For those of you wondering – and there’s been plenty that have asked – just what is taking place along Lodgeville Road with all the earth moving, I’ve got a few answers for you. The first part is probably what most expected.

 

It’s a new development.

 

And for those paying attention, a little bit of information on this very development leaked out on Connect-Bridgeport on Nov. 5 of last year. At that time, City Manager Kim Haws and Community Development Director Andrea Kerr told members of the Bridgeport Development Authority of plans for a group looking to have property annexed into the city.

 

This was the property in question. At the present time, the land that is being leveled between Lodgeville Road and the northbound on ramp of Interstate 79 off of U.S. Route 50 sits in an unincorporated part of Harrison County.

 

The property is being developed by The Huber Group located out of Windermere, Florida. The work, however, is being done regionally out of the company’s office in Lewisburg.

 

So what’s coming?

 

“We’re doing infrastructure right now for our first business and that is for a temperature-controlled storage facility,” said Don Huber, a managing member of the company that bears his name. “We have several things in the works, but that’s the only thing I can say for sure that’s taking place.”

 

That didn’t stop Huber from talking about what he foresees in the area. And it’s all on the commercial front.

 

“We’d like to see retail development there. Potentially, we envision a hotel or potentially a movie theater. The location affords a lot of options with visibility,” said Huber.

 

For those thinking there’s not a lot of space to build on, the size of the property being developed is deceptive. Kerr said recently the land in question covers 29.61 acres, which would set the stage for plenty of new development – likely minus one thing.

 

“I don’t think the property lends itself to residential development. It’s not eliminated from our process, but it’s very far down the list of what we would like to do,” said Huber. “The land has a really unique lay to it.”

 

As the land sits now there’s also something else that some may have surmised from what’s written above. It’s not in the City of Bridgeport, but that could – and if all goes as planned – change.

 

“Our preference is to be in the City of Bridgeport,” said Huber. “If all goes as we would like, that’s what will happen.”

 

That means yet another development along the Interstate for Bridgeport. And this one is progressing at a level more than just earth moving quickly.

 

“We’re moving at a fast pace and the first phase of this project should be ready for foundation work in September,” said Huber. “The one thing we need to make that a certainty is for the weather to cooperate and that’s not been the case much of the summer.”

 

The good news is that Kerr said if they come to the city to be annexed, the property shouldn’t be an issue. In other words, it should be up to city code.

 

“Everything, from roads and curbs and sidewalks to drainage, is being done to our codes,” said Kerr. “If they come, it will be a nice addition to the city.”

 

What all the bring remains to be seen. But now you know just what’s taking place and just who is doing it along the interstate.