BELLAIRE, Ohio — The ballfields on West 26th Street in Bellaire will soon look a lot different, as village leaders move forward with a new recreation and entertainment complex they hope will help reshape the local economy.
The Commerce Park Recreation and Entertainment Complex officially kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning. Plans for the space include eight new pickleball courts, a performance stage, a walking trail and additional upgrades that will add more concrete and new structures to the area.
“It’s things to bring people to Bellaire. Things that will actually help the residents here, but also attract others–give people a reason to come to Bellaire,” said Janet Richardson, a Bellaire council member.
Village officials said potential economic stimulus was a key factor in securing more than $1.4 million in AMLER funds for the project.
“The economy will grow, obviously, as you bring in other businesses into town. What’s nice about this is that the closest pickleball courts are in Elm Grove, West Virginia. So, we’ll bring other people,” Belmont County Commissioner Vince Gianangelli said.
The village also received $200,000 in state budget funds from state Sen. Brian Chavez. With both funding sources, local leaders said the project is expected to be completely funded.
Chavez said he received hundreds of millions in requests for project funding — and found this one to be worthwhile.
“The passion behind the community. The vision, the impact it’s going to have on the local community–Bellaire has a lot of potential here, it just does not have the ability, did not have the tax base to get over the hump for some of these projects. I believed in the vision of the project, and I look forward to it being impactful for the community,” Chavez said.
The project is expected to be completed by November.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source wtov9.com ’
