While there’s still room for development in Charles Pointe and the first two phases of White Oaks as well as the new development on Jerry Dove Drive known as “The Market  Place,” once those areas are fully developed is the building explosion in the city over? Where, some may wonder, is the next area of development coming – if at all – to Bridgeport?

 

While there’s likely several more years of development at the aforementioned places and others, there’s more prime acreage waiting for development. And it’s owned by a prominent development group and its part of an existing developing – White Oaks Phase III.

 

According to Woody Thrasher, one of the principals in the High Tech Corridor Development Group, there is yet another phase to the already sprawling White Oaks development. That third phase, said, is also off the Saltwell Road exit. This property is situated off the northbound side of the roadway and exit and not all of it is in the City of Bridgeport.

 

“We do plan on developing a third phase in the future,” said Thrasher. “It’s a really large area, but right now we’re not going to be doing anything with it until there’s a demand for it.”

 

The land in question is right off the northbound exit. In fact, it is situated on both side of Route 131, with the majority of it located on the northern most side in the area near Joy Lane. A smaller amount of acreage is around the park and ride at the exit.

 

The area is, as Thrasher describes, large. More than 170 acres are available and at one time very recently a large piece of that acreage wasn’t available.

 

“Three or four years a large piece of the property in question was purchased by Baker Hughes and now we have it,” said Thrasher. “Not all of the acreage will be able to be utilized, but a substantial amount will be.”

 

Thrasher estimates that 120 acres will be able to be cultivated from the land for prime sites. And unlike the property in Phase I and Phase II of White Oaks, not all of the land is in Bridgeport and not all of it is zoned for business.

 

“You have some prime sites that will be developed right at the exit and that will include restaurants, which is in Bridgeport, and then we have a concept for some industrial park usage as you would work your way back in an area toward Bridgeport,” said Thrasher. “One other thing that is different is that you won’t see the mass grading that you saw in our first two phases. There will be some, but certainly not to the same level.”

 

The industrial property is property situated in Harrison County as opposed to Bridgeport. Thrasher said it won’t be developed with curb and under or have the underground utilities that are prevalent throughout Bridgeport.

 

“If a company wants to have a pipe yard or something of that nature, they could locate it there,” said Thrasher. “We’re sensitive to the appearance so it will be tucked out in behind the other development. Basically, we see that area as mixed use as opposed to strictly business or commercial.”

 

So could the property end up in Bridgeport? Thrasher said that hasn’t been decided.

 

“It’s another great opportunity for development,” said Thrasher. “We’re not going to rush into it, but that’s on the drawing board and when it’s time we’ll get started.”