Revitalization of Huntington

The documentary The Revitalization of Huntington is a public affairs/news program that seeks to enlighten listeners on what has happened in Huntington, West Virginia in the past, what has driven the current revitalization efforts and what the future holds. By first exploring the history of Huntington from 1871 to 1970, the documentary allows the listener to understand a brief overview of Huntington’s rise and fall. After establishing the fall of Huntington, the documentary shifts its focus to what came after the fall and the attempts to rectify it with the Urban Renewal Plan in 1971.

At that point, the characters of the documentary, or the interviewees, begin to be introduced, starting with Huntington Municipal Development Authority Director Cathy Burns. As the narration and soundbites take the listener through the successes and failures of the urban renewal project to the final fulfillment of that plan, Pullman Square. From that point, the documentary begins to shift its focus toward the positive ramifications of Pullman Square and how it began the revitalization of downtown. Capital Venture Corp and its founders, Phil Nelson and Jim Weiler. Finally, the documentary naturally turns toward what the future of Huntington holds as described mostly by Mayor Steve Williams.