ABOVE: The newly complete Fairmont Shop Condos at Fairmont Industrial Park.

FAIRMONT– Late last summer work started on some new industrial condos at the Fairmont Industrial Park. Just over a year later, one building, housing five individual units, is complete and ready for those looking to own or rent a space for industrial work or storage opportunities.

Prior to starting the project, Daniel Sprague, owner of Midwest Shop Condos, LLC, and his partner purchased 13 acres in Fairmont Industrial Park and applied for a Planned Unit Development (PUD) in order to extend South Armstrong Drive and create a new lot for the development.

Once approved by the Planning Commission and later the Fairmont City Council, work could begin.

Sprague said, weather aside, everything went as planned.

“Most people think it would have been a great winter last year to build because we didn’t have much snow, but we were developing in a field and it never really froze so we couldn’t get machine to operate correctly,” Sprague explained.

Then this past spring, the heavy and insistent rains put more delays on the project.

“Excluding weather, everything was great. We’ve been flying through things seamlessly with the city and all of the local contractors have been great and they’ve stuck with us and have kept us in their schedules,” Sprague said.

He noted that they used all local companies and Fairmont-based contractors on the project.

While they are approved to build ten buildings, they just finished the first, which houses five units. The building itself is 160 ft. wide and 60 ft. deep, making each unit 32 ft. wide by 60. ft deep.

Each unit also has its own set of public utilities with separate water and gas meters, along with electricity and high speed internet.

“All utilities are extended to the units. They’re stubbed out to put in a bathroom or an office. You can really build it out how you want,” Sprague said. “We can have five different businesses use it or individuals can use it to store RVS, boats and things like that.”

The area is zoned industrial so small businesses can operate out of the units. It can also be used as warehouse storage for bigger companies and of course personal storage for people, too.

“We see it as definitely a use for storage and people enjoy having large storage that they own, but the angle that we like is the small business angle. We can provide affordable commercial space for people. Whether it’s a small painting business or small electrical company we like to talk to people about getting out of their garage and into a professional space,” Sprague said.

He said this first building was done kind of as a “spec house” to show people in Fairmont and the surrounding area what they can do. Moving forward he said they can adjust the sizes of future units.

“The beauty is we can move these walls wherever you want them. The buildings are 9,600 sq. ft. and realistically a person can take anything from the 2,000 sq. ft. base unit all the way up to 9,600 sq. ft. depending on what their needs are. We’re very flexible from that standpoint,” said Sprague.

As work is just wrapping up, Sprague is excited for people to see the space and said they’re ready to be sold or rented out.

“We really do cover a wide array of people and it’s been very fun to talk to people about how their business can grow by relocating here and having a more professional appearance and a place to call home,” Sprague said.

At 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 16, the Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors will have a ribbon cutting ceremony at the space and from 4-6 p.m. Fairmont Shop Condos is hosting an open house with beverages and light snacks for people who are interested in seeing the space and asking questions.