Joe Holland Groundbreaking

By JEFF PULLIN

contributing writer

SOUTH CHARLESTON — Company officials and government dignitaries broke ground June 21 on the new Joe Holland Chevrolet and Imports Parts and Services Center at the former FMC East Plant Site.

Promoted as “West Virginia’s First Voluntary Remediation Site,” the Department of Environmental Protection and environmental directors at FMC (NYSE: FMC) worked for more than two years to prepare the site for future development. The former factory location was designated as a “brownfields” site.

Gov. Bob Wise entered the premises driving his 1965 Corvair convertible he purchased new from Joe Holland Chevrolet. He joked about the benefits about the parts and service center.

“I just wanted to see where I could get my 38th-year servicing it’s going to need here shortly,” he said.

Wise continue saying the benefits of building on formerly developed sites allowed other fields and properties to stay green.

“Here in West Virginia, we have a number of brownfields,” Wise said. “We want to make sure sites such as this can be used again and made worthwhile and provide jobs for West Virginians.”

Brownfields sites, a term designated by the EPA, are former industrial sites that require reclamation and environmental clean-up. The EPA estimated more than 500,000 brownfields sites exist in the U.S., typically in urban areas. In January, President George W. Bush signed HR 2869 designating $200 million in federal funding to states for brownfields remediation.

Representing United States Representative Shelly Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Ann McCusky said the project incorporated environmental restoration and provided an alternative to developing on new property.

“The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates we save four and a half acres for every one acre of brownfields we develop,” she said. “The use of formerly developed sites help to keep our areas green.”

FMC Corporate Remediation Director Robert Forbes said restoring a brownfields site make development easier because in many cases, resources are readily available.

“Remediation is very important,” he said. “If you don't use the sites then you have build new sewer systems and water lines and create a new infrastructure. These brownfields site may need remediation but it saves on having to develop greenfields.”

South Charleston Mayor Richie Robb said the site which has been unoccupied since the early eighties said he was grateful the brownfields site would soon see development.

“Twenty years ago, the FMC plant announced they would be closing down their facilities and that was a pretty bleak day for us,” he said. “This development will restore this brownfields site to benefit the city once again.”

Joe Holland Chevrolet and Imports, which opened in 1956 will expand its parts and service center, creating a complex of 46 service bays on 3.5 acres of the 27-acre site. President Joey Holland said the $2.5 million project is an ideal location for expansion.

“For a business to survive in this world you have to meet the needs of your consumers,” he said. “Brownfields development has been an uncharted territory for this state and certainly for this company too. We’ve had a lot of work to do to become comfortable with this whole project and it has just made sense for our company to build here.”

The 46,000 square-foot development is expected to be completed in December. Holland said the expansion is necessary for the company, which is struggling to meet the needs of their large customer base.

“Right now we’re just over capacity,” he said. “That’s good, but we can’t provide the level of service we want to provide now. This will certainly make that possible.”