Morgantown now #4 largest in state.... (Huntington, Wheeling: appointed, home, universities)

[Silkdashocker]

Originally Posted by CTMountaineer

There is no question that Morgantown will be the State's largest city within 15 years. In fact, Northcentral West Virginia is the State's future. Charleston and Huntington are losing ground as is the Northern Panhandle. Martinsburg is growing as a bedroom community for DC, but the real growth is in the Morgantown-Clarksburg region. The only thing keeping Morgantown from even faster development is the stupidity of state government, which will not build roads to accomodate the influx.

Anyone who has visited Morgantown can see the reasons for this development. WVU is a thriving, growing institution. Local industry is doing great. Research is on the upswing. And, although there are no big cities in the State, Morgantown is the only city with a true urban feel to it, yet it offers the comfort and safety of a small town. There are wonderful restaurants, great recreation opportunities at the doorstep, and all the benefits associated with the State's only true major university.

I disagree with a couple points in that statement CT. How does Morgantown have more of an urban feel than Charleston or even Huntington? Chas/Hun are both much larger metropolitan areas than Morgantown at this point.

I'm not knocking Morgantown at all, but Charleston just has a bigger city environment than Mo'town. Maybe because of the prescence of government and infrastructure, but i just don't see Charleston slipping into the Kanawha River anytime soon. The housing market is really stable down here, and urban renewal is replacing factories with new Technology jobs, just not at the rate that it's taking place in NrthCen-WV.

[tbailey1138]

I'm with Silkdashocker in disagreeing with most of what CT posted. For Morgantown to pass Huntington and Charleston in 15 years, it would have to gain well over 1,000 people a year for the next 15 years. Last year they gained 94 people which is about 906 people behind pace and the growth is slowing. Add in that, as CT pointed out, WVU is the reason for the growth and when you consider trends as to student population, WVU would have to keep up it's current rate of growth too. But national researchers are quick to point out that the number of available college aged students is decreasing so colleges are going to have a rough time increasing future student populations. Also, way to take a cheap shot at Marshall. It's people like you(CT) who can't see that we need more education and stronger universities in our state. You'd just rather see Marshall not grow, regardless of what it means to the state as long as WVU has no competition. You brag like having only one major university would be a good thing. Luckily though, we have 2 and I'd like to see more.

As far as Morgantown being the only city in WV with an urban feel, have you actually visited any other cities? Morgantown's "downtown" consists of one main street less than a mile long with no tall buildings. Charleston definately has the most "urban" feel in the state followed by Huntington. Also, why should the state fix Morgantown's roads for them? There has been ample opportunity in the past to begin fixing the roads and they've passed on this for WVU to build new buildings. If the state steps in and fixes Morgantown's roads, they had better be prepared to fix major problems in every other city in the state. That's one reason they won't do it. Too much expense. Morgantown does have a lot to offer though and is a nice city, but don't exaggerate.

[WVUPharm2007]

Morgantown itself won't get many new residents because it is saturated. Now if you counted the rest of Mon county, the growth is more impressive. The outskirts of town is where the new housing is developing. With the addition of 4,000 new jobs at the New WVU Research Park (big $$$ jobs, to boot), there will be another catalyst to Morgantown's growth. However, the growth in terms of raw population will be more to Mon County...not as much to Morgantown proper. Mon County WILL overtake Cabell County in the next 5-7 years in raw population. I have no doubt. Kanawha Co is too huge for Mon Co to try to even think about. 190k people...yeah.

[David Kennedy]

I disagree with the poster that Morgantown will be the largest city in Wv in 15 years...

Growth in the city limits is limited to westward expansion in the area of Puskar Park and the equestrian center.

Morgantown is in a quandry for highways and ways to solve the dilemma with out higher taxation...annexation of smaller cities could happen if the Obama Presidency wrecks the coal business and forces larger municipal entities to provide services for smaller, less funded towns...that could force Morgantown to take on the liability of several small suburbs...

With the 92 departments of our federal government in place a growth and absorbtion of between 65,000 and 82,000 people is expected within the next 10 years...those people are spreading out...and the bulk are in areas more southern than Morgantown...better bang for the buck...larger lots, largers homes and not a crowded situation with 54,000 college students on the streets...

The region will be adding what is the equivilant of 3 counties in the next 10 years and they will produce families with that growth...100k is not un-realistic, as these young couple are having several children...

What is in store is a growth and economic phenom...it will be and is now, large enough to feed itself...as Atlanta was in the 70's...
Our region will be dynamic in Wv and will set the pace for education and a new trend of honesty and capability in government...already, these newbies are getting into city councils and the legislature...they will create a new way for us as they are not attached to the system.

Lot of good on the horizion for the Mo-town area...glad I'm up here...when these projections were began in the mid 1980's, I was jealous...now they are the reality...It has/is been good for all...

[GottaHerdOn]

Originally Posted by WVUPharm2007

Morgantown itself won't get many new residents because it is saturated. Now if you counted the rest of Mon county, the growth is more impressive. The outskirts of town is where the new housing is developing. With the addition of 4,000 new jobs at the New WVU Research Park (big $$$ jobs, to boot), there will be another catalyst to Morgantown's growth. However, the growth in terms of raw population will be more to Mon County...not as much to Morgantown proper. Mon County WILL overtake Cabell County in the next 5-7 years in raw population. I have no doubt. Kanawha Co is too huge for Mon Co to try to even think about. 190k people...yeah.

But Cabell will still have a higher population density, and larger metro area.

[WVUPharm2007]

Originally Posted by GottaHerdOn

But Cabell will still have a higher population density, and larger metro area.

Depends on what "counts". With all of the students that don't appear on any census statistics densely packed into Morgantown, it's tough for Morgantown to appear as densely populated as it actually is. Morgantown's infrastructure is strained in part because of this very reason. It should be getting a bigger chunk of state and federal funds for the folks that live there the majority of the year but whose population don't count in the census. Think about that. About half of the effective population doesn't count. It's a bunch of hooey, I say. Hooey!

[David Kennedy]

What I admire in our legislature is their bootlicking to the 'gambling lobby and getting the roads to the casino's...EP 6 lane...road to nowhere (Fairmont 150 million per mile), ect...Morgantown is doing the right thing..will be sending some new faces to C-town this fall..they will howl for the money and be abandonded, as is the usual proceedure...

Our Governor said.."No money for roads...do it yourself..." Part of it is having the wrong Federal Senator in the district...Senator Rocky is not into road building or much else...

When Pennsi placed the new CMU and invisible Penn State campuses at Uniontown...they set in motion a new 4 lane and a fast avenue to Pittsburgh...when my neice could not find the right dress for homecoming here...Pittsburgh had in in a heartbeat...

Times are changing...Rocky may retire after the election...that would be well...
We know that coal generates electricity...he has told us so in his 2nd grade style commercials...

What we need are the NEW faces to go with the NEW Wv. With them will go NEW ideas...and the people are really pi$$ed this time around...the money and the media may not buy this election...

[tbailey1138]

Originally Posted by WVUPharm2007

Depends on what "counts". With all of the students that don't appear on any census statistics densely packed into Morgantown, it's tough for Morgantown to appear as densely populated as it actually is. Morgantown's infrastructure is strained in part because of this very reason. It should be getting a bigger chunk of state and federal funds for the folks that live there the majority of the year but whose population don't count in the census. Think about that. About half of the effective population doesn't count. It's a bunch of hooey, I say. Hooey!

Don't forget though, Cabell has a student population to add as well. MU doesn't have as many as WVU but they are still there none the less and 15,000 students is considerable. Also add in that Cabell is 78 square miles SMALLER than Mon County and that's where GHOs population density comes into effect. MU is also expecting huge gains in research and the Huntington Area Development Council has its own goal of adding 2,000 high paying jobs in the next five years. When you consider the uncertain economy and the stability that WV offers, the future looks bright for Huntington and WV in general. So don't forget the projected growth of this area as well.

And DK 54,000 students? WVUs enrollment is at 28,500. And the other growth you are talking about is spread over a very large area, not just concentrated around Morgantown. I agree though that we need new blood as our representatives but the problem with that is that they will start at the bottom of the ladder again in terms of clout.

[GottaHerdOn]

Originally Posted by WVUPharm2007

Depends on what "counts". With all of the students that don't appear on any census statistics densely packed into Morgantown, it's tough for Morgantown to appear as densely populated as it actually is. Morgantown's infrastructure is strained in part because of this very reason. It should be getting a bigger chunk of state and federal funds for the folks that live there the majority of the year but whose population don't count in the census. Think about that. About half of the effective population doesn't count. It's a bunch of hooey, I say. Hooey!

and Huntington has Marshall's 16,000 students running around town as well. Not as many as Morgantown's 30,000 but with Huntington's already higher population as well as metro region it still is more densly populated. But yeah I know what you mean. I may live in Huntington and spend most of my money here, shop here, eat here, drink here...etc But on the books I'm still a resident of Elkins in Randolph County. So yeah I guess I'm just a visitor

[David Kennedy]

The Universities are WVU, Carnegie/Mellon and the new Campus of Penn State...FSU should be included too...

and yes, that was a typ-O...54,000 entire mean population...student pop is correct, thanks...I know you guys in the south are trying...