BROOKE, HANCOCK COUNTIES, W.Va. — The Brooke-Hancock Business Development Corporation finished 2016 strong with a huge surplus in grant money.That money will make over 30 new projects possible in 2017. The BDC goes into the new year with nearly $920,000 left over in grant money. A large portion of the money will be spent on projects in Weirton, Follansbee and Wellsburg, as well as projects all over the area.The BDC has created over 1,500 jobs in the past 6 years. Roughly 36 projects on the horizon will continue that growth.Director Pat Ford says some of the most successful projects over the past year are the beginning of the Rock Springs Business Park in Chester, along with Follansbee Steel.Board Chairman Bill D'Alesio says they're hoping for an even bigger 2017.“I think most, if not all of them, were successful whether retaining jobs or bringing new jobs in and that’s what we've done so we just feel that 2016 has been great for the Brooke and Hancock area,” D’Alesio said.“What this grant money does is it allows us to clean up the properties, bring infrastructure and put them on a level playing field with some of the cleaner properties we once had to compete with over the past 10 years,” Executive Director Pat Ford said.Brooke Glass in Wellsburg, Beech Bottom Industrial Park, Williams County Club and Jimmy Carey Stadium are the next projects on the agenda to get rolled out within the next 6 months.
http://wtov9.com/news/local/bdc-has-920k-ready-for-projects