Wednesday July 20, 2011
Local economy already realizing project's impact, Boy Scouts say
By C.V. Moore
The Register-Herald, Beckley, W.Va.
(MCT)
July 20--GLEN JEAN -- Two years out from the grand opening of the Summit Bechtel Reserve in 2013, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) say the Fayette County project has already impacted the local economy in measurable ways.
Of the 285 full-time employees working on the project, more than 80 percent are from West Virginia, according to figures provided by the Summit Bechtel Reserve. Workers from the surrounding counties of Fayette, Greenbrier, Nicholas, Raleigh and Summers total 102.
Moreover, the BSA says it has already injected a total of $25 million into the state's economy. It cites $16 million billed by West Virginia-based contractors and $9 million spent on local consultants and service providers. Additionally, the BSA has also spent approximately $2.5 million on construction materials, food, lodging, and property leasing sourced from local providers.
"The BSA is trying to make this project as West Virginia-centric as we can," says Gary Hartley, director of Community and Governmental Relations for the Summit.
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The current phase of the BSA's Summit project involves preparing a 10,000-acre tract of land -- now largely empty --for the 40,000 scouts, 8,000 volunteers, and approximately 20,000 day visitors heading to Fayette County for 2013's National Jamboree.
Campsites, roads, trails, an arena and activity areas must all be built in the next two years. That means that the jobs cited are largely in the fields of building and road construction, timbering, surveying, utilities hook-up and heavy equipment operation.
While most local residents haven't visited the site, they have taken note of the mounting evidence rolling past their homes that the Boy Scouts mean business.
"When the heavy equipment first started coming in, our phone started ringing off the hook with people who had seen it and knew that there would be good heavy equipment operator jobs opening up," says Hartley.
When the BSA begins constructing the 350 restroom facilites needed for the Jamboree and laying the foundation for the site's 700-foot Consol Energy Bridge later this summer, other trades will come into the picture.
This construction phase is scheduled to last between five and 10 years, says Hartley. After the Jamboree, construction will shift generally from horizontal to vertical construction.
The Jamboree will also mark a shift from construction-oriented jobs to those related to programming. Zip lines and canopy tours will require operators. Fledgling Boy Scout climbers will require guides. The vast grounds will need constant upkeep and maintenance.
At least for the first Jamboree, the BSA's plan is to outsource the Scouts' rafting trips to vendors in the immediate area.
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