Today’s Charleston Gazette contains the latest update on the Dow Tech Center project, and the story grows sadder and sadder.
As I predicted, instead of unveiling their well-thought-out plan for the South Charleston Tech Center, leaders are scrambling to develop a plan. One minute the Lottery Commission is moving there; the next minute it is not. One minute a “mere” $1.8 million will be needed to operate the site; the next minute it’s closer to $7.8 million, and that doesn’t include renovations. One minute Building 2000 needs to be leveled; the next minute it does not.
On the latter front, the Governor absurdly announced that the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and Council for Community and Technical College Education would move to the site, while at the same time announcing that the only building that logically could house them would be leveled.
And now we have a TWO-PAGE environmental report that identifies contaminants and says “further evaluation is recommended,” but concludes that there are no “unacceptable human health risks” despite WVU’s conclusion a mere three years ago that the risks were serious.
The saddest thing here: No one apparently learned ANYTHING from the Governor’s 2006 announcement that WVU Institute of Technology was going to relocate its engineering program to this very site. When I learned of that plan shortly before the Governor’s State-of-the-State Address announcement in 2006, I asked the leaders some of the most basic questions imaginable about how they were going to operate the site and meet basic student needs. I was stunned to discover they had no answers. I urged the leaders not to rush an announcement without a meaningful plan in place, but no one listened … and the rest is history. The Governor, WVU and WVUIT leaders made it very easy for the “Take Back Tech” folks to shut down that effort.
A mere four years later everyone is in a mad dash to make a multi-million decision by Friday. As occurred in 2006, basic due diligence has not been performed. And that’s a shame because the Governor finds himself in a precarious situation. Take a wild gamble that property that Dow could not make profitable can be made profitable by the State of West Virginia and the environmental hazards really aren’t that bad, or risk the loss of important jobs unless MATRIC and other tenants can find suitable space somewhere else.
Charleston Gazette reporter Eric Eyre quotes Paul Arbogast, chairman of tech park tenant Mid-Atlantic Technology Research and Innovation Center (MATRIC), saying, “it’s going to be an easy decision.” I couldn’t agree more with Mr. Arbogast’s statement, if not his conclusion, if the decision truly has to be made by Friday. I urge everyone involved to BEG, GROVEL, or do whatever is necessary to get Dow to give them two months to perform the due diligence that should have been performed months and years ago. I’d personally even support having the State pay Dow for the two additional months of financial losses (about $1.3 million?) so it has time to get its due diligence house in order. Otherwise, the State may lose a lot more than $1.3 million.
It’s no accident that Dow is not only offering to “give away” this property but also throw in $10 million to boot. And it’s no accident that no one learned anything from the events of 2006. How sad!
I agree with you that more time is needed. I agree with you that we should even pay Dow for additional time. That said, I think the Governor is right: This should happen.
I, as much as Danny Jones, hate to see anything leave Charleston. I believe every state needs a major city and that said city should continue to grow. But, that Tech Park should be saved and a long-term plan should be made and made correctly – even if it takes more than two months.
A visual for the public has not been painted; this is a big deal and has the possibility of creating an economy of its own for that community (where is Vision Shared on this?)
The Tech Park should be saved. It should be saved correctly, but nonetheless saved.
And, just to add salt to sugar: South Charleston must be merged into Charleston.
Sit tight Danny Jones, all the little ducks will coming running back in due time.
Your literary detective has more questions than answers about this deal. Who will be in charge? Who gets the $10 mil (and authority to spend it) — the Governor or the HEPC? Will any action be taken to investigate environmental hazards before new tenants move in? OMG. What a tangled web they wove….
Is there a difference between the Governor and HEPC? Nobody I know can tell the difference.
I’m sure the environmental investigation will start when one of the new tenants acquires a sixth digit. Until then everyone will pretend things are normal.