Exponent Telegram
Sunday, March 18, 2007
By Jeff Toquinto, Bridgeport News Editor
Bridgeport – For Cubby’s Child Care Director Jennifer Trippett, leaving Bridgeport as a place of business never seemed possible.
All of that, however, changed when Trippett’s plan to relocate and expand the thriving child care facility went by the wayside.
After a request to rezone property just a few blocks away from the Cubby’s site on Main Street was eventually shot down, Trippett was ready to throw in the towel.
Now, leaving Bridgeport seemed like a very real possibility.
Shortly after the city’s rezoning decision, Trippett was in touch with Genesis Partners, the group responsible for the overall management of the massive 1,700-acre planned community known as Charles Pointe. What she found was that there was a place for her in Bridgeport, just located on the northern section of town.
This spring, a new, 17,583-square-foot building is expected to open. And that has Trippett smiling.
“When I decided to expand my business, I wanted to stay close to home. Genesis Partners helped me realize that I can build exactly what I want, be in a great location for parents, and still stay within the city of Bridgeport,” Trippett said. “I’m very pleased to be in Charles Pointe and looking forward to opening our new facility.”
Trippett is on a growing list of businesses under construction, already open or planning construction at the $1.4 billion development.
And it seems like new announcements are coming every day.
In February, the development’s first eatery was announced with a new Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant – only the third in West Virginia. After that, on Feb. 9, Petroleum Development Corp. opened its new 32,000-square-foot corporate headquarters building and already has plans for an addition.
Last year, Microtel Inn & Suites – the second hotel after the Wingate Inn to open shop – opened its doors for business. Gabe Fiest, the general manager, said the location off Interstate 79 and the ability to utilize the Conference Center adjacent to the Wingate Inn have been positive.
“We are very happy to be in Charles Pointe,” Fiest said. “The development is attracting both business and leisure travelers. We are pleased to work with the Bridgeport Conference Center and the Wingate Inn to promote Bridgeport as a destination location.”
Whether it’s been hotels, homes, restaurants, corporate headquarters, financial institutions or a host of other announcements, things seem to be happening at a rate the folks at Genesis Partners had hoped when the project was first announced publicly in October of 2000.
“We are where we expected to be – we anticipated the early stages of development to take longer to get infrastructure in place,” said Genesis Partners managing member Jamie Corton.
“In the future, visual progress will be much faster,” Corton said.
The visual progress already taking place has many in the local and surrounding communities asking what’s going up and what’s likely to be next. Even Corton said the level of discussion with individuals both he and others at Genesis Partners encounter is up.
“Now, as each building goes up, it creates ideas for others about their future possibilities in Charles Pointe,” said Corton.
Perhaps one of the possibilities overlooked by outsiders is the residential component at the planned community. However, plenty of work has been done on that front. In fact, the number of housing units already occupied is well into double figures.
There are 12 patio homes already complete and fully occupied at Parkview Village. There are also 32 town homes that have been built at Barrington Manor with 13 of those units being occupied.
While construction is ongoing in those areas, major earthwork is also under way for more residential development. Earth is being moved, or construction is partially under way for 54 patio homes in Phase II of Parkview Village; for 16 additional town homes in Barrington Manor; for 120 condominiums in Phase III of Parkview Village; and (along with infrastructure work) for 106 single family home lots.
While residential is taking off, the first of several retail businesses shouldn’t be too far behind. And it will be mixed with other aspects of Charles Pointe and a significant retail center.
“We have under review design options from our architects,” said Corton. “Our vision is to incorporate retail, office and residential into this center. The current design is for 233,058 square feet of space. We are in negotiations with a retail anchor and various business owners and professional firms.”
When that happens, Corton and others involved in Genesis Partners believe those who come – to work, live, play or shop – will enjoy their experience. So far, that’s been the case with the businesses taking up shop.
“We had a great first year,” said executive chef Scott Duarte of the Bridgeport Conference Center that opened in 2006.
“I would attribute a lot of our success, in part, to Charles Pointe. It’s an ideal location for doing business. We are close to the interstate, highly visible and easy to get to. In 2006, we served a significant number of businesses and social groups, and 2007 is looking even better.”