Tucked away in the hills of north central West Virginia, Clarksburg (pop. 18,059) enjoys the amenities of the largest city in the region with the advantages of a small hometown community. A rich mix of retail, industry, and government services, with a thriving business community exist along with an abundance of recreational facilities, and one of the best preserved historic downtowns in the state. Clarksburg is located at the intersection of two heavily traveled highways and the second busiest interchanges in the state - Interstate 79 and U.S. Route 50. The crime rate is the second lowest in West Virginia and is one of the lowest in the country, property prices remain low, and the cost of living is substantially lower than any metropolitan city. Clarksburg is a small community rich with economic growth, heritage, and family recreation. The City of Clarksburg has evolved from a City dependent on a few major glass factories, coal mines, and industrial plants to a City flourishing with small business, light manufacturing, and professional services. Because of the population base, Clarksburg became, and still is, the main commercial, health care, and professional office location in the region. As the county seat of Harrison County (pop. 69,371), Clarksburg is the heart of the County Government, with the County Court House located on Main Street. It also has a large number of State and Federal Agencies located in the Central Business District, including the U.S. Small Business Administration, Federal Court House, Social Security Administration, among others. Clarksburg’s Historic downtown is also home to the largest legal, accounting, and banking community in north central West Virginia. Approximately 6,000 professionals work in the Downtown Central Business District each weekday. Nearly 60 million dollars have been invested into the City of Clarksburg through private and public projects in progress or planned for 1998 - 2000. The following is a list of the major projects around town: - Fairmont State College - Clarksburg Campus. The new facility, opened in the fall of 1999, can accommodate 2,500 students in a state-of-the-art learning center. - Clarksburg Federal Building. The New Clarksburg Federal Building, opened in early 1999, has gathered all federal agencies in the City (nearly 250 employees) into a new three story building in downtown Clarksburg. - Clarksburg Publishing Company Expansion. The expansion of the Clarksburg Publishing Company, in downtown Clarksburg, is complete. The expansion has allowed the company to place their new color press into a new addition of their historic building. - The New Clarksburg Municipal Building. Dedication of the Municipal Building was on November 4, 1997. The classical design of the new facility blends in well with the Historic Downtown Facades. Most City government offices are housed in this building, including the Police Department. - Glen Elk Renovation Project. Glen Elk District has been recently transformed with a new streetscape along Baltimore Avenue and Fifth Streets, with the help of a $400,00 federal ISTEA grant. The $500,000 project is only Phase I of a continuing effort to provide a new pedestrian friendly streetscape to the oldest part of Clarksburg's downtown district. Phase II will begin soon which will include Fourth Street, with help of a $290,000 TEA-21 grant. The City of Clarksburg is also working hard to upgrade Main Street's streetscape. New vitality in downtown through new buildings and small businesses can be enhanced with a pedestrian- friendly environment. Along with the Central Business District, Clarksburg’s major retail and commercial area, Eastpointe Shopping Center, has been expanded with an additional 80 acres of commercial space in the addition of the NEWPointe Plaza development along Interstate 79. These two major retail plazas together, make the State's largest strip commercial location. Over 80 large and small businesses including three motels and thirteen major restaurants. Because Clarksburg is situated at the intersection of two major transportation routes leading into surrounding counties, the city’s market population includes the contiguous surrounding rural counties of Harrison, Marion, Taylor, Barbour, Upshur, Lewis, Doddridge, and Wetzel. All eight counties have a total population of 223,805 (1990 census). This population base is expected to increase to over 230,000 by the year 2000, and businesses situated in Clarksburg will be able to capitalize on the growing region. A major boost to the Clarksburg economy came from the construction of the multi-million dollar, 986-acre, FBI Criminal Justice and Information Services - Fingerprint Identification Division Complex within the City. Headquarters of all digital fingerprints in the country, this facility has created a flurry of activity in the area and its impact on the overall community has been extremely positive, from an economic and social standpoint. Total employment at the F.B.I. facility is near 3,000, not including support industries that continue to emerge around the area. The City's 800-acre industrial park (Harrison County Business and Technology Center), is creating opportunities for new or expanding industries in the area. Currently, four companies are located in the center, Winfield Industries Thrasher Engineering, Columbia Gas, and UniFirst Corporation. Hundreds of acres are still available for industrial development. The center is serviced by CSX railroad and strategically located adjacent to Interstate 79 and U.S. Route 50. Along with the Business Center, Clarksburg is in the process of rehabilitating a number of former glass plants around the City for additional industrial or commercial use. The medical community in Clarksburg is strong and continues to grow. The areas only hospital complex, United Hospital Center, is located in Clarksburg and supports ninety physicians and nearly five hundred nurses. United Hospital Center, and its companion professional office building, has the third-largest patient load in the State serving a nine county area. In addition, Clarksburg has over 50 medical private practice and clinic locations throughout the city. Also the Louis A. Johnson Veterans Administration Medical Center serves veterans from twenty-six counties in West Virginia and portions of three other states.