Recently, owner Ricky Boggs installed a sign at the edge of the bridge announcing that the property was listed for sale at Boone Land and Realty.
While this is certainly true, Senator Ron Stollings- (D), Boone County says plans are still ongoing to purchase the course with state funds and turn it into a multi-use public park.
“We are planning to secure the funds in the spring session of the West Virginia Legislature to buy it,” Stollings told the Coal Valley News.
For nearly a year, the senator has been advocating purchasing the golf course, renovating it, and adding a number of other attractions.
These include walking tracks, archery range, shooting ranges and a multi-purpose building which could house a large swimming pool.
“With the problems with heart disease in our county, anything that promotes exercise should be encouraged. Water aerobics is great exercise for folks with bad knees, bad backs and other problems,” Stollings said.
The original plan included buying the property, which would be secured with a state grant, that, according to State Senator Walt Helmick would not need to be repaid.
“After that, the property would be turned over to the Boone County Commission. We would then establish a board of directors for the course, who would oversee the operation of it,” he said.
Stollings said the ten or eleven-member board would be multi-faceted, including representatives from the community, industry, the health care community and others.
“Our board, when established, would be dedicated to running a non-profit organization, focused on providing a facility that could be used by all the communities in Boone County,” he said. “Not just golfers, but anyone with an interest in the outdoors.”
The senator took pains to emphasize that the project would not take one dime of taxpayers money away from other worthwhile projects.
“The water projects across Boone County have been essential to the growth of our area and will continue to be. We will not take any money away from water line installation for this. This is new money,” he said.
In fact, Stollings said he is optimistic that there will be an additional 5% in extra coal severance tax monies returned from the state to Boone County in the near future.
“This extra money should be used to bring clean water to any Boone resident who wants it. We want to use those funds to expand infrastructure here,” he said.
Stollings added that in addition to the monies set aside to buy Riverview Country Club, funds are still on the way to help with the expansion of Boone Memorial Hospital.
West Virginia Senators hope to provide $1 million to help BMH begin their long proposed renovation plan, which has been moving slowly since it’s inception over four years ago.
“We hope that the money will be used to do whatever is needed to get this project out of the starting gate,” Stollings said.
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