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Then why did they build 2 nice new grocery stores only to have 3 old ones close? Bi-Lo turned to Foodland and then closed. Foodlion in Sabraton closed. Foodland on the mileground closed. Mountain peoples co-op announced a closing but through charity benefits will be able to stay open but for how long? A nice new movie theater was built by Target and the one at the mall was expanded so the company tapped for the Suncrest Towncentre backed out because the area was deemed at capacity. The developer still insists a movie theater is going in there. He's not been able to get any of the type of development that he wants in there because Morgantown is untested for the types of stores that he wants. But he still built anyway. I've also noticed that several local eateries have closed and while some have been re-opened, some have not. But again, how long can they stay open. My only concern with this is that sometimes the "if you build it they will come" mentality can backfire and set you back in terms of growth. I don't want to see this happen to any city or company in WV. HealthSouth there did this and recently had to let 14 employees go. They predicted growth that didn't happen. Ruby also seems to be having trouble like this as procedures are down and they are having trouble finding surgeons. I hope Morgantown is successful with these things like you say and you can say I told you so. Only time and the market will tell.
Cinemas Enjoy Era of Expansion - www.statejournal.com (http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=923 - broken link)
Businesses come and go... always have, always will. New businesses come along and sometimes they knock the old ones out of the box. Older, antiquated firms that don't keep up with the times are vulnerable. Kroger
has done an outstanding job in Morgantown. Go to the Suncrest Kroger and see for yourself... it is awesome. Even in the NYC area I have not seen one as nice. Weaker competition failed, and that is no surprise. As to the Mountain Coop, even they face competition in the natural foods area from Kroger, which has an outstanding greenie/wacko department. Will the Coop survive? Time will tell.
Ruby seems to have solved the personnel shortage problem. One thing they are doing is sharing more physicians with Pittsburgh interests.
I've recently talked with one of the Biaforas, and they will continue with development of the Towne Center. Demand is being created, as I write this, for additional businesses. As long as Monongalia's dramatic growth continues unabated, and it seems it will, the feeling is "if you build it, they will come". At this point, the Biaforas are focusing on attracting small businesses.
Actually, in terms of undergrads, Fairmont State is in a league with Marshall. It is by far the largest of the State's WVC schools. It is much closer in size to Marshall than Marshall is to WVU.
That's one of the several things Bailey is overlooking... Fairmont is to Morgantown what Ironton is to Huntington. The fact that the Feds have no logic to their MSA designations does not change that fact one bit. Logically, you could put Uniontown and Waynesburg as well as Clarksburg and Fairmont in the same economic zone as Morgantown. They're all within a 30 mile circumference. The Feds don't do that because theoretically each of these areas is large enough to stand on its own.
Bailey is also concerned about older businesses losing out when new ones are built. There is some truth to that, and it is sad, but the fact is if people prefer the newer ones, there is a reason for it. The older ones must adapt to the times or be left out.
Competition will insure the survival of the fittest.
Actually, in terms of undergrads, Fairmont State is in a league with Marshall. It is by far the largest of the State's WVC schools. It is much closer in size to Marshall than Marshall is to WVU.
That's one of the several things Bailey is overlooking... Fairmont is to Morgantown what Ironton is to Huntington. The fact that the Feds have no logic to their MSA designations does not change that fact one bit. Logically, you could put Uniontown and Waynesburg as well as Clarksburg and Fairmont in the same economic zone as Morgantown. They're all within a 30 mile circumference. The Feds don't do that because theoretically each of these areas is large enough to stand on its own.
Bailey is also concerned about older businesses losing out when new ones are built. There is some truth to that, and it is sad, but the fact is if people prefer the newer ones, there is a reason for it. The older ones must adapt to the times or be left out.
Competition will insure the survival of the fittest.
Percentage wise, WVU has just over twice the total number of students MU has. MU has almost three times the total number of students Fairmont State has and more than twice the number of undergrads. So while in the total number/difference, MU and FSU are closer, percentage wise MU and FSU are at about the same gap as MU and WVU when looking at undergrads. Here's the link to prove it.
Fairmont is more like Ashland when looking for a comparable city, except Ashland has about 2,000 more people than Fairmont. So logically Ashland could stand on it's own too but Huntington is significantly large enough to have Ashland in the Huntington MSA. And there are also areas around here that relate more to Huntington but are in the Charleston MSA. We can't control how they split things up. You just have to accept it.
Percentage wise, WVU has just over twice the total number of students MU has. MU has almost three times the total number of students Fairmont State has and more than twice the number of undergrads. So while in the total number/difference, MU and FSU are closer, percentage wise MU and FSU are at about the same gap as MU and WVU when looking at undergrads. Here's the link to prove it.
Fairmont is more like Ashland when looking for a comparable city, except Ashland has about 2,000 more people than Fairmont. So logically Ashland could stand on it's own too but Huntington is significantly large enough to have Ashland in the Huntington MSA. And there are also areas around here that relate more to Huntington but are in the Charleston MSA. We can't control how they split things up. You just have to accept it.
I do accept it, and I also mostly ignore it since it has little relevance. There are many variables in these statistics that they do not take into consideration. There are also many overlaps in areas near big towns like Pittsburgh. Any town of 47,000 or so people is not a dominating force for other small towns in the area.
If, in absolute numbers, Fairmont is closer to Marshall than Marshall is to West Virginia, then it is closer in numbers. Percentages weren't a factor in my statement.
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