OVERVIEW

This landmark anchor property in the downtown Oak Hill commercial district boasts more than 20,000 square feet of largely open-plan commercial space. At the heart of a market of more than 30,000 area residents and more than three million annual visitors, the building is ideally suited to commerce, especially where easy interstate access is concerned. The US-19 expressway travels across the region, approaching within 2,000 feet of the building at its Main Street exit.

ABOUT THE NEW RIVER GORGE NATIONAL PARK & PRESERVE

Only two miles from the building, the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve attracts more than three million visitors annually to the area, according to recent travel bureau estimates. Hiking, biking, angling, hunting, kayaking, and camping are popular throughout the park, though it may best be known as a destination for rock climbing and whitewater rafting. The New River Gorge Bridge, the national park’s best-known attraction, is a drive of approximately 10 minutes away.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Large, open-plan anchor property
• More than 20,000 square feet
• Front and rear primary access areas
• Near municipal parking lots
• Two miles from the national park
• Easy access to the US-19 expressway
• Central to a 30,000-resident market area
• Central to 1.7-million annual tourist travel area
• Walking distance from city parks, rail trails

LOCATION

Google Coordinates: 37.97356303669606, -81.14735068833474
Address: 124 Main Street, Oak Hill, West Virginia 25901
Elevation Range: approximately 2,020 to 2,010 feet above sea level

ABOUT THE BUILDING

The building is the largest commercial structure in downtown Oak Hill, boasting more than 20,000 square feet of interior space on three levels. Operating first as an automotive dealership, it was built to accommodate weight, and for much of its history, it had been the home of the region’s largest department store, F.W. Woolworth’s. In more recent years, it has been a florists and has accommodated medical office space, an apartment, and storage.

The building’s principal storefront opens onto Main Street in downtown Oak Hill, a small commercial district that serves the larger Oak Hill market area, which also includes nearby Fayetteville and the Summit Bechtel Reserve. More than 30,000 residents are estimated to live in the larger Oak Hill market area, including more than 8,000 in Oak Hill itself.

The property is accessible by the US-19 expressway, the chief north-south route through southern West Virginia and is central to a 3,000,000 annual tourist travel area. The four-lane road provides access to more than 20,000 vehicles daily, according to 2016 estimates, though traffic has increased since the establishment of the new national park. More than 7,000 vehicles pass the building daily, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Main Street Level

The building’s primary storefront opens onto Main Street and consists principally of two windowed display bays and a central vestibule topped by a building-wide transom signboard. Two sets of double doors open into the building’s large main room, which extends approximately 150 feet toward the rear of the property and along the width of the building, approximately 60 feet. The front quarter of the room, including more than 2,090 square feet, has been subdivided by a counter space into a street-front showroom. The latter two-thirds, including more than 5,600 square feet, function as a florist’s workshop. A decorative tin ceiling of more than 7,000 square feet and suspended 12 feet about the floor extends the length and width of the room.

Toward the rear of the building, more than 4,000 additional square feet accommodate storage, restrooms, and offices and are accessible from the flanking side. These bonus areas extend above a lower rear level as a second story when the building is approached from its rear entrance.

Upper Level

A second story at the front facade of the building includes a six-room apartment of more than 1,000 square feet accessible by an interior stairway from the street front. The apartment includes four principal rooms of more than 200 square feet, each with large windows overlooking Main Street and the Allegheny Mountains to the east. A second upper-level section of the building is located toward the rear and includes more than 1,700 square feet divided into storage rooms and a restroom.

Lower Rear Level

The rear of the building boasts a secondary storefront, accessible on Lewis Street, and an interior space of more than 5,500 square feet used most recently as an office and medical records facility. The level includes a concrete wheelchair-accessible ramp on the street front. The level had recently been inundated after a runoff event during heavy rain and may require repair.

Architect’s Concept Plan

The Mills Group, in 2021, presented a concept for the building, providing floor plans that are included among the illustrations for this listing. The Morgantown, W.Va.-based firm expanded on the open-plan theme, building out large, simplified tenant spaces and adding a coffee-house and meeting room at the storefront.

Construction

The building was built in the 1930s of brick, block, and concrete with steel reinforcement.

Roof

The roof, which was installed 10 years ago, shows no signs evidence of moisture intrusion. The current owner has been in the building for two years.

Windows

Main Street storefront display windows reach nearly floor to ceiling and consist of large panels of glass. Four large apartment windows above the storefront consist of pairs of insulated one-over-one sashes. Seven large sets of casement windows open out of the rear Main Street level, flooding the larger rear rooms with light. A combination of smaller casement and insulated windows admit light into the rear main and lower levels.

UTILITIES

The main floor of the property is heated by two natural gas heaters located in the showroom and shop areas. Other finished sections of the building are unheated. The hot water system is electric. Three-phase electric service is available on all levels. Air conditioning is not required as a result of the building’s size and construction and the local climate. The building is served by three-phase electrical service.

Water: West Virginia Water Co.
Electricity: American Electric Power
Natural Gas: Mountaineer Gas Co.
Internet: High-speed service available
Fire Service: Oak Hill Fire Department
Police: Oak Hill Police Department
Cell: 4G coverage supplied by several carriers
Sewer: Oak Hill Sanitary Board

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

The building enjoys access to two public streets. Front access is at 124 Main Street (WV-16). Rear access is on Lewis Street. Alleyway access is accommodated along the flanks of the building.

ZONING

The building is located in the city’s B-1 Central Business District. Please refer to the City of Oak Hill website for planning and zoning ordinances.

PROPERTY TYPE/USE SUMMARY

The property since the 1930s has been used chiefly as retail, storage, and merchandising space, though an apartment is located on the second floor at the front of the building on Main Street.

MINERAL RESOURCES

West Virginia law provides for separate ownership titles for surface rights and mineral rights. This property is being conveyed as surface only.

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

The property is being sold by the boundary and not by the acre.

DEED AND TAX INFORMATION

Deed Information: Fayette County Deed Book 544; Page 306
Acreage: 0.3 acres +/-

Real Estate Tax ID / Acreage / Taxes
Fayette County (10), Oak Hill Corporation (9)
Tax Map 32: Parcel 359

2021 Real Estate Taxes: $2,827.45

PUBLIC & PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Oak Hill boasts a multi-use campus on which its elementary, middle, and high schools and the county’s Institute of Technology are located. The campus is accessible to a large part of the population of the city by the White Oak Rail Trail. Several private schools within the Fayette County School District operate in the region, and homeschool programs are supported.

West Virginia University and New River Community & Technical College maintain campuses at Beckley, 20 miles to the south, and courses offered by Concord University and Bluefield State College are offered at the Irma Byrd Center nearby at Beaver. Appalachian Bible College is a drive of approximately 15 minutes.

Additional Fayette County schools are listed on the West Virginia Department of Education website https://wvde.state.wv.us/ed_directory

SURROUNDING AREA

The region is renowned worldwide as an outdoor recreation destination and the home of the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. For many years it has been among the most popular destinations in the U.S. for rock climbing and whitewater paddling and is also a chief destination for hiking. The nearby Endless Wall Trail has been ranked the No. 1 national-park trail by USA Today. The dramatic increase in tourism that has resulted from the designation of the national park is expected to attract more than 3,000,000 tourists in 2022, according to travel bureau estimates.

City of Oak Hill

With a population of more than 3,000 residents, the City of Oak Hill is the 20th largest city in West Virginia and the largest in the northern New River Gorge region. It has long been the commercial center of the plateau district in the central county. In recent years, the city government developed a diverse network of parks and public recreation areas, including an eight-mile rail trail and a bouldering and nature park that features monolithic sandstone cliffs. Like the adjacent Town of Fayetteville, Oak Hill enjoys a dramatic increase in residential demand and commercial growth as a result of the dedication of the national park.

The building is located at the center of a retail district that may best be termed a cultural district. Many historical, cultural, and recreational resources are located within the immediate neighborhood, including the following: Historic Lewis House (200 feet), Oak Hill Municipal Parking Lot (200 feet), Lively Family Amphitheatre (300 feet), Oak Hill Dog Park (600 feet), Plateau Medical Center (700 feet), Oak Hill City Park (900 feet), White Oak Rail Trail (1,000 feet), Needleseye Municipal Park (1.1 miles), the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve (boundary two miles).

The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve

A four-mile drive from Oak Hill, the 14,000-acre Summit Bechtel Reserve is a world-class outdoor recreation park that hosts the quadrennial Boy Scout Jamboree and is the location of one of five high-adventure bases for the scouts. The 24th World Scout Jamboree in 2019 welcomed more than 45,000 visitors, and the 17th Interamerican Scout Jamboree is planned for 2023. The reserve is the home of the Paul R. Christen National High Adventure Base, the James C. Justice National Scout Camp, and the John D. Tickle National Training and Leadership Center. The largest amphitheater in the eastern U.S., the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium is located at the Summit.

New River Gorge Bridge

The New River Gorge Bridge is a scenic engineering landmark that spans the gorge near Fayetteville. Completed in 1977, it carries the US-19 expressway 3,030 feet from rim to rim more than 876 feet above the river. It was the world’s longest steel arch bridge until 2003 when China’s Shanghai’s Lupu Bridge exceeded it. It remains the longest single-span steel arch bridge in the U.S. and the third-highest bridge in the country. Guided tours beneath the span are available.

Outdoor Adventure Resorts

Seven outdoor adventure resorts are located in the New River Gorge region near the property. All offer guided whitewater rafting tours on the nearby New and Gauley rivers and most include basecamps that accommodate cabins and camping and coordinate outdoor recreation adventures. Several offer canopy tours and zip line and adventure courses. Two such resorts adjoin the City of Oak Hill—River Expeditions and ACE Adventure Resort.

White Oak Rail Trail

The White Oak Rail Trail travels eight miles across the greater Oak Hill area, connecting the city with its cultural, educational, and recreational centers. A popular section of the trail approaches within a quarter-mile of the building, providing exceptional access for hikers and bikers. The trail is being extended as part of a state trail network to link Oak Hill with national park trails and the national scout reserve as well as population centers at Beckley and Fayetteville.

Oak Hill City Park

Oak Hill’s central park is a short walk from the building of fewer than 1,000 feet. It includes playgrounds and picnic areas and adjoins a private community pool and softball and junior league football fields. The Lewis Christian Community Center, an events center, is adjacent to the park. The White Oak Railroad Depot, on the National Register of Historic Places, is located near the corner of the park adjoining the rail trail.

Needleseye Bouldering Park

Named for a narrow rock cleft that leads into a two-mile garden of cliffs and house-sized boulders, Needleseye Park protects more than 280 acres of woodland in east Oak Hill. The park is a popular destination for hikers, rock climbers, and birdwatchers. The park’s chief attraction is bouldering, a variation of rock climbing. Thousands of expert climbers visit the region annually to scale the cliffs that line the rim of the New River Gorge.

Historic Thurmond

Deep in the New River Gorge, tiny Thurmond is among the most visited locales in the national park. A quintessential ghost town with a population of five permanent residents, it includes a collection of historic buildings and a restored passenger station, which houses a seasonal park visitor center and is a functional Amtrak flag-stop on a Chicago-Washington-New York City line.

Plum Orchard Lake Wildlife Management Area

The 3,201-acre Plum Orchard Lake Wildlife Management Area ranges across a forest of oak and hickory that approaches the White Oak Woodland to the southwest. The area may best be known as the location of Plum Orchard Lake, a 202-acre pond popular with flat-water kayakers. In season, the woodland surrounding the lake is a popular public hunting preserve.