After revising the timeline last year, it appears Bridgeport’s next multi-million dollar facility will likely have occupants inside of it when the sun is out and grass is being mowed. While one tenant is known, several others are still in the works, an official helping spearhead the endeavor said.

 

Currently, the new building that will house the Greater Bridgeport Convention and Visitor’s Bureau is well past the halfway mark of being complete at its site at Charles Pointe. The structure is under roof, drywall is going up and more of the fine detail work of the $3.3 million building is in place.

 

“I believe we’re right about where we want to be with the schedule,” said CVB Board of Directors President Drew Pomeroy. “What I can see looks great, but like anyone else it’s sometimes hard to picture how everything is going to look when you’re looking at an incomplete project. I’m confident, it’s going to meet our expectations.”

 

As of now, the building has not received an official name. It will serve as the base office for the Bridgeport CVB and will also house Connect-Bridgeport, which falls under the CVB’s umbrella. Pomeroy has long stated that there is one tenant that’s been in long-term negotiations, while others are also in the mix.

 

“We’ve been working with the tenants that we hope, and believe, are on the way. As for an official announcement that will be up to them,” said Pomeroy.

 

The two-story building has been designed to house one tenant on the entire second floor. Pomeroy has not backed off on what he said will be a “higher-education-related” project in that space.

 

“No one has mentioned that project is off track, but when you’re in business you know you’re never 100 percent confident until you have a signed agreement in hand,” said Pomeroy. “We would like to have had that secured, but the agency in question is dealing with questions it wanted to make sure were answered because it is tied financially to the state of West Virginia.”

 

With the CVB space filled and likely the entire second floor, Pomeroy said that leaves 6,000 square feet available to work with. Although part of that space has been designed to accommodate a restaurant, Pomeroy said it can be converted. He also said that it is ideally set up for two tenants, but could – again – be situated for one.

 

“We’re working with a couple of prospects, but haven’t come to an agreement,” said Pomeroy. “The good news is that we’re not in a situation where there is zero interest. There has been a good deal of interest.”

 

The 23,000 square foot building sits on roughly two acres and is located at the first big intersection just past the main entrance of Charles Pointe. The Thrasher Group designed the building, while Veritas has served as the main contractor. Veritas is out of Morgantown.