PIKETON, Ohio — Pike County commissioners will host a community open house later this month to update residents on the PORTS Project, the sprawling redevelopment of the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site that has brought energy giant AEP and SoftBank into the county.
The open house is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Pike County Fairgrounds Multipurpose Building. Commissioners said in a Facebook post that the event is meant to give neighbors, community leaders and project partners a chance to talk directly about developments connected to the site and how they may shape Pike County’s future.
Pike County Commissioners, the Pike County Engineer’s office, AEP and SoftBank are expected to attend, according to the announcement. Organizers said the event will feature information stations covering the PORTS Project overview, economic development, transportation and infrastructure, energy, community benefits and county resources, along with a station for public feedback.
The commissioners framed the open house as part of the county’s broader Pike 2040 planning effort, an initiative aimed at guiding growth in Pike County over the coming decades. The Facebook announcement said commissioners also plan to launch a new website in the near future.
The PORTS Project centers on the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, a Cold War-era uranium enrichment site in Pike County now being redeveloped as the PORTS Technology Campus. The U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Commerce announced a public-private partnership in March to redevelop the site, pairing SoftBank’s SB Energy with AEP Ohio to build out new power generation and grid upgrades to support a large-scale data center campus. SB Energy has said its investment includes billions of dollars in new natural gas-fired power generation alongside AEP Ohio’s transmission and grid improvements.
Commissioners said residents, businesses, educators and community organizations are encouraged to attend, ask questions and share ideas for the county’s future. The event is free and open to the public.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Pike County Commissioners.
