Enhancing Communities.
Abandoned and dilapidated buildings have been identified as a top concern for local public officials in West Virginia since the mid-1990s. In 2012, with private foundation support, the Northern WV Brownfields Assistance Center (NBAC) at WVU created the WV BAD Buildings Program to accelerate local government efforts to stabilize communities, reduce and remove blighted property, and prepare neighborhoods for revitalization. Working with partners at the WV Community Development Hub (Hub), BAD Buildings began implementing and updating the Hub’s Vacant and Dilapidated Buildings Toolkit, transforming a static document rich with information into an on-the-ground program providing step by step assistance to communities to address blight.
In 2017, based on significant interest and potential for growth, the BAD Buildings program rebranded as WVUBAD Buildings to embrace its home at West Virginia’s flagship university and to affirm its leadership in the field addressing abandoned and dilapidated buildings in rural communities. WVU BAD Buildings continues the strong work at the community level and is now better positioned for growth and strong partnership development as an action and thought leader on this critical issue.