This article comes from our media partners at Connect Bridgeport.
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) - After several years of delays due to COVID and supply chain issues, the long-promised Menards is about to become reality.
Although a permit has yet to be filed, plenty of activity has taken place in recent days to let you know it is going to happen.
The biggest involves Genesis Partners, the developers of Charles Pointe where Menards will be located, recently sent out invitations for a Tuesday groundbreaking ceremony in the early afternoon with local officials and officials from Menards in attendance. The ceremony will take place at the Charles Pointe Crossing portion of the development.
For anyone wondering where that is, it is in the area closed off to traffic at the main intersection of Charles Pointe. It is also in the area where the large “Menards” sign can be seen clearly from the roadway.
“It’s no secret this has been a long time in the making, but to see it fully alive is very exciting,” said Bridgeport Community Development Director Andrea Kerr. “After little activity, we have been in discussions with some of the folks from Menards and they are ready, and we are ready. I know, for sure, Genesis Partners, is ready. This will be a great way to kick off the 2023 construction year.”
Kerr said activity has picked up tremendously with Menards in recent weeks. Although new plans have not been submitted, it is not a negative issue.
“They have told me the plans submitted a few years ago hold true; they didn’t change anything,” said Kerr. “Other than the material being used on the outside of the building, which is minor.”
Kerr said the only issue could be the city’s changing from the use of the 2015 International Code Council (ICC) rules to the 2018 version of the ICC. She said the possibility exists of a few changes needing to be made, but that also would not be an issue.
“Plans were actually submitted (last week) for signage and parking,” said Kerr. “Those will require a variance, but everything is in order.”
Another positive sign was the recent removal of one of the two “coming soon” signs at the development (the second sign was still there at the end of the work day Friday). They have been in place for about a year and was among the first activity beyond earth moving and infrastructure at the site since Menards was announced pre-COVID. Kerr said blaming anyone locally or beyond for the delay since that announcement is shortsighted. While some Menards were built, many have faced the same delays for the last few years.
“It is 100 percent a COVID and supply chain issue. The company submitted plans prior to COVID, and we exchanged main emails and phone calls prior to COVID,” she said. “Just like so many other things, when COVID hit, everything just kind of stopped. I can assure you multiple planned Menards were stopped just like ours.”
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