Marietta, Belpre welcome new businesses as Menards remains idle | News, Sports, Jobs

The entrance sign for Emerson Commons, near the intersection of W.Va. 2 and Interstate 77, features the name of the Menards store being planned for the site. The sign has been up for over three years, but an announcement has not been made yet on when the store will be constructed. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG — The new Ollie’s store is opening in Marietta on Sept. 13 and a new pharmacy has opened in Belpre, but there has still been no definite word on when the Menards store will be built at Emerson Commons.

The new Ollie’s store in Marietta is scheduled to open 9 a.m. Wednesday at 450 Pike St., Marietta, in the former Gordman’s store space, next to Planet Fitness at the Lafayette Square Shopping Center.

The company does buyouts of merchandise from other retailers and sells it at a discount, including brand-name food, housewares, flooring, books, clothing, bed & bath, toys and more, some up to 70% off their original price, according to Ollie’s website. A store has been operating in south Parkersburg for a number of years.

The new Marietta store will be 30,000-square-feet and will employ between 30 and 50 people depending on the season, said Tom Kuypers, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Advertising for Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Inc.

“We’re looking forward to opening and being a long-term part of the Marietta community,” he said.

The new Shrivers Pharmacy and Wellness in Belpre recently opened at its location on Farson Street across from the Marietta Memorial Hospital Belpre campus. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

The new Shrivers Pharmacy and Wellness in Belpre recently had a grand opening and has been doing business at its location on Farson Street in Belpre across from the Marietta Memorial Hospital Belpre campus.

Co-owner/pharmacist Austin Hilverding said they have been open for two weeks and people are appreciating a locally owned business.

He said the community support has been overwhelming from the people in the community to the Belpre Chamber of Commerce.

“The community has been very open and supportive of us coming to town,” he said.

Hilverding said people get a different feel in walking into their business in that it is not a typical retail pharmacy and has more of a sense of wellness about it.

The new Ollie’s in Marietta will be opening Wednesday. The store is located at 450 Pike St., Marietta, in the former Gordman’s store space, next to Planet Fitness at the Lafayette Square Shopping Center. (Photo by Kristen Hainkel)

The business takes a more holistic approach to health. They work on keeping people well, not just when they aren’t feeling well, Hilverding said.

The business is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. They are closed on Sunday.

A ribbon cutting ceremony for the new pharmacy will be held 11 a.m. Sept. 27.

The Menards project was announced in late 2016.

Menards is a hardware, outdoors and home improvement chain of stores based in Wisconsin and has been building 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. A representative from Wood County Development said they have not gotten any updates on when construction is expected to begin.

Menards owns 17.5 acres on the site, Wood County Commission President Blair Couch said after checking property maps online.

Emerson Commons owns the remaining 46.29 acres of developable land on the site, he added.

In late 2016, the 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.

The signs for Menards have been up at Emerson Commons for over three years with one sign visible along I-77.

County officials have said they have gotten calls from people who have gone up there looking for the store and not finding it, unaware it has not been built yet.

Commissioners said they have not heard when construction would begin. The last update they got said developers were waiting for the ground to settle after some shifting.

Menards company officials have recently traveled to the area and visited the site, Couch said.

“They want to be there,” he said. “They bought the property.”

Wood County Commissioner Jimmy Colombo feels the area is still very marketable being right next to the interstate.

A representative from Pope Properties, which is developing Emerson Commons, said they were expecting construction could start within the upcoming year, but nothing was definite and recommended checking with Menards Corporate officials for anything more specific.

Menard Inc. Spokesperson Jeff Abbott was contacted, via email on Sept. 5, to see if there was an update on the project.

“We have nothing to report at this time,” he wrote back.

Brett Dunlap can be reached at [email protected]