PARKERSBURG - Progress on getting new tenants for the old Blue Cross Blue Shield building, status of the skateboard park, the Corridor D study and development of Fort Boreman were among projects updated Monday by development officials.

Keith Burdette, president of the Wood County Development Authority, updated Wood County commissioners on several pending projects.

"The old Blue Cross Blue Shield building on Market Street is on the Historic Register and has some tax credits associated with its redevelopment. As challenging as the marketability would be, there is some interest in the building and we are working on that," Burdette told commissioners.

On the topic of downtown development, Burdette addressed the West Virginia University campus building.

"I would imagine in the next six months or so we'll see some movement on the facade work on that building. There is some grant funding available through the city for facade improvements, it's a matching grant. The Development Authority, through a Benedum grant, has agreed to match up to $10,000. They can qualify for up to $30,000, so that's $60,000 total. The overall cost is somewhere around $277,000 to $377,000," Burdette said.

Progress was also reported on the skateboard project.

"The committee has now raised $150,000 of the $350,000 needed for the park. The goal is to get it up and have construction started sometime next year," Burdette said.

The Corridor D study through the Economic Development Administration is under way.

"As a byproduct of that process, they will look at all the interchanges between I-77 and the Ohio River. They will look at economic feasibility, then focus on one tract they think is best for development. It's highly likely that tract will be Fort Boreman. We should have a report in November on the first phase. The next phase will be the master plan for the property. We estimate that will be done by the end of the year. My board has approved a partnership contribution should the city decide to do a research study," Burdette said.

Burdette said such a study would look at shopping patterns, matching them with retailers.

"Such a study, if done, would include Fort Boreman, downtown Parkersburg and southside around West Virginia 14," Burdette said. "It would take about 60 days once started. It's my understanding, the finance committee and city council will consider that study later in October," he said.

On the Fort Boreman project, Burdette said an option has been agreed to between the land owners and Parkersburg/Wood County Area Development Corporation for six months at no charge, then the right to extend for an additional 12 months.

"The EDA wanted a master plan in the hands of a nonprofit, the option addresses that," Burdette said.

"We will probably, in the next 60 days, will conduct a feasibility study for minor league baseball, which will take about 60 days to complete, we're just going to see what the study says," Burdette said.

The commissioners were told an appropriation is being sought for an engineering/architectural work on a new Armory to replace the Blizzard Drive facility that could evolve into a civic center facility.

"We don't anticipate word on that appropriation until late fall, at the earliest," Burdette said. "If approved by Congress, it is our understanding the planning process is such that once approved, the National Guard will hire an architect then contact the city and other parties. The architect will then work to identify any additional uses the community would like to see for the facility. Any amenities above and beyond what the Guard requires, must be paid for locally," Burdette said.

"The arena complex would be determined by the Guard, and we are told it will be considerably larger than what they have now, seating could be somewhere in the neighborhood of 5,000 to 7,000 people," Burdette said.

"Those decisions have not been made, we don't expect anything on that happening until, at the earliest, 2010," Burdette said.