By Katherine Reasons-Pyles
HQ 71 | AUTUMN 2010
Just mention the word “Superblock,” and Huntington business owners cringe at the memory. In the 1970s, to make room for new businesses, federal urban renewal programs destroyed dozens of historic and run-down buildings between First and Third Avenue from Sixth Street to 12th Street. However, once those buildings were torn down, it was like the area simply froze in time. Instead of the highly anticipated construction, growth and business development, the site of the proposed “Superblock” remained desolate for more than 20 years.
But then came Pullman Square, an open-air town center developed by Columbus-based firm Steiner & Associates, and everything changed. One part retail, one part dining and one part entertainment, Pullman Square has become the go-to gathering place for Huntingtonians of all ages. With Pullman’s success came the need for even more dining, shopping and entertainment options downtown; and thanks to countless hard-working individuals, a revitalization of downtown has emerged to meet that need.
Today, Third Avenue is ripe for new construction, and Fourth Avenue is not too far behind it. New buildings are being constructed, and old ones are being given new life. The Old Main corridor project continues to look for ways to connect downtown and Marshall University, and the similarly named Downtown Corridor Project hopes to connect Pullman Square and Heritage Station with a well-lit pedestrian walkway.
In this two-part series, we take a look at many of the exciting things happening in downtown Huntington, from dining to shopping to entertainment to the promising business growth that continues to bring downtown Huntington back to life.
