BUCKHANNON, W.Va. (WDTV) – Several projects are in the works in Buckhannon to spur development. It's something some of you say needs to happen in order to catch up with the rest of the world and for your businesses to continue to function competitively.
The much-anticipated Innovation Business Center and high-speed internet are among the projects expected to jump start the economy. But for two video production company owners, the fact the town isn't there yet is a real problem.
"Any business that depends on cloud storage for backup or render forms, or as we do for tutorials and study, we need it," said Dan Hale.
They say helping businesses is just the beginning.
"In order to attract and keep young people that we have, in order to attract real talent to the area that we would like to see live here, there has to be a high-speed internet connection," added Mariani Didyk.
They want to see the government get behind broadband pilot programs. Broadband service is something Senator Shelley Moore Capito discussed in Buckhannon Tuesday along with the new Innovation Business Center to be built downtown.
"It's gonna have high-speed internet, it's gonna have a launch lab for new businesses, it's gonna attract that new entrepreneur that has a good idea. And so you have to have connectivity for that," said Senator Capito about the Business Center.
"It's gonna be a catalyst for a lot of other future development," added Upshur County Development Authority Director Rob Hinton. "We have residential construction that's happening in our downtown area, we have commercial construction that's happening, a new opera house that's gonna be opening up, and also a medical center is actually putting their corporate headquarters here in Buckhannon."
Hinton says another important issue is diversifying the types of jobs here.
"Right now in the state as a whole we have four out of five college graduates leave within graduation of five years," he said. "So we need to do a better job of matching the opportunities that match the skill sets."