What is a ‘business ready site’?

By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV

Last week, Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced $2.1 million in grants for “business ready sites” across the state. 

What is a “business ready site?” How will the funds be used locally? Will they lead to new businesses in West Virginia? How quickly? 

We sat down with Ruthana Beezley, the Executive Director of the Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation, to understand what impact the grants will have locally. 

“We were excited to learn that we received two grants in this last round of the West Virginia site readiness program to help further site development,” she shared. “Successful development isn’t just about knowing the right people or flat land or other things people may assume. It’s about what’s in the dirt.”

More specifically, Beezley says the key in today’s market to development is having sites ready for businesses. “Dirt or land, even if it’s without appropriate infrastructure or, doesn’t make a site.” 

Beezley says that’s why these grants from Morrisey are so important, as they allow people in her shoes to get sites “shovel ready.” 

“Companies that are looking to expand or relocate, operate under tight deadlines,” she explained. “So what used to be a 2-3 year process for a manufacturer to look for a site is now close to six months.They’ve really tightened up that deadline and so having a product ready to go helps us be competitive and it also reduces risks for those businesses.” 

The first step in having a site ready, Beezley says, is identifying the right land. “Which is not as easy as you might think. You have to find a property but also a willing seller.”

Beezley says the GVEDC is fortunate to already have two sites which have been identified and the process of site readiness has begun. 

“Then we have to assess the infrastructure–local utilities, water, sewer, gas, electricity, and fiber., which is extremely important. We determine what’s already here at the site or what’s close and can be connected,” she said. “But then we have to determine if the utility has excess capacity so we can actually get what we need for a business to operate in terms of water, power, and internet, for example.” 

The GVEDC received $150,000 total for ready sites, with one in Hart’s Run just off Interstate 64 and another in Peterstown near the Fountain Springs Golf Course. Beezley said both of those sites are far along in the process, without major infrastructure needs. 

“This just kind of helps you get across the finish line, get some further due diligence done, and get that one step further to being certified as a ready site,” she said. “It’s not like we’re going to announce new businesses immediately.” 

Beezley said that over the past few months, as part of the county planning process, citizens asked, “Where is our Nucor?” (a reference to the steel company moving to Mason County on a 2.5 million square foot site representing a $4 billion investment). 

She asks citizens to trust in the process. “This work takes a lot of partnerships and collaboration from utilities, from property owners, from engineers, and more. This work is not fast, and it’s not cheap. So this funding for sites is very much appreciated.” 

The Morrisey administration gave $75,000 in business site ready grants to 23 projects across the state: 

Charleston Area Alliance – $75,000

Putnam County Development Authority – $75,000

Mason County Development Authority – $75,000

Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation (Maxwelton site) – $75,000

Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation (Fountain Springs site) – $75,000

McDowell County Economic Dev. Authority – $75,000

Preston County Economic Development Authority (Grace Chapel site) – $75,000

Preston County Economic Development Authority (Valley IP site) – $75,000

Preston County Economic Development Authority (TAZ Sawmill site) – $75,000

Preston County Economic Development Authority (North Pointe IP site) – $75,000

Preston County Economic Development Authority (Pres-Mon site) – $75,000

Morgan County Economic Development Authority – $75,000

Jefferson County Development Authority (Jefferson Orchard site) – $75,000

Jefferson County Development Authority (Lot 36 Burr BP site) – $75,000

Upshur County Development Authority (Brushy Fork site) – $75,000

Upshur County Development Authority (Martin Weatherford site) – $75,000

Barbour County Economic Development Authority – $75,000

Marion County Regional Development Corporation – $75,000

Berkeley County Development Authority – $75,000

Bluefield  Economic Development Authority – $75,000

Mineral County Economic Development Authority – $75,000

Pleasants County Development Authority – $75,000

New River Gorge Regional Development Authority – $75,000

Wood County Development Authority & Parkersburg-Wood County Area Development Corp. (00 29th Street site) – $75,000

Wood County Development Authority & Parkersburg-Wood County Area Development Corp. (Fort Boreman site) – $75,000

Wood County Development Authority & Parkersburg-Wood County Area Development Corp. (Stone Ridge site) – $75,000

Harrison County Development Authority (Harrison Regional site) – $75,000

Harrison County Development Authority (Spelter site) – $75,000