Located along a natural passage through the Appalachian Mountains, Mount Hope has continuously been associated with travel. Its first settler operated a thriving tavern along what had been an important Native American trail, and in the late 1900s, the town flourished as a result of its accessibility in a mining region. That accessibility attracted the attention of the federal government, which established its U.S. Bureau of Mines regional headquarters there. Its accessibility grew manyfold in the 1980s after the completion of the US-19 expressway, which now links the community to interstate traffic. Tourism potential increased then with the arrival of the National Park Service, which in 2020 established the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

HIGHLIGHTS AND ATTRIBUTES

Approximately 34,568 square feet

Three stories: 65 office and meeting rooms

Brick and reinforced concrete construction

Municipal support and services

Built to federal standards

1.5 miles from US-19 expressway

Easy access to the national park

Easy access to National Scout reserve

Market area of more than 150,000

1.7 million tourists in the region annually

ABOUT THE BUILDING

The U.S. Bureau of Mines was established by Congress in 1910 in response to a wave of catastrophic mining disasters. Mount Hope was deemed the ideal location for a regional headquarters for the bureau, and in 1958 the cornerstone on the present structure was set. In 1966 a third floor was added, and as many as 100 persons might have worked in the structure, both employees of the bureau and of the U.S. General Services Administration, which managed the building. The building included more than 65 offices and meeting rooms and laboratories. Mens and womens common restrooms on each floor are accessible, and the hydraulic elevator is operational. Surface parking is located directly off Stadium Drive, and additional surface parking is available on city property nearby.

The bureau was phased out in the late 1990s, and its functions were transferred to other agencies, such as the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. In 2020, the building was sold to its present owner. It has been determined to be eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places and adjoins the Mount Hope Historic District. However, it is not listed on the register nor in the district. Pursuing inclusion could provide the owners state and federal funding for maintenance and repair.

UTILITIES

Water: City of Mt. Hope

Sewer: City of Mt. Hope

Electricity: Appalachian Power

Telephone: Multiple servers are available

Internet: Suddenlink, now Optima, Frontier and others are available

Cellphone Coverage: Excellent

MECHANICAL & IMPROVEMENTS

Two interior elevators

A diverse floor plan with many offices, classrooms, labs, and a motor garage annex

Industrial-grade electrical service

Industrial-grade heating system

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

The property fronts on Bluestone Road at Stadium Drive, both residential streets maintained by the city.

ZONING

For details regarding zoning and building codes, all prospective buyers should consult the City of Mt. Hope, the Fayette County Commission, and the Fayette County Health Department.

MINERAL RESOURCES

West Virginia is one of the states in the U.S. that has two ownership titles, those being 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: DB 819 Pg. 549

Fayette County, West Virginia

Acreage: 0.96 acres +/-

Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes:

Fayette County (10), West Virginia

Mt. Hope Corp (8), Map 5, Parcel 61

Class 4

2021 Real Estate Taxes: Exempt

SCHOOLS

Public & Private Schools

The property is located within the Fayette County School District. Public school students attend Mt. Hope Elementary and the multi-use campus at Oak Hill where primary, intermediate, and high schools and the countys vocational school are located. Several private schools within the Fayette County School District operate in the region, and homeschool programs are supported.

Higher Education

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

HEALTHCARE

The nearest hospital to the property, Plateau Medical Center, at Oak Hill, is a two-mile drive with 25 beds and an emergency care unit. Nearby, at Beckley, medical facilities include Raleigh General Hospital, with 300 beds, and Appalachian Regional Hospital, with 173 beds. They include emergency rooms and are both approximately 20 minutes away. A Veterans Administration Medical Center with 80 beds, including 30 long-term care beds, is also located at Beckley. Major state medical centers are found in Charleston and Morgantown, an hour and 2.5 hours from Mount Hope.

TRANSPORTATION

The property is central to the network of interstate and regional expressways that converge in southern West Virginia and is well served by air and rail services.

Motor Vehicle Traffic

The property is fewer than two miles from the US-19 expressway and four miles north of the expressways junction with I-77 and I-64 at North Beckley (exit 48). It is also 12 miles from the I-77 and I-64 exit at Mossy (exit 60). More than 19,000 motor vehicles pass on US-19 daily, including more than 3,000 trucks, while more than 31,000 vehicles use the interstates daily, including more than 12,000 trucks.

Air Travel

Near Beckley, the nearest airport is a 30-minute drive. Yeager Airport at Charleston, a 55-minute drive, is West Virginias largest airport and is served by Delta, Spirit, United, and American. Its busiest domestic routes are Charlotte, Atlanta, Chicago, Orlando, and Washington. It is also home to the McLaughlin Air National Guard Base.

Train Travel

Freight and Amtrak passenger rail services are provided to stations nearby at Prince and Thurmond, both a drive of 15 minutes.

SURROUNDING AREA

The property is located at Mount Hope, an incorporated community in the heart of the New River Gorge region. Its economy is centered chiefly around the national park and outdoor recreation. The US-19 expressway runs north to south along the west flank of the community, linking a series of municipalities, including the cities of Beckley, Oak Hill, and Mount Hope, and the Town of Fayetteville. An estimated 150,000 residents live in the region, which attracts more than 1.7 million tourists annually.

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

One of the nations newest national parks, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve attracts more than a million visitors annually to the region. Two national park visitor centers are 10 and 15 minutes from Mount Hope. The parks best-known attraction, the New River Gorge Bridge, is a drive of approximately 15 minutes at Fayetteville. 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 park is among the nations top destinations for both.

Summit Bechtel National Scout Reserve

Less than two miles from the property, the 14,000-acre Bechtel Reserve, also known as The Summit, is a world-class outdoor recreation park that also hosts the quadrennial Boy Scout Jamboree and is home to one of five national high-adventure bases for the scouts. The 24th World Scout Jamboree welcomed more than 45,000 visitors in 2019. The 17th Interamerican Scout Jamboree was celebrated in 2023. The reserve is the home of the organizations Paul R. Christen National High Adventure Base, the James C. Justice National Scout Camp, and the John D. Tickle National Training and Leadership Center

Hunting Preserves

Two public hunting and fishing areas with a combined 10,000 acres of woodland are located within 15 miles of the property. Deer, bear, turkey, and squirrel are the principal game taken. The Plum Orchard Lake Wildlife Management Area includes 202-acre Plum Orchard Lake, a popular flatwater kayaking and fishing destination. The Beury Mountain Wildlife Management area conserves some of the most remote highland forests in the region. In addition to the two preserves, hunting in the national park is also permitted in season on more than 65,000 acres.

Outdoor Recreation Resorts

Based around the national park, seven outdoor adventure resorts are located within a 15-minute drive of the property. All offer guided whitewater rafting tours on the New and Gauley rivers, and most include basecamps that accommodate cabins and camping and coordinate outdoor recreation adventures. Several offer canopy tours, zip lines, and adventure courses.