the new Belpre City Pool in June was a success, according to city officials.
For 2008, the city is planning to aggressively try to sell the west end of town to businesses looking to gain from the traffic flowing on U.S. 50, said Mayor Mike Lorentz.
“We need to be very aggressive in recruiting businesses into the area with the opening of Corridor D,” Lorentz said. “The opportunity is going to be there for some pretty big things.”
Lorentz said the city is working with several different businesses for small projects, but nothing is concrete, yet.
“Businesses seem to be kind of waiting to see how the traffic flows are through the Corridor (D) before they make any decisions to move into the area,” Lorentz said.
Posted with permission from The Parkersburg News & Sentinel
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