The History
The former Coca-Cola Bottling plant located on the corner of 3rd Avenue and 4th Street in Huntington, West Virginia, has been purchased and now needs to be renovated into productive space. From the early 1900s to the mid-1980s, the plant produced thousands of bottles of soda each day. It was an important part of the city’s economic development landscape employing hundreds of people. The facility is now closed and the building sits empty.
The Challenge
The JourneyUP team will develop plans to transform the Coca-Cola manufacturing facility into a thriving and productive space. Once completed, this underutilized building will come to life as a state-of-the art venue complete with an art gallery, sound studio, restaurant and music venue that will drive continued economic development in the city. The goal is for the former factory to be among the premier attractions in the region bringing more arts and entertainment vibrancy to Huntington. It will also serve as a talent incubator for emerging regional artists.
Request for Proposals
Career technical education schools with Simulated Workplace business/marketing, CAD-D and Project Lead the Way programs are encouraged to enter JourneyUP
Huntington. Students will outline a business plan for the project’s five categories:
Develop marketing, advertising and business plans for the facility that emphasizes an arts-driven focus.
Design a logo for the new venture.
Design a medium-sized music venue (98’ x 148’) that can acoustically accommodate a variety of different types of music and entertainment within a 20,000 sq. ft. space.
Design a listening room/restaurant/art gallery within a 12,000 sq. ft. space.
Design a sound studio/artist colony within a 12,000 sq. ft. space.
The top five submissions will participate in the final pitch competition and the top three finalists will be eligible for prizes.