Plan Development On Regional Basis

By The Intelligencer
To their credit, local government officials in Ohio and Belmont counties have not traded potshots concerning economic development. On both sides of the river, comments on the subject have been, well, neighborly.

That doesn’t change the fact that while a major development in Ohio County, The Highlands, grows, the Ohio Valley Mall and Ohio Valley Plaza in Belmont County have not. In at least one case, that of the J.C. Penney Department Store, Ohio County’s gain literally has been Belmont County’s loss.

Perhaps the failure to gloat has been because Ohio County residents and officials can remember a time, not so long ago, when the shoe was on the other foot: Downtown Wheeling was suffering, in part because of development of the Ohio Valley Mall.

The new change in fortunes was the topic of discussion at a public meeting held this week in Belmont County. Those in attendance were discussing ways to revive development at and near the mall and plaza. We hope fervently that they are successful.

But the situation brings up questions about development philosophy. Too often, it seems to be an Ohio vs. West Virginia situation. One state’s gain is another’s loss.

It has been pointed out that a regional approach to development would make counties on both sides of the river more successful — and secure — in the long run. We believe that is true.

For regional development to occur, cooperation among local officials needs to involve more than kind words. The same is true of state officials. And state legislators may need to take a look at laws, including those involving economic development incentives and infrastructure funding, that are pertinent.

All of that needs to begin happening — simply in order to make our region of the Ohio Valley more competitive against other areas with more resources.