BRIDGEPORT – Genesis Partners Limited Partnership, developers of local master-planned community Charles Pointe, have been awarded the Henry A. Thrasher Memorial Award. The award is given annually by the Harrison County Development Authority (HCDA) to honor a "significant contribution…to the economic development of Harrison County." Genesis Partners Director of Development, Rob Stuart, accepted the award, along with colleagues Tom Hall, licensed landscape architect, and Todd Satterfield, project manager. Stuart said, "It’s a great honor to receive this award from the Harrison County Development Authority. Genesis Partners is a company that operates with a great desire to improve the quality of life for all West Virginians. To be recognized for our contributions to the economic development of north central West Virginia is very rewarding." David Cutlip, president of the HCDA, presented the award at a ceremony last week. "This award – which is equivalent to a ‘developer of the year’ recognition – is awarded in the name of Henry A. Thrasher, founding board member, civic leader and business owner. It represents the strong spirit, clear vision and sense of volunteerism which Mr. Thrasher had, and this recipient – Genesis Partners – has for their Harrison County community," Cutlip said. Genesis Partners Managing Partner James A. Corton said, "We appreciate the recognition given our organization by these leaders of Harrison County. It is important to have our staff honored for their professionalism and progress. Our goal at Charles Pointe has always been to contribute to the economic growth of North Central West Virginia." Genesis Partners joins past Henry A. Thrasher Memorial Award winners John L. Westfall and A. Kim Haws; Elsie Lorna Howard; Donald Molter; and Dean C. Ramsey, Esq., among others. "We are happy to be in the esteemed company of such generous and loyal Harrison County citizens," Stuart said.. [More]

Hotel & Motel Management Week In Review BRIDGEPORT, WV - The new 86-room Microtel Inn & Suites hotel at 300 Conference Center Way, adjacent to the I-79 Technology Corridor and north of Bridgeport, WV held its official opening celebration and was welcomed as the newest addition to the $1.2 billion-plus master-planned community of Charles Pointe. The hotel, located adjacent to the Bridgeport Conference Center, will be important in serving the Center's clientele, as well as visitors lured to north central West Virginia by the Greater Bridgeport Visitor and Convention Center, according to Mike Hager, director of resort and leisure services for Genesis Partners, developers of Charles Pointe. "Microtel's presence complements other progress that our master-planned community is experiencing. Its inclusion reminds both residents and visitors that Charles Pointe is a place to live, work and play," Hager said at the opening celebration. He added that because Microtel Inn & Suites is synonymous with quality and value, the hotel is a complimentary addition to Charles Pointe, a community built on concepts that center around quality of life and progressive options. "We accommodate business and leisure travelers alike; both appreciate the affordable amenities that Microtel offers." Mike Muir, senior vice president of franchise development for US Franchise Systems, Inc., parent company of the franchisor of the Microtel brand, attended the opening celebration and told the crowd, "During our discussions with Genesis Partners, a strong commitment to quality and excellence at Charles Pointe was conveyed. We are proud to be part of a vibrant master-planned community that shares our goals and values." For the fifth consecutive year, the Microtel chain has been ranked highest in guest satisfaction among economy hotel chains by J.D. Power and Associates. Twice, it has received honors in Entrepreneur's Annual Business Travel Awards. Microtel hotels feature single, double and suite accommodations, with free local and long distance phone calls within the continental U.S., and free wireless high speed Internet access, as well as complimentary daily continental breakfast for all guests. Muir said that he is proud to participate in the celebration of this particular Microtel and its inclusion in Charles Pointe, which represents quality and progress. "I've watched Charles Pointe grow and take shape. I'm impressed with the speed and direction, as well as the strong vision and impeccable attention to detail that is intrinsic to this master-planned community." Hager said that the partnership will excel: "We look forward to continuing our successful partnership between the Bridgeport Conference Center and the Microtel Inn & Suites at Charles Pointe. It's a win-win-win partnership - for our residents, visitors and north central West Virginians, for Genesis Partners, and for US Franchise Systems, Inc." There are currently 295 Microtels open or under construction. For reservations, contact 1-800-771-7171 toll-free, or visit Microtel online at http://www.microtelinn.com . All Microtel Inns & Suites are independently owned and operated.. [More]

By Jim Fisher METRO EDITOR CLARKSBURG – Once again, Genesis Partners, the city of Bridgeport and the Harrison County Commission are at the forefront of a first-of-its-kind development initiative. Commissioners on Thursday gave their blessing for Genesis to start the process of creating a Community Enhancement District in the vast majority of the remaining, undeveloped portion of Charles Pointe. Essentially, the district is a way for Genesis to make the tax increment financing district bonds more attractive to potential buyers by guaranteeing the debt service. Under TIF, property taxes are frozen at a certain level; as property values rise, the increment is set aside to pay for infrastructure. Under the Community Enhancement District, if that increment does not meet the debt service to repay the bonds, then Genesis would make up the difference through a special assessment. But Thursday’s approval did not come without a slight wrinkle. When Bridgeport City Council approved the formation of the district recently, it came with a couple of stipulations, including that the city chief financial officer be a member of the district’s oversight board. And that didn’t sit very well with commissioners. “What rakes me the wrong way on this is the way it was presented,” said Commissioner Roger Diaz. ‘I wouldn’t have a problem with having their chief executive financial officer as a member of the board, it’s just the way it was presented, as a stipulation and not a request.” By statue, the oversight board consists of the county sheriff and at least three people who live in the proposed Community Enhancement District. Steptoe & Johnson attorney Vince Collins, the commission’s attorney in the process, said the city’s stipulations were “a product of the legal system” because the way a resolution must be worded cannot include requests. Bridgeport simply wanted a say in the process, since the proposed district is within city limits. In fact, city leaders initially wanted to form the district themselves, but Collins believed that to be inappropriate since the special assessment would guarantee bonds sold through the commission. Genesis is expected to get the necessary paperwork to form the district to commissioners in the near future.. [More]

By Lynn Vance NEWS STAFF WRITER After having been open a little more than two months in the city of Bridgeport at the Charles Pointe development, Microtel Inn and Suites General Manager Gabe Fiest said business is steadily on the increase. “For a new hotel, people are starting to realize we’re here,” said Fiest. “The West Virginia University football games have helped immensely as have our billboard advertisements and word of mouth. We’ve also have had a lot of extended stay visitors.” “That’s exactly what Microtel officials wanted to hear Dec. 1 during a grand opening ceremony held at the facility. Mike Muir, senior vice president of franchise development for US Franchise Systems Inc., parent company of the franchiser of the Microtel brand, attended last Friday’s event along with Chris Burdette, regional director of franchise development. “It’s because of the speed and the commitment Genesis Partners (the developers of Charles Pointe) had made to moving forward,” said Muir. “I’ve been in the development business and hotel franchising for 18 years, and I’ve never seen such a commitment to knowing where they wanted to go and how they were going to get there. It’s been a pleasure working with them.” Burdette, a native of West Virginia, said it’s been a great opportunity coming back home to help develop the state. “As a native West Virginian, it was really personal for me to come back and be able to work with our company and develop the state with a good quality product for hard working people with clean, safe hotels,” said Burdette. Burdette said Microtel also looks forward to their continued relationship with Charles Pointe and CP Hospitality. “They’re a class act and quality people,” said Burdette. “What they’re doing at Charles Pointe is really going to be a staple for future development in the state of West Virginia, and we’re happy to be a part of it.” Genesis Partners. Was first approached 18 months ago by Burdette with the idea of building a Microtel at Charles Pointe. Mike Hager, director of resort and leisure services for Genesis Partners, said the company liked what they saw in Microtel. “In Microtel and its parent company, we found innovative people who shared the spirit of offering travelers quality and value,” said Hager. “We all felt Microtel’s presence would complement other progress that is going on here at Charles Pointe and our master planned community.” Local owners Ed and Sara Aman are delighted with the outcome of the facility. She said there was a reason they got involved with the development. “We just thought the future was at Charles Pointe,” said Sara Aman. “This is the top of the line for Microtel and made a quality facility here. I’m delighted with the outcome and think they did a wonderful job.” Paula Brunetti, who made the trip from Atlanta for the Saturday West Virginia University football game, was in attendance at the opening. She said she was staying with family, but was so impressed with the facility that she looks to stay at the Microtel at Charles Pointe in the future. “Right now we’re staying with family, but this is a great value and the quality of the room is incredible,” said Brunetti. Microtel hotels feature single, double and suite accommodations, with free local and long distance phone calls within the continental United States, and free wireless high speed Internet access, as well as complimentary daily continental breakfast for all guests.. [More]

By Sarah K. Winn Staff Writer BRIDGEPORT — After years of delays, the mammoth planned community called Charles Pointe is moving forward. “It’s like making a cake. It looks kind of messy at first, but when you eat it, it tastes pretty good,” said Jamie Corton, managing partner of Genesis Partners, the developer of the property. “People are starting to see it and believe it.” As a whole, Charles Pointe, a sprawling 2,000 acres along Interstate 79 in Harrison County, is hard to imagine. When complete, the community will include more than 2,000 houses and apartments, two million square feet of retail space, a golf course, a town center and walking trails. It will be like a town within a town, Corton said. When first announced in 2000, the estimated cost was $750 million. Now, with the ever-evolving plans, the cost has jumped to an estimated $1.2 billion, Corton said. Initially, Corton said there would be homes built by 2001. The three-year search for the perfect homebuilder slowed things down, he said. Getting the money for infrastructure such as water, sewer and streets also caused a snag. However, late last year, a nearly $97 million tax-increment-financing plan was approved, which Genesis will use to create the basic infrastructure. Already, $5.4 million has been used for engineering purposes, Corton said. Corton said he expects to spend another $30 million in the first quarter of 2007. He has 30 years to spend the rest, he said. In June, the city of Bridgeport annexed the 1,000 acres of property, increasing the town’s area by one-third, and took over water and sewer upkeep, Corton said. 2006 has been a year of visible progress, Corton said. The north part of the property has added the Bridgeport Conference Center, the Wingate Inn, a doctor’s office and, most recently, the Microtel Inn and Suites. Construction is almost complete on the Fairmont Federal Credit Union, along with the headquarters for Petroleum Development Corp, a Bridgeport oil and gas company. Petroleum Development already has plans for expansion, Corton said. A child-care center is also being built. On the housing front, 60 townhouses, starting at $150,000 each, are done and 12 $300,000 duplexes are built and occupied. Orders for more duplexes are coming in, Corton said. Corton is meticulous, checking the project’s progress daily. He is having recently installed lampposts removed because they don’t look right — there is a small crease about halfway up each pole. Funding for the project comes from a variety of sources, Corton said, and it helped that half the property was owned by the late coal operator C.E. “Jim” Compton, Corton’s father-in-law. The property used to be a buffalo farm and still has cattle roaming. Corton’s brother-in-law still lives there. Also, the city of Bridgeport got a $6 million state economic development grant to build the conference center. The homebuilders, S&A Homes of State College, Pa., have added about $70 million in construction money. Other building funding comes from the retailers locating there, he said. While Corton envisioned the project taking about 20 years, 2006’s progress has shaved off five years, he said. With 2007 quickly approaching, Corton is switching gears, concentrating on a substantially underdeveloped south portion, located across W.Va. 279. In 2007, ground will be broken on the planned golf course, designed by Steve Burns. “You can see a golf course down there, right?” Corton said, while pointing to a still-green valley dotted with deer. “This is where we are going next year.” Also, back on the north section, construction on an 187,000-square-foot lifestyle center will begin in the spring, he said. The lifestyle center will have office space, retail shops and possible residential space, he said. It will resemble a downtown minishopping area, he said. So, is such a project really viable in Bridgeport? Corton thinks so, especially considering the nearby Federal Bureau of Investigation’s fingerprinting center, the Harrison-Marion Regional Airport and the new United Hospital Center just over the ridge. Other high technology companies in the area will provide the perfect residents, he said. But the Charles Pointe experience doesn’t stop at the gates. Community members also will have access to a Bridgeport shooting club called Tailfeathers, 700 acres on Tiger Lake and 300 acres in Tucker County. This is all part of Charles Pointe’s “a place to live, work and play” marketing slogan, Corton said. “It’s not just selling a lot,” he said. “That sense of home is important.”. [More]

BRIDGEPORT -- Charles Pointe, the master-planned community being developed by Genesis Partners, is gearing up for the 279 Fuel Center set to open late this year. The Exxon station, owned and operated by local family businessman Joe DeFazio, will feature E-85 ethanol, 3 grades of gasoline, on road/off road diesel, kerosene, an automated teller machine (ATM), and 5,700 sq. ft. convenience center. James A. Corton, managing partner for Genesis Partners, said, “Our vision for Charles Pointe includes the availability of a variety of services. The 279 Fuel Center at Charles Pointe will offer convenience to our residents, as well as tourists and visitors to the area.” The DeFazio family owns and operates eight other fuel stations in north central West Virginia, and is the only Harrison County supplier of E-85 ethanol. “Many government agencies are now purchasing ethanol-reliant vehicles,” DeFazio said. “The 279 Fuel Center will be a convenient local supplier for those needs.” “The 279 Fuel Center will have convenience items and an ATM that reinforce Charles Pointe as a place to live, work and play,” DeFazio added. “The Bridgeport Conference Center, the Microtel Inn & Suites; and the Wingate Inn all attract people from the region – and beyond. Being able to take care of necessary travel needs in one convenient location is a way we can accommodate everyone,” Corton said.. [More]

The Bridgeport News Back in the 1990’s, the Monongalia County Commission hired a consulting firm to address planning issues as it related to areas surrounding Cheat Lake. Among the many concerns the Commission was looking to address at that time were development issues and the infrastructure needed to handle it properly. The reason infrastructure issues arose in that area stemmed from massive growth around the lake. While a large portion of the growth was residential related, there was also plenty of growth on the commercial front and plenty of interested parties lining up to take advantage of what the area just off of Interstate 68 had to offer. Sound familiar? It should. Although Cheat Lake’s concerns were brought about by growth in an area outside of municipal zoning and development rules, the growth parallels are somewhat similar to what’s taking place here in Bridgeport. The good news for Bridgeport is that officials in the city and developers know the growth is coming. And they know the growth is coming on both the commercial and residential fronts. With quality zoning guidelines already in place, the city’s primary task is to make sure future growth can be handled by new infrastructure and to make sure existing infrastructure won’t be overburdened by new development. It’s good to see the city is trying to handle this responsibility often overlooked by too many government entities. Recently, city officials discussed infrastructure concerns as it relates to Charles Pointe. Even with a fraction of the development complete, under construction or in the planning stages, developers of Charles Pointe – Genesis Partners. – and city officials are already making plans about how to handle a complete build out of the roughly 2,000 acre-development. A build out may still be 10 to 20 years or more down the road, but the city is wisely working with the developer on what to do to handle the growth if and when it occurs. Staying ahead of the growth with the proper infrastructure will allow the impact of Charles Pointe on the city’s infrastructure, particularly the sanitary sewage system, to be minimal on the rest of the city. It also allows for development at Charles Pointe and all other sections in the city’s rapidly growing northern section to move ahead without development roadblocks that can stall and eventually kill projects that would otherwise provide tremendous economic benefits. There may be some who believe the planning is a waste of time with a build out likely more than a decade away at the earliest. They might believe the city is simply doing the planning to advance the Charles Pointe development. And others may think money and time can be better spent elsewhere. Those folks couldn’t be more wrong. The early planning will help eliminate problems elsewhere; problems that will cost more money in the future than it will to do in advance. And as for those who believe the city is simply doing this to benefit Charles Pointe, let us remind you that if that development was there or some other development was taking place, the city would have to have infrastructure in place to continue to grow. The city is handling the issue properly. They’re planning now for the future. When it comes to infrastructure, it’s the correct – and only – way to do things.. [More]

42 James A. Corton James A. Corton, managing partner of Genesis Partners, is the primary leader and visionary behind Charles Pointe, the largest-scale, master-planned community in West Virginia. This $1.2 billion project has already attracted over $150 million in investments and now boasts its own interstate exchange. Charles Pointe will stimulate 17,000 temporary construction jobs and 11,000 will be permanently employed when completed.. [More]

The Bridgeport News Thursday, October 5, 2006 Nora Morris has been assigned to coordinate community and public relations at Charles Pointe, the master-planned community being developed in Bridgeport along Interstate 79 by Genesis Partners. Morris is employed by The Phillips Group, a Randolph County firm located in Elkins that provides marketing, communications, and public relations services to Genesis Partners and companies throughout the region. “Nora will help Charles Pointe build strong partnerships with individuals, businesses, and communities throughout North Central West Virginia. She will also assist many local public service organizations,” said James A. Corton, managing partner of Genesis Partners. Morris graduated with honors at Virginia Commonwealth University. While there, she earned a bachelor of fine arts degree. She resides in Clarksburg.. [More]

By: Jeff Toquinto, News Editor A complete build out of the more than 1,000 acres of Charles Pointe may be a decade or more away, but city officials are planning to guarantee all the infrastructure needs are in place when that day occurs. Last week, City Engineer Tom Brown told the Bridgeport Sanitary Board he recently met with Charles Pointe officials about the infrastructure needs – particularly sanitary sewage – of the planned community off of Interstate 79. Right now, only a fraction of what developers would like to see take place at Charles Pointe has occurred. Most of the development is in the North Land Bay, according to Brown. Sewage from that area currently goes along State Route 131 and ties into the city’s sewage system. Some sewage goes into the downtown area and some goes through a line under Interstate 79. As the build out continues, Brown said that will eventually need to change. "The folks at Charles Pointe will eventually upgrade a couple of areas in the sewer system," said Brown. "The big thing is adding a pump station along Route 131." The concern is to put too much waste through the downtown system. Brown said the pump station will eventually allow most of the sewage from Charles Pointe to tie into a line going under I-79. The pump station location, he said, would be around Hall Valley. "Right now, the sewage is not an issue," said Brown. "A build out, though, would be an issue because the downtown particularly does not have the capacity to handle the waste." The I-79 line would also need to be upgraded. Brown said a large pipe would need to be installed, but that would occur a few years after the pump station was operational. "We’re not that far into this process," said Brown. "Still, we think it’s important to plan for development at Charles Pointe and the entire northern section of the city." Genesis Partners, responsible for the development of Charles Pointe, agrees that the planning is critical. "Genesis Partners, places great importance on planning for the future. It is critical if we are to sustain responsible growth that future infrastructure needs be addressed and planned for. Genesis Partners can be counted on to work with the Sanitary Board and city of Bridgeport to address these issues," said Robert Stuart, director of development for Genesis Partners. How the line will be paid for is still up for discussion. However, the sewage lines can be tapped into by all development in the area. Sanitary Board members said. Also, the Board decided to leave things status quo as it relates to odors emanating at the city’s wastewater treatment plant. A year after receiving daily complaints during the hot months, city officials said they’ve received less than a dozen complaints the entire summer. Those at last week’s meeting as well as previous meetings, believe part of the smell in the past was related to the city accepting waste from haulers that included grease from restaurants. The grease produces a rancid smell. Plant operators have said the smell is even worse than the sewage that is received there. The city has since cut back greatly on the acceptance of sludge containing grease, which may have reduced the odor. However, the cooler summer also may have had something to do with reduced odor. Mayor Jim Christie was hesitant to recommend eliminating sludge from being accepted at the treatment plant for a period of perhaps a month to see if the smell would decrease even more. He said that completely eliminating sludge would be a hardship to businesses because they would have to pay more to have grease hauled elsewhere. Still, if push comes to shove on the issue, that may still happen. "If I have to side with someone, I’ll side with the residents because they don’t have an out," said Christie. "If it becomes a problem (and we’d have to eliminate accepting grease), the businesses at least have an out because there are other places to take it to. You just would hate to have to make that decision." Christie and the rest of the board did not make any decision. Instead, they will leave things as they are and address future concerns if they arise.. [More]