When one enters, drives through or drives past the sprawling White Oaks development just off Jerry Dove Drive and along Interstate 79, it’s hard not to see all the development taking place. After all, when you have tens of millions of dollars in projects taking place it’s hard not to notice.

 

There’s one thing, though, that many in the community and the head of White Oaks himself has noticed as well. And that’s a noticeable lack of restaurants and retail stores at the development.

 

“We’ve gone through a learning curve on this,” said Thrasher. “We never envisioned that we would be in a situation where we would struggle more landing restaurants and retail as opposed to corporations and large-scale hotels. But, that’s been the case and we’re looking at fixing it.”

 

In 2008, Thrasher and his co-developer Jack Keeley were more worried about having too many restaurants and retail spots, which are common across major exits off interstates across West Virginia. Now, the shift has changed and Thrasher said he and Keeley are looking to balance things out because it rounds out the vision for White Oaks.

 

Of the near hundreds of millions of dollars in projects at the site since it started, only a very small part of that involves retail and eateries.

 

“The main goal was to make the development host business and corporation and we got there quickly. Now, we need to round it out with retail and restaurants because it benefits everyone in the park, the traveling public and others,” said Thrasher. “There are thousands of people every day, probably more than 10,000, that go past or through White Oaks that work in the park, at the FBI or the (United) Hospital (Center). We’re serious about catering to that group.”

 

Thrasher isn’t providing lip service. For anyone that has driven Jerry Dove Drive, the building going up just below the Holiday Inn Express is the first retail center, which Connect-Bridgeport told you about in THIS article back on October of 2014. The 15,000 square foot building, expected to be done shortly, has one tenant in McFly Outdoors. Although Thrasher said no other tenants are signed, he said serious discussions are taking place.

 

As for restaurants, Thrasher pointed to the model that landed White Oaks a national chain recently – TGI Friday’s – as the way that others will likely be handled. And he said he believes it will work.

 

“We’re not in the restaurant business. We’re going to have others do that,” said Thrasher. “We think that’s going to work.”

The TGI Friday’s deal was done by John Mosesso. If others acquire property and work out deals that will suit Thrasher just fine. And he thinks the TGI Friday’s deal will work toward adding others.

 

“I’m real excited about that restaurant because I think it’s great for the area and it’s great for White Oaks,” said Thrasher. “I think once it’s established it will be an excellent selling point to attract others.”

 

The work to land more of the businesses that generally excited the public is part of the second phase at White Oaks. Another component of that is the completion of White Oaks Boulevard that will provide a road that connects the development from Jerry Dove Drive to just off the Saltwell exit of Interstate 79. Read about that roadway in this recent story HERE and the initial story that ran in May of 2014 HERE.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows workers making progress on the first retail strip center that fronts Jerry Dove Drive, while the bottom photo shows workers at the Hawthorn Suites site that is set for a winter 2015 opening.