City of Logan hotel proposal gaining traction after WV Hub gets new Executive Director

Momentum is building for a new downtown Logan hotel as leadership changes at The Hub begin to settle. City Council previously approved a $17,500 feasibility study by REVPAR International, and Fire Chief Scott Beckett says the only holdup has been waiting for the new Executive Director's sign-off on funding. The study will explore demand, size, and location—possibly the old Peebles building on Stratton Street. If built, it would be Logan’s first hotel downtown since the Aracoma Hotel burned down in 2010, and could be a big boost for local tourism and business.

WVOW News | Robert Fields

LOGAN City of Logan’s plan for a new downtown hotel is gaining traction following a leadership change in the organization facilitating the project.

City Council members back in May approved spending around $17,500 on a feasibility study for a hotel in Logan’s downtown area, which will be conducted by REVPAR International, Inc. However, the project has been waiting for approval from all of the appropriate channels before the city can apply for Technical Assistance (TA) funding. City Fire Chief Scott Beckett told council members over the phone Tuesday that part of the delay has been due to a recent shift in leadership on the project.

Some background is needed here. City of Logan’s project to put a hotel in the downtown area is being supported by the West Virginia Community Development Hub, also known as “The Hub.” The Hub was founded back in 2009 and, while it is an independent organization, it partners with the United States Department of Agriculture as a host organization for the Southern West Virginia Community Network, which itself is a local branch of the USDA’s Rural Partners Network.

That whole network works together to strengthen rural communities by combining federal resources with local leadership. USDA provides the grants, loans, and technical support for infrastructure, housing, business growth, and broadband development. Meanwhile, the Hub helps communities plan, organize, and build the capacity to use those resources effectively.

The Rural Partners Network places community liaisons in southern counties to guide projects and connect towns like Logan with the necessary federal agencies. They essentially help community leaders navigate the complicated bureaucracy involved in getting federal grant funding. Programs like the Hub Communities of Achievement Program (HubCAP) support local leaders in developing long-term economic strategies, like making a five-year plan for a town.

This approach has helped rural areas move beyond coal dependence, opening opportunities in manufacturing, aerospace, renewable energy, and tourism. By linking funding with on-the-ground guidance, the partnership focuses on projects that create sustainable, community-driven growth.

However, movement of the City of Logan’s proposed hotel project has been on hold while The Hub has been undergoing a shift in leadership. The Hub announced in August that Heather Foster has stepped in to fill the role of Executive Director, previously held by Stephanie Tyree. During Tuesday’s Logan City Council meeting, Fire Chief Becket said he had just been in contact with Brianna Hickman, who serves as Project Director for The Hub’s Community and Business Resilience Initiative (CBRI).

“I just got off the Zoom meeting with Brianna Hickman from The Hub and all the finances are still – they had an Executive Director change so everything, she said, should be moving forward and it should be getting going. That’s all we’re held up on is the Executive Director to sign off on the TA money,” Beckett said. “It’s taken a little bit, but everything’s finally heading in that direction.”

Beckett has previously said the city should have enough money spread across other USDA Rural Development projects to get a hotel project underway at no additional cost to the city.

The study by REVPAR International will examine local demand, the performance of nearby hotels, and projected revenue. It will also assess how many rooms a new hotel should have, what type of hotel would be most appropriate, and how much it could cost to build. The company plans to use standard industry tools, including its namesake, REVPAR, which stands for Revenue Per Available Room, to guide its analysis. The findings would then be shared with the city once the study is complete.

According to Beckett, one potential location the city is considering is the former Peebles building on Stratton Street, which he said was itself a hotel at one time.

Downtown Logan has not had a hotel since the famous Aracoma Hotel was destroyed by a fire in 2010. The four-story, 96-room hotel originally opened in 1918 and was once considered the largest and most elaborate building in Logan County.

City officials say a new hotel could be a major support for the tourism industry and encourage more business activity in the downtown area.

PHOTO | Robert Fields