Heritage Station Revitalization

The redevelopment of Huntington’s historic Heritage Station sits at the confluence of several seemingly unconnected people and events. For decades Heritage Station had been a lovely but under-utilized historic district hidden only 1 block away from the City’s central business area. Today it is a busy artisan retail complex and home to regular music events, places, and more.

Independently, and almost simultaneously, several different people and groups began thinking about ways the revitalize Heritage. The Cabell Huntington Convention and Visitors Bureau commissioned a market study that resulted in the recommendation to move the region’s Visitor’s Center from its (then) current location to the train depot at Heritage Station. The study also called for the creation of an artisan shopping center where guests could find a convenient place to see, experience, and shop for local goods.

The City of Huntington began considering a plan to convert the 1½ Alley into a pedestrian-friendly walkway to connect Pullman Square with Heritage Station and Harris Riverfront Park.

And local residents, Thomas and Stacy McChesney, began hosting the Create Huntington Chat ‘n Chews, where they learned of both artisans who wanted to open a store and consumers who wanted a “cool” place to shop. It was these Create Huntington-hosted discussions that provided much of the inspiration and many of the relationships that ultimately led to the redevelopment.

The McChesney’s, long-time admirers of Heritage Station, raised the idea of converting Heritage Station into an artisan center with Tyson Compton, who had just assumed the position as the new President of the CVB.  Study in hand, Compton brought the idea to his board and, later, to the Greater Huntington Parks and Recreation District, the owner of the property. After 6 months of market research and planning, the CVB and the GHPRD agreed to begin the redevelopment and hired the McChesneys to assist with marketing the complex and recruiting tenants. When Kevin Brady was hired as the new Director of the GHPRD, the final piece was complete. With years of experience working at very innovative park districts, Brady saw the potential, embraced the concept, and seized the opportunity to begin offering regular events at Heritage Station.

www.herald-dispatch.com/x1411937672/New-name-vision-for-Heritage-Village

18 months later, with the redevelopment project entering its final phase, Heritage Station boasts several new artisan shops, including an artisan bakery, a craft beer store, a cigar store, local jeweler, a watercolor gallery, a re-use garden store, two artisan galleries, a vintage clothing shop and mid-century gallery, and much more. It is an example of a successful partnership between the community, private businesses, and local government, and an illustration of how a community can find creative solutions to solving long-time problems with little money and lots of creativity and will.

We highly encourage you to explore the  Shops at Heritage Station. For more information, visit:

• Shops at Heritage Station - visit their Facebook Page.
• Cabell-Huntington Convention and Visitor’s Bureau – www.wvvisit.org or visit their Facebook Page & Facebook Place.
• Greater Huntington Parks and Recreation District - www.ghprd.org or visit their Facebook Place.
• City of Huntington – www.cityofhuntington.com