Parkersburg URA postpones action on offer for former hotel site
Clayton Workman, owner of Monster’s Bent Barbell, discusses his offer of $75,000 to purchase the former Economy Inn property on Seventh Street during Tuesday’s meeting of the Parkersburg Urban Renewal Authority. Two residents spoke against the offer, noting the city spent $681,000 to purchase the property, plus demolition and other costs. Two other parties indicated they were interested in buying the property as well. The authority voted 5-2, with two members absent, to suspend action until its June 25 meeting. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Parkersburg City Councilwoman Sharon Kuhl, left, asks a question of Nancy Miller, founder and board president for the Amputee Center, prior to council approving a resolution Tuesday authorizing the temporary vending of beer and wine for an upcoming fundraiser. Read more about Tuesday’s council meeting online and in Thursday's edition. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Clayton Workman, owner of Monster’s Bent Barbell, discusses his offer of $75,000 to purchase the former Economy Inn property on Seventh Street during Tuesday’s meeting of the Parkersburg Urban Renewal Authority. Two residents spoke against the offer, noting the city spent $681,000 to purchase the property, plus demolition and other costs. Two other parties indicated they were interested in buying the property as well. The authority voted 5-2, with two members absent, to suspend action until its June 25 meeting. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Parkersburg City Councilwoman Sharon Kuhl, left, asks a question of Nancy Miller, founder and board president for the Amputee Center, prior to council approving a resolution Tuesday authorizing the temporary vending of beer and wine for an upcoming fundraiser. Read more about Tuesday’s council meeting online and in Thursday's edition. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
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PARKERSBURG - The Urban Renewal Authority made no decision Tuesday on an offer to purchase a site being considered for a new Parkersburg fire station.
The authority, which includes all members of Parkersburg City Council, voted 5-2 to postpone action on the offer to buy the former Economy Inn property at 1954 Seventh St. for $75,000 during Tuesday's meeting, which followed the regular council session.
Clayton Workman, owner of Monsters Bent Barbell gym at 3011 Seventh St., made the offer on the property, saying in documents submitted to the city that he is "looking to build and expand and have an area for cornhole tournaments."
At Tuesday's meeting, Workman said the business plays hosts to competitions that bring in over 100 people and also supports people in the amputee and recovery communities.
"I think we bring a lot to the table as far as what we can do for that property and the area," he said.
Several gym members were in attendance in support of Workman's bid.
Parkersburg resident Sherry West said she lives in the area and appreciates what Monsters Bent Barbell does but considered $75,000 "a really, really low offer" based on what the city spent to obtain it.
The URA began discussions to acquire the property in the fall of 2022, with officials citing dilapidated conditions - only 16 rooms were considered safe for occupancy - and numerous law enforcement and medical calls to the property over the years. It was discussed as a potential site for a new fire station replacing a Depression-era facility at 13th and Liberty streets.
An initial fair market value offer of $490,000, which factored in projected demolition costs, rose to $681,000 in negotiations with the owner, for whom the business was the primary source of income. The authority approved the purchase, also on a 5-2 vote, in August 2023.
The structure has since been demolished. Precise figures were not immediately available, but representatives of the city's Development Department estimated after Tuesday's meeting that more than $800,000 had gone into the acquisition and clearing of the site.
"I'd like to see them (Monsters Bent Barbell) continue to flourish, but I don't think that's the place to do it," West said, adding, "at that price."
West also said if they were accepting low offers that she was willing to purchase the property for $120,000.
City Planner Connor LaVelle said the owner of property adjacent to the site had contacted the Development Department to say he could not attend Tuesday's meeting but wanted time to make an offer as well.
Parkersburg resident Ken Watts expressed his opposition to the proposed purchase price and asked whether the site was still being considered for a fire station.
"My question is, what's changed?" he said.
That was not discussed during the meeting. URA Chairman J.R. Carpenter said he would entertain a motion to suspend action on the offer until the June 25 meeting, and it passed 5-2, with Councilwomen Sharon Kuhl and Cathy Dailey opposed and Councilwoman Jesse Cottrille and Councilman Zach Stanley absent.
After the meeting, Kuhl and Councilman Mike Reynolds said it was their understanding the property was still being looked at for the replacement fire station and that this offer was not specifically solicited.
"If we get an offer on a URA property, we have to talk about it," Reynolds said.
Development Director Ryan Barber said after the meeting that the site was not being "aggressively marketed," but it is listed on the authority's publicly available catalog and there have been conversations about it with other interested parties.
Workman said he wasn't sure what to expect from Tuesday's meeting and would wait to see what is decided next month. As for objections to the amount on his application, "anybody had a chance to make an offer, just like I did," he said.
Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com