Revisioning a Glass Factory as a Factory of Opportunity A former Corning Glass Works manufacturing site in Paden City, West Virginia can support a myriad of activities, from local workforce training to mixed-use market space Project Summary Community: Paden City, West Virginia Brownfields Technical Assistance: Market Analysis Former Use: Corning Glass Works Future Use: Multi-Tenant Mixed-Use Market The Paden City Industrial Park borders both the Northern Panhandle and Mid-Ohio Valley Regions in West Virginia. Paden City Pottery first developed the site in 1914 and began producing dinnerware. Corning Glass Works purchased the property in 1956 and operated at the site until 1991. Given past activity, the site is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. Eight years after the Corning plant closed, the Paden City Development Authority (PCDA) purchased the facility to spur redevelopment. Since then, roughly half of the property has been leased for various uses including office and storage space. The Community's Challenge Paden City needed help to understand whether the former Corning Glass Works site could be reused for local economic development and job opportunities. Employment within the City has historically been dependent on the natural resource extraction and traditional manufacturing sectors, which are shrinking and particularly susceptible to volatile commodity markets. The City needs to develop a skilled workforce to attract higher-paying jobs that can improve quality of life. EPA's Brownfields Technical Assistance In 2021, EPA's Brownfields and Land Revitalization Program provided contractor technical assistance to prepare a market analysis to identify potential reuse options for the Paden City Industrial Park that would spur economic development and create job opportunities. The team analyzed socioeconomic trends and retail and real estate markets; conducted stakeholder interviews; and facilitated a virtual workshop with local and regional economic development and planning representatives, educators, and commercial real estate brokers to align the recommendations for the site with the community's priorities and local market conditions. The market analysis indicated several suitable redevelopment opportunities, including: • Expanding existing office and storage uses • Attracting retail uses • Creating a maker space or mixed-use market • Developing a workforce training program • Attracting light manufacturing or industrial uses Through a multi-tenant, multi-use approach, existing uses on the site could be coupled with new retail opportunities as identified in the market analysis. Community interest in transforming the site into a maker space could build on Paden City's long history in glass manufacturing and draw regional tourists. Coupling a maker space with additional recreational opportunities onsite could provide additional attractions for visitors. The market analysis also identified a need for skill development and re-training opportunities as the region diversifies its economy and moves into higher skilled industries. Regional colleges have shown an interest in tailoring training programs to both attract new employers and meet the existing regional demand for skills. The PCDA may wish to consider reusing a portion of the site for training, with the goal of attracting a new industrial tenant that could take advantage of the new workforce. A FY21 Brownfields cleanup grant was awarded to the City to address environmental conditions at the site to prepare it for redevelopment. For more information, contact Joseph Nowak, EPA Region 3 Brownfields Program, at nowak.ioseph@epa.gov. Section D United States Environmental Protection M % Agency Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization 560-F-22-029 ------- |