SUMMERS COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – Since its last resident business closed its doors 12 years ago, the Hinton Ice House has sat empty and is now in need of a clean-up.
“They’re going to have to remove a bunch of soil and they’ll have to do a lot of testing,” said Hinton city manager Cris Meadows. “They found PCPs and a few other nasty things in the ground that will have to be eliminated before it can be used for anything.”
Much like the rest of Hinton, the building is rich with its own history.
“When it was first being used, they would unload cargo–meat–to be processed, and they would bring it through the freight depot over into the ice house and it would be processed there. Then… ice was produced there by Silo Ice. That was one of their main places.”
After transferring ownership to the local economic development authority, the city has worked with the organization to get the grants needed to clean up and revitalize the building. This spring, it finally happened.
“We were so excited to get that, and that’s a very large grant. I think it’s $442,000 which is quite a bit of money. That money is all going to be spent right here. Contractors will have to get a city license and be taxed, so some of that money will come back to the city.”
The clean-up will take about three years to complete, and there’s no telling what the future holds for the historic building.
“Past council has talked about an amphitheater and there’s other things that we could do with it. Some type of commercial retail would be nice for the area.”
If you have an idea you would like to be considered, contact City Hall.
