The former site of the Economy Inn on Seventh Street in Parkersburg is covered with snow Wednesday. The hotel was recently demolished after the city’s Urban Renewal Authority purchased it last year with the intention of tearing it down to remediate slum and blight. The demolition was partially paid for with funds from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

PARKERSBURG — A pilot program intended to remediate slum and blighted properties in West Virginia gets a thumbs up from the City of Parkersburg.

City officials announced Tuesday the successful completion of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Reclamation of Abandoned and Dilapidated Properties Program.

Parkersburg received $650,000 through the pilot program and was able to demolish 52 residential structures and six commercial structures in 2023, municipal Development Director Ryan Barber said.

It made an impact, but more needs to be done, according to Barber.

“We still have a need to mitigate blight in Parkersburg,” he said.

The former site of the Economy Inn on Seventh Street in Parkersburg is covered with snow Wednesday. The hotel was recently demolished after the city’s Urban Renewal Authority purchased it last year with the intention of tearing it down to remediate slum and blight. The demolition was partially paid for with funds from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Among the demolitions were the former Runyon Lock building at 19th Street and Dudley Avenue. The former Economy Inn was recently torn down, with the state funds contributing to that effort.

The Legislature in March 2022 approved the launch of the pilot phase of the program. The DEP was instructed to develop the Reclamation of Abandoned and Dilapidated Properties Program to help municipalities like Parkersburg, according to a release from the city.

Addressing vacant and abandoned properties is essential to the long-term health and economic stability of residents, small businesses and the community in general, the release said. High rates of vacant or abandoned properties in a neighborhood is shown to intensify public health disparities, contribute to poor health conditions and can lead to higher rates of crime, the city said.

“Parkersburg has been committed to attacking slum and blight for many years,” Mayor Tom Joyce said. “These efforts have proven beneficial to improving neighborhood safety and protecting the property values of neighboring properties, while simultaneously mitigating the risk of vacant structure fires which place our fire personnel at risk.”

Barber hopes the Legislature, now in session in Charleston, approves more funding to continue the statewide program. About $10 million was initially approved for the program, but that’s been spent, he said.

The former site of the Economy Inn on Seventh Street in Parkersburg is covered with snow Wednesday. The hotel was recently demolished after the city’s Urban Renewal Authority purchased it last year with the intention of tearing it down to remediate slum and blight. The demolition was partially paid for with funds from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

While Parkersburg demolished the 58 structures, high-vacancy rates remain in parts of the city and across West Virginia, the release said.

“The City of Parkersburg encourages the West Virginia Legislature to continue to appropriate the necessary resources to tackle neighborhood blight through these mitigation efforts,” the city said.

Wood County received $195,000 from the program this year, county Administrator Marty Seufer said. They submitted 14 possible blighted structures that could be addressed.

City Editor Evan Bevins contributed to this story.

The Parkersburg Urban Renewal Authority voted last year to purchase the Economy Inn, shown in August, on Seventh Street and tear it down. (File Photo)

The Parkersburg Urban Renewal Authority voted last year to purchase the Economy Inn, shown in August, on Seventh Street and tear it down. (File Photo)

A crew from Jimmie Harper Construction work to demolish the former Runyon Lock building at 19th Street and Dudley Avenue in August. The demolition was funded with money from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. (File Photo)