CHARLESTON — Government funding has been approved for a new regional recreational center in Upshur County.

The West Virginia Water Development Authority approved $25.9 million in funding for 17 water, sewer, and economic development projects.

The Upshur County Commission will receive a total of $714,910 to build a regional recreational center.

Another economic development project in the region to receive funding, the planned Bridge Sports Complex, was also named in the funding announcement, as the City of Bridgeport will receive $900,000 for the project.

The funding was announced through the Economic Enhancement Grant Fund, which was established in 2022. The WDA has approved $620 million in EEGF projects, supporting over $2.3 billion in development. To date, these projects have impacted more than 614,000 West Virginians across the state, officials said.

Water and sewer projects funding announced by the Water Development Authority include:

* The Town of Anmoore was awarded a $1 million WDA EEGF grant to replace and upgrade areas of their water system. The total project cost is $3.55 million.

* The City of Wheeling has received $2.5 million for upgrades to a multi-use development project located in the downtown Wheeling Historical District.

* The City of Parkersburg was awarded a $2.75 million WDA EEGF grant to expand Parkersburg Utility Board’s collection system to a new residential development. The total project cost is $5,523,000.

* Additionally, the Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council approved a grant for Marion Regional Development Corporation of $3,634,035 to be used for site preparation for the commercial development on 12 acres of land in the High Technology Park. This grant is administered by the Water Development Authority. 

* The announcement of the $25.9 million in funding came during a check presentation to the Putnam County Development Authority, which received $5 million to build 600 new residential units. These units will help address the state’s growing housing demand driven by economic growth.