Signs for a Menards store have been in place at Emerson Commons for around five years without the store being built yet. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG — It has been five years since the signs went up indicating a Menards store would be located at Emerson Commons, but construction still has not begun on the proposed home improvement store, although some local officials still think it will happen.

Since being announced in 2016 and with infrastructure work being done on the site, the actual construction of the store has not begun. Local officials have cited the COVID pandemic and rising costs of building materials as possible reasons for the delay in the project.

Menards is a hardware, outdoors and home improvement chain of stores based in Wisconsin and has built locations in the region, including Athens, Huntington and Clarksburg.

Initial plans had a 250,000-square-foot building being built on the Emerson Commons property near the intersection of W.Va. 2 and Interstate 77.

Joe Pope, Managing Member of Emerson Commons, said the ground was certified by their engineer in 2019 as being ready to build on.

A sign highlighting Menards at the site of Emerson Commons as seen from W.Va. Route 2. The store coming to the development near the intersection of W.Va 2 and I-77 was announced in 2016. Construction of the store has yet to start. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

The site has been ready for four to five years, but nothing has happened, Pope said.

“I am not happy,” Pope said. “We will wait and see what happens.

“We have a lot of money tied up in it.”

A letter, dated August 6, 2019, was provided by Pope from Civil & Environmental Consultants Inc. (CEC) of Bridgeport as the “Construction Certification” for the Emerson Commons Site at Parkersburg, West Virginia.

The letter, signed by CEC Vice President Steven A. Cain and CEC Vice President Dennis E. Miller, said the letter serves as the “‘site being certified’ to be turned over to Menards.”

Signs for a Menards store have been in place at Emerson Commons for around five years without the store being built yet. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

A phone message left Feb. 28 for Cain at his office seeking further details was not returned.

Pope said the ground has been ready to build on for years. Control points were set up on the Menards pad at the time of completion and those control points have not moved, he said.

In an email dated March 1, Menards Spokesperson Jeff Abbott said there was nothing to report at this time regarding the status of the project.

Other officials said they have not gotten any word on when construction is expected to begin.

“Unfortunately, I do not have an update on Menards,” said Wood County Economic Development Executive Director Lindsey Piersol. “The only thing I can share is I’m frequently asked about the status from excited patrons of the store and hope that one day they will have move forward with their location in Wood County.”

The Menards sign that can be seen from Interstate 77 for the proposed store at the Emerson Commons site. Signs have been in place for around five years, but the store has not been built yet. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Menards had been looking at the Parkersburg area for a couple years when the initial announcement was made.

Wood County Commissioner Robert Tebay said there wasn’t much being said about the project.

“I haven’t heard anything,” he said, adding however the company is still putting out its sale circulars locally.

In late 2016, the Wood County Commission approved the county’s first tax increment financing (TIF) district at Emerson Commons to get needed infrastructure in place without having to rely directly on the state and state funding to do it.

The TIF district covers 383 acres on both sides of I-77 at its intersection with W.Va. 2 and encompasses the interchange. The project includes public improvements, including water and sewer extensions and road improvements, which would be paid for out of money generated from businesses on the property.

Menards owns 17.5 acres on the site, county officials have said.

Many potential businesses are waiting for the Menards store to be established as an anchor store at the development in order to bring other businesses to Emerson Commons to fill out other spots at the property, they said.

One of the signs highlighting Menards at Emerson Commons located along W.Va. 2 also had a sign that said “Space Available Petroplus & Associates, Inc.” and listed their phone number. A message was left at the number on Feb. 28 seeking comment about any possible interest being shown in the property. No one has responded to the message. Petroplus & Associates Inc. has offices in Morgantown.

Wood County Commissioner Jimmy Colombo still believes Menards will eventually move forward with the project.

“The company still owns the property,” he said. “I have been told that with the Clarksburg store, it took seven to eight years to get there.”

Colombo said he has been to the store in Athens, Ohio, and said he “really loves it.”

“They have thousands of square feet,” he said, adding he appreciated the selection and more.

Development is happening around the area with the FedEx facility in the Mineral Wells area, the Timet site in Jackson County as well as Fidelis New Energy and Babcock & Wilcox developments in Mason County. All of these projects are expected to bring people to West Virginia and the region.

Colombo believes that people would come from around the area to shop at a Menards store in Wood County.

“I don’t see why this wouldn’t be a prime location,” he said. “We are going to get something one of these days. I know we are.”

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com