Īs a result of much needed downtown investment, numerous properties have been renovated or are in the process of renovations, and new storefronts and lofts are being constructed. The new 9th Street Plaza reopened on December 1, 2006, and creates a symbolic link between the Pullman Square district and the remainder of downtown. Brick pedestals were constructed that hold two spires from the former 6th Street Bridge, installed at the entrances to the plaza at 3rd and 5th avenues. In July 2006, work began on the improved 9th Street Plaza, which features 12-foot (3.7 m) sidewalks, outdoor seating for restaurants, two 11-foot (3.4 m) travel lanes, and center angled parking. In 2004, construction began on Pullman Square, a lifestyle center, which consumed the remainder of the Superblock. It also spawned the pedestrian-only 9th Street Plaza.Ī new Holiday Inn hotel complex was constructed in 1998 between 8th and 9th streets. The urban renewal effort of the past also produced the Radisson Hotel complex along 3rd Avenue, a new Mack and Dave's storefront, and Heritage Station. The inclusion of a Chi-Chi's Mexican restaurant on a small corner parcel in the early 1990s was the only development along the Superblock. Two square blocks remained a vast parking lot for the greater part of 30 years, bordered by 8th Street, Veterans Memorial Boulevard, 10th Street, and 3rd Avenue, and was nicknamed the Superblock. One block was utilized for the construction of the Huntington Civic Center, while another featured a Wendy's fast-food restaurant and an apartment building. Four square blocks between 3rd Avenue and what is now Veterans Memorial Boulevard were demolished. Urban renewal ĭuring the 1960s and 1970s, major urban renewal projects began in Huntington. The West Virginia Building is one of the largest structures in Huntington. Grand residential homes and mansions line Ritter Creek and the steep hills that loom behind it, many built by the railroad barons of the past. Numerous other notable buildings are scattered throughout the downtown, ranging from the beautifully restored Guaranty Bank and Trust Building to the high-rise Coal Exchange Building. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest tower in the state, but it has since fallen to 18th, behind the office towers of Charleston. The West Virginia Building is a deep-red brick structure that looms over 4th Avenue. James Building (housing The First State Bank), with its huge Doric columns presenting a grand entrance to the ornate lobby. Notable structures include the 12-story St. The city's architecture contains a wealth of historic structures, most built during the boom of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. Mary's and Cabell-Huntington, have seen major expansion projects that have doubled their footprints during the past twenty years. The saving grace, in terms of employment, has been the steadily growing service sector. The Rust Belt deindustrialization era of the 1970s led to a decline in the industrial base and, subsequently, Huntington's population. The proximity of the Ohio River played an important role in the development of heavy industry in the 19th and 20th centuries. Several major industries line the river, from the Steel of West Virginia industrial complex next to Marshall University to Special Metals, located along the Guyandotte River in the Altizer neighborhood. Another business district is in Old Central City, known for its numerous antique shops and Heiner's Bakery. Broad avenues and streets dominate the streetscape, creating for the most part an even grid pattern. Byrd Bridge, and west of Hal Greer Boulevard. Huntington, West Virginia's central business district is located to the south of the Ohio River, east of the Robert C. Third Avenue, one of Huntington's wide, boulevard-style streets
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