A community visioning meeting to discuss potential uses for 714 Market St. is planned for 5 p.m. today at the building, which was donated to the Parkersburg Urban Renewal Authority a little over a year ago. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG — City officials are asking members of the community for input on what should come next for a downtown building donated to the city a little over a year ago.

The City of Parkersburg and Downtown PKB will host a community visioning meeting on the future use of 714 Market St. at 5 p.m. today at the building. At 5:45 p.m., participants will gather in the Downtown PKB board room at 610 Market St. for follow-up conversations and planning exercises.

“There may be some really great idea out there that we haven’t considered yet,” Parkersburg Development Director Ryan Barber said.

The two-story building with a basement was donated to the city’s Urban Renewal Authority in December 2023 by C&S Limited Liability Co.

The city sought requests for proposals for developing the property, sending materials to several hundred realtors, bankers and developers, Barber said. Over the spring and summer of 2024, they did about half a dozen on-site inspections of the property, but “no concrete proposals were submitted,” he said.

Today’s visioning meeting represents “going back to the drawing board,” Barber said.

A release from the city said it’s an opportunity “for residents, business owners and other stakeholders to share their ideas about the highest and best use for this building, which sits in the heart of the Central Business District.”

“We are excited to hear directly from the people who live, work and invest in our city about their vision for this space,” Barber said.

The release said community input will play “a vital role” in determining the next steps for the property.

More information about the building can be found online at parkersburgwv.gov/714market.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com