For the first time, West Virginia University’s Community Design Team will assist a town outside the state when it visits Point Marion , Pa. , Thursday through Saturday (March 23-25).

The CDT is a network of WVU faculty, students and other West Virginia citizens that assists rural communities in strategizing and prioritizing revitalization efforts.

When invited by a community, the CDT organizes the network into a multi-disciplinary team, typically 20 to 25 individuals, who conduct a weekend visit.

The CDT has provided planning and design assistance to over 28 West Virginia communities since its inception. This is the first time it will visit a town outside the state.

The Point Marion team will consist of landscape architects, pedestrian connectivity and walkability experts, and specialists in parks and recreation, historic preservation and community and rural development. Faculty and students from the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences and WVU Extension will take part.

“The team will spend Friday gathering information from community members, then spend Saturday formulating recommendations for the community to consider as part of a revitalization agenda,”said Don Armstrong, associate professor of landscape architecture and coordinator of the CDT ’s Point Marion visit.

The presentation of designs and recommendations will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Point Marion United Methodist Church Social Hall, 502 Morgantown Street .

Point Marion has identified four key issues for the CDT to consider during the two-day process. Downtown revitalization, increased recreational opportunities for all age groups, improved appearance of the town and its entry ways in particular, and walkability and pedestrian access to community resources are all on the CDT ’s agenda.

The CDT charges a nominal fee of $4,000, which is used to cover general operating expenses and the production of the subsequent report. It is estimated that the community receives approximately $15,000 dollars in time and expertise from the team members.

The Community Design Team is a program of the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences Division of Resource Management with contributions from WVU Extension Service and numerous agencies and organizations.