Pound Buildings Report

The town of Pound, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, West Virginia University BAD (Brownfields, Abandoned, Dilapidated) Buildings program and Appalachian Voices have been partnering since late 2023 on an initiative to provide a community-led inventory of dilapidated buildings. Over a months-long process that has included multiple community inventory field days, project prioritization meetings and deep dives into Pound’s history, the BAD Buildings team has developed this report. The report covers the background of the BAD Buildings program, a socioeconomic and historical analysis of Pound, the results of the inventory and prioritization process and a comprehensive set of recommendations and next steps. 

Beginning in December of 2023, community members, along with the project team, inventoried 65 primarily commercial properties throughout town. These properties were then narrowed down to the 16 properties that received ratings of “Poor” or “Should be demolished,” which were then prioritized based on their health and safety risks, visibility, status as a brownfield, redevelopment potential and feasibility. These buildings offer great potential for future projects that can help make downtown Pound a thriving community hub, and the funding opportunities laid out in the latter half of the report have laid the foundation for realizing those visions.