Hinton's New River Center Revitalizes Historic Building Into Mixed Use Hub
- JimLeslie2020
- Aug 27
- 8 min read
A long-unused building at one of Hinton’s most visible historic corners is set for a new life. The City of Hinton has announced plans to rehabilitate the former New River Grocery and Hinton Hardwoods building at 5th Avenue and Summers Street, near the Freight Depot, and convert it into the New River Center, a mixed-use space designed to support housing, commerce, and long-term local revenue.
The project will turn a vacant, non-tax-producing structure into a working part of the city’s economy again. Plans call for fourteen market-rate apartment homes on the upper two floors and commercial space on the ground level. The City has received $3.8 million in federal earmark grant funding to support the work and has selected ZMM Architects & Engineers to lead final design and construction management through the required federal and state procurement process.
For Hinton, the project is more than a building renovation. It is a chance to preserve a piece of Summers County history while meeting current needs for housing, business space, and downtown activity.
A historic building will return to productive use
The former New River Grocery and Hinton Hardwoods building carries several layers of local history. Over time, it served as a grocery warehouse and regional distribution point, a popular local skating rink, and later a hardwood furniture manufacturing facility.
That mix of uses reflects the way many railroad-era buildings worked in towns like Hinton. They were practical, adaptable spaces. They supported trade, recreation, manufacturing, and local jobs. When those buildings fall empty, the loss is not only visual. Vacant structures can reduce nearby property value, create maintenance concerns, and signal that an important part of town has stopped functioning.
The New River Center plan reverses that pattern by giving the building a new role without erasing its past.
The location adds to its importance. The building sits at the corner of 5th Avenue and Summers Street, next to the Freight Depot. That makes it part of a visible historic district and a natural connection point between Hinton’s railroad heritage and future downtown development.
The City’s plan recognizes that historic preservation works best when buildings serve real daily needs. A restored structure that includes homes and commercial space has a stronger chance of staying active, maintained, and financially useful over time.
What the New River Center project includes
The planned rehabilitation will create a mixed-use building with housing above and commercial activity at street level.
Current plans include:
Fourteen market-rate apartment homes
These units will occupy the upper two floors and help address the regional need for modern housing.
First-floor commercial spaces
Ground-level spaces will be designed for business and community uses that support local economic development.
Historic rehabilitation
The work will preserve the building’s railroad-era character while adapting it for modern use.
Long-term municipal revenue
By converting an unused property into an active asset, the project is expected to create revenue that can help support local public services.
Professional design and construction management
ZMM Architects & Engineers will lead the final design and construction management phase.
The City has described the project as a way to transform a dilapidated and empty structure into a contributor to local economic growth. That matters because unused buildings often place pressure on municipal resources without returning value to the community. Once rehabilitated, the New River Center can support residents, businesses, and the tax base at the same time.
Project detail | Current information |
Building | Former New River Grocery and Hinton Hardwoods building |
Location | Corner of 5th Avenue and Summers Street, adjacent to the Freight Depot |
New name | New River Center |
Planned housing | Fourteen market-rate apartment homes |
Planned commercial use | First-floor commercial spaces |
Funding received to date | $3.8 million in federal earmark grants |
Design and construction management | ZMM Architects & Engineers |
Federal funding helps move the project forward
The City of Hinton has received $3.8 million in federal earmark grant funding for the New River Center project. That funding will contribute to the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the building.
Federal investment is important for projects like this because historic adaptive reuse can be more complex than new construction. Older buildings often require careful design, code upgrades, structural review, utility improvements, and preservation-sensitive construction methods. Those costs can make reuse difficult for small cities and private developers working alone.
Grant funding helps reduce the burden on local taxpayers while allowing the City to move a major public redevelopment project forward. It also helps make the project financially practical by pairing outside investment with local planning goals.
Hinton Mayor Jack Scott expressed excitement and gratitude to United States Senator Shelley Moore Capito for her tireless efforts: “Senator Capito believes in the future of West Virgina, Summers County and Hinton. She is as dedicated as we are to our successful future. This $8 million project is vital to our future and the perfect example of that commitment.”
The City is also continuing work to secure historic preservation tax credits. Those credits can play an important role in rehabilitation projects because they help offset qualified renovation costs when a building meets preservation standards. While the final outcome of that process depends on eligibility and approval, pursuing the credits shows that the City is looking for multiple funding tools to support a sustainable project budget.
The approach is practical. Instead of depending on one funding source, the City is combining federal grant support with the potential for preservation-related incentives. That kind of layered financing is common in adaptive reuse work, especially when a project must balance historic character, modern code requirements, and long-term operating value.
Hinton’s Special Projects Manager, Tina Allen, is spearheading the project and has been involved in each stage of its progress and development. She will work daily with ZMM Architects & Engineers to oversee continued commitment and accountability.
Why mixed-use redevelopment matters for Hinton
The New River Center is planned as a mixed-use hub, which means the building will serve more than one purpose. That matters in a downtown setting.
Housing brings steady activity. Residents support nearby businesses, add life to streets beyond normal business hours, and create demand for services. Commercial space gives entrepreneurs, service providers, and organizations a visible place to operate. When both uses exist in one building, they can reinforce each other.
For Hinton, the planned fourteen apartment homes respond to a regional need for modern housing. Many communities in West Virginia and across Appalachia face a similar challenge. They have historic building stock and beautiful downtowns, but they also need updated places for people to live close to services, transportation corridors, and community assets.
The first-floor commercial spaces can also help strengthen the local economy. A restored building near the Freight Depot can become a more attractive location for small businesses or community-focused uses. The success of those spaces will depend on final design, tenant interest, and market conditions, but the project creates the physical foundation for new activity.
The municipal revenue piece is also central. An unused, non-tax-producing building does little to support public services. Once the property returns to active use, it can help generate long-term value. That value can support services residents rely on, such as public safety, infrastructure, maintenance, and community programs.
This is why adaptive reuse is often a sound strategy for historic downtowns. It keeps existing buildings in place, reduces blight, and builds on the character that makes a community distinct.
The building’s past will shape its next chapter
The New River Grocery and Hinton Hardwoods building has already lived several lives. Its past uses tell a story of changing local needs.
As a grocery warehouse and distribution point, it helped move goods through the region. As a skating rink, it became a social space where residents gathered. As a hardwood furniture manufacturing facility, it supported production and craft. Each use reflected a different era in Hinton’s economic and community life.
The New River Center continues that pattern of adaptation.
Rather than treating the building as a static artifact, the rehabilitation will allow it to function again. That distinction is important. Preservation does not have to mean freezing a building in time. In many cases, the best way to honor a historic structure is to keep it useful.
For residents, the building’s return can also strengthen Hinton’s sense of place. Historic railroad towns often have a visual identity that cannot be recreated once lost. Brick warehouses, depots, industrial windows, and walkable street corners all contribute to that identity. When those places are repaired and reused, they help the city retain its character while making room for present-day needs.
The project also sends a message about downtown investment. Restoring a large vacant building can improve confidence in surrounding properties. It can encourage nearby property owners to maintain or improve their own buildings. It can also show outside partners that Hinton has the capacity to plan and execute complex redevelopment work.
ZMM Architects & Engineers will lead the next phase
The City has selected ZMM Architects & Engineers to lead final design and construction management. The selection took place through the federal and state procurement process, which applies because public funding is involved.
That role will be central as the project moves from concept toward construction. Final design will need to account for several priorities at once:
Preserving important historic features where possible
Creating livable apartment layouts on the upper floors
Preparing flexible commercial spaces on the first floor
Meeting modern building and safety codes
Coordinating construction in a historic structure
Managing public funding requirements and documentation
Adaptive reuse projects often reveal details once design and construction teams begin deeper investigation. Older buildings may contain hidden structural issues, outdated systems, or materials that require special handling. A careful design and management process helps reduce surprises and keeps the project aligned with budget, schedule, and preservation goals.
The City’s selection of a professional design and engineering team marks a key step. It means the New River Center is moving beyond an idea and into the detailed work needed to make the project buildable.
A practical model for community development
The New River Center project reflects a wider lesson for small cities with historic buildings. A vacant structure can be more than a problem property. With the right plan, it can become housing, business space, public revenue, and a restored landmark.
The Hinton project brings those goals together in one place. It uses federal support to reduce local cost pressures. It pursues preservation tools to help manage the budget. It addresses housing demand while protecting the city’s railroad-era identity. It places commercial space at street level, where it can contribute to downtown activity.
None of that happens by accident. It requires a clear public purpose, careful funding strategy, qualified design support, and a willingness to work with the character of an older building rather than against it.
The result could give Hinton a stronger downtown asset and a visible example of how historic rehabilitation can serve current needs.
What happens next
With funding in place and ZMM Architects & Engineers selected, the New River Center will move into final design and construction management. The City will also continue efforts related to historic preservation tax credits and other steps needed to support the project budget.
As the work advances, residents can expect more details about design, construction timing, and future uses of the first-floor commercial spaces. The central goal is already clear: return a long-empty historic building to productive use while supporting housing, commerce, and public services.
The New River Center gives Hinton a chance to connect past and future at one important corner. If the project succeeds, the former New River Grocery and Hinton Hardwoods building will no longer stand as an unused remnant of earlier eras. It will once again serve the community, this time as a home, a business address, and a renewed part of Hinton’s downtown life.
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