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PARKERSBURG - The Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau is making significant exterior and interior changes to its offices and visitors center at Seventh and Avery streets.

"We want to create a signature look to our exterior that will welcome visitors and make it easier for them to find our offices," said bureau President Steve Nicely. "Furthermore, with all the other developments happening in downtown Parkersburg, it was important to offer a contemporary look to our offices as part of the revitalization efforts."

The plans by Pickering Associates include painting the exterior of the building a contemporary shade of green, installing terracotta red awnings over the front door and adding a 4-by-4 picture window from Simonton Windows. The front entry will replaced with brick pavers and exterior signs on three sides of the building will better identify the offices for visitors.

Because the bureau is within sight of several historic buildings, approval of the facade changes were required from the state and city. An artist's rendering depicting the proposed building color and design changes were submitted to the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office in Charleston where they were approved in August. The city of Parkersburg Facade Committee also approved the changes during its Sept. 23 meeting.

The bureau will proceed with construction with hopes of having the majority of the work completed soon. A matching grant of $10,000 was received by the bureau from the city to cover part of the $23,000 cost.

Walk-in visitor traffic is up more than 35 percent this year and is expected to increase with the additional directional signage that is being planned, Nicely said.. These developments helped to determine that interior changes also were needed, he said. The bureau will triple the amount of space it is devoted to the visitor center portion of its offices.

"The renovated and enlarged visitor center will have a computer terminal where visitors may check the CVB website and other points of interests for information, expanded brochure racks, and several engaging visual displays that will help us sell the area even more effectively," Nicely said.

The interior work is expected to continue through the winter months.