Three of the biggest residential projects to come to the city in recent years are in various stages, but all are moving forward a city official said Thursday. One project is nearly complete; another is under review to begin, while earth work has started for the third.

 

“All three projects help to address a critical need, as spelled out in our comprehensive plan, as it relates to housing,” said Community Development Director Randy Spellman, who addressed the issue at Thursday’s Bridgeport Development Authority meeting.

 

Unlike many cities in West Virginia, Bridgeport has experienced consistent growth in recent decades. According to the comprehensive plan, if the city experiences an annual growth of 1 percent, they will need roughly 600 new units by 2025 to match the growth. The projects talked about Thursday will go a long way toward helping meet that need.

 

Spellman said the Stonebridge Condominiums that are located just off of U.S. Route 131 should be complete and see occupants moving in by the first of October. The new complex, which is the near completion and is four stories high, will have 24 units and is situated on Country Meadow Lane. He said the costs associated with it are $1.5 million.

 

“They were trying to shoot for September (to open), but I don’t think they’re going to quite hit that,” said Spellman. “Twenty three of the 24 units are already leased. That structure came out real nice. They did a really nice job and it’s unique in that it has underground parking. That’s a different twist on any of our other (condominium and) apartment projects.”

 

Although space apparently is limited, individuals that are interested can contact Stonebridge by visiting their Web site. Click HERE to visit their site.

 

Spellman said his office has actually received architectural drawings on the Lodgeville Estates project. He said the $8.2 million project’s plans are currently under review.

 

“The review should be wrapped up within the next week,” said Spellman of the multi-family apartments. “They anticipate breaking ground this fall.”

The complex will have eight buildings. Each building will have 12 units for a total of 96 new units in the city that will be located on the flat hilltop along Lodgeville Road clearly visible from Interstate 79.

 

The developer, which is Lodgeville Estates, LLC, requested an economic development grant from the city at Thursday’s meeting. The request was for 75 percent of the business and occupation tax take from the project.

 

The BDA, which has done the grants in the past, has never exceeded the 50 percent threshold and will do so with this. They are recommending Bridgeport City Council, which has the final say, approve the grant at Monday’s meeting. At the end of the project, the amount on the multi-million dollar project could be in the $120,000 range. However, that was a rough estimate that was provided.

 

Earth work, including grubbing and tree removal, has started at Crystal Ridge Phase II. The development, along U.S. Route 50 East just past the intersection with Route 76, will create 65 new lots. The lots will be for single family homes. Unlike the first phase, the second phase does not require the individual purchasing a lot to utilize the developer’s home contractor.

 

“Hopefully, we’ll have something out next spring that the developer will be to the point where they can start some new home construction out there,” said Spellman. “(New home sites) are desperately needed.”

 

All three projects will provide a combined 185 housing units if fully occupied and built out. That would be nearly one-third of what the comprehensive plan calls for as needing to be met.

 

Spellman said if all lots were built out and the average home cost was $300,000 that it would provide a benefit of $19.5 million in new residential construction at the development. The three projects could produce nearly $30 million in total residential development.