Gov. Joe Manchin will kick off the next phase of the Pioneer Hotel project tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the city of Logan.

Several state and local dignitaries will be in Logan to officially take custody of the property where the old Pioneer Hotel used to sit before being demolished earlier this year.

Tuesday night, the Logan City Council signed the last of the paperwork that gives the property over to the state, which plans on building a state government building on the old property. The final reading of the ordinance that will transfer the property was held last night at the Logan City Council meeting at Logan City Hall and council members endorsed the document which will be taken to the courthouse today to be put on file at the county clerk's office.

"Thursday at 10 a.m. we will have several state officials in town including Gov. Manchin, Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin and others to unveil the plans for the new office building," Logan Mayor Serafino Nolletti said. "It will be down at the old Pioneer lot."

For years, the city had wanted to tear down the old dilapidated structure, which had become a safety hazard as well as an eyesore for Logan. Through different administrations, nothing had been done until the state approved a grant to tear the structure down. Ironically shortly into the demolition of the building, part of it toppled and crushed another empty building across the street from the Pioneer. When the building was finally razed, many of the council members were relieved that the project was close to completion.

"This project has been a long, rough haul," admitted Mayor Nolletti. "It has had plenty of ups and downs along the way. Now a new building is going to be placed there. It's gonna happen."

In other council news, Matt Ellis, the new local representative for AFLAC told the council that the previous agent for his company had moved to a new company and left town and that he would be available to city employees. Ellis lives 10 minutes from Logan and is in town regularly. Mayor Nolletti noted that some city employees are still signed up for AFLAC and Councilman Don Browning recommended having Ellis go to the different departments at city hall and meet with employees.