Hinton’s aspirations to revitalize historic areas is gained steam last week when it was announced that a Lewisburg company had been awarded a major grant to cleanup the old Silo Ice building on Commercial Street, just across the street from the restored Freight Depot.
This is a big and long-awaited grant, according to Hinton City Manager Cris Meadows. The grant was awarded by The New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA).
NRGRA Executive Director Jina Belcher says the funds were awarded by the U.S. Environmental Brownfields to NRGRA and provide $442,320.00 for safe restoration economic development.
The three-story Silo Ice building was built in the 1920s as an ice storage and cold storage facility, and when it closed it left heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The NRGRA has awarded the contract to Greenbrier Environmental Group, In, to clean up the property and excavate contaminated soils and dispose of the hazardous contaminants at a permitted landfill.
Belcher said the city of Hinton has designed multi-use development for the Freight Depot and Hinton Hardwoods Building that includes stores and shops and amphitheater and water park.
She commended the city of Hinton leaders for doing a wonderful job with the initiative and that “NRGRDA is honored to have a role in restoring a brownfields area to create jobs and new business development in Summers County.”
Revitalization of Hinton’s historic areas is happening. In another grant, a for $40,000.00 stabilization project at Hinton Hardwoods building will soon be underway.
Candice Helms said the building has already been cleaned out and old tools and items sold or removed.
“The roof needs to be replaced,” but she explained this particular grant was awarded for stabilization. “The building is deteriorating and more funds will be needed to restore the building.”
Meadows said since the grant was awarded a roof support beam, rafter, has collapsed, and the building may not be able to wait much longer for a roof.
