T-L Photo/SHELLEY HANSON ARIANNE WADE, 24/7 Pizza employee, puts another pizza into the oven at the Bellaire shop.

BELLAIRE — Since Bellaire’s chamber of commerce is no longer in operation, the St. Clairsville Area Chamber of Commerce is looking to step in and provide more of a presence to help businesses in the village.

Wendy Anderson, executive director of the St. Clairsville Area Chamber of Commerce, said her chamber recently held a meeting for Bellaire businesses at the Around the World Gourmet Shop in West Bellaire. She said some business owners expressed interest in joining the St. Clairsville chamber and in the organization getting more involved in Bellaire. Anderson said there are already a few Bellaire-based businesses that are members of the St. Clairsville chamber, but the chamber hopes to do more for the village.

“We need to help every single business. When they succeed, we succeed as Belmont County,” she said.

During her meeting, Anderson said she offered the business owners a free, three-month trial membership to see what the chamber could do for them. Some joined on the spot without the trial, such as MacSnaps photography, she said. Others, such as Hornswogglers, took her up on the free trial period.

“We invited everyone we could think of. … When we get that cracker plant coming, Bellaire is going to be busy. People are going to want to stop there and Shadyside,” Anderson said.

“We need them to see what we can do for them. We’re not reinventing the wheel, we want to partner with them.”

Anderson was referring to the construction of a proposed ethane cracker plant at Dilles Bottom, south of Shadyside, by PTT Global Chemical America of Thailand and its partner, South Korea-based Daelim Industrial Corp. The company has not yet announced a plant will be built there, but site preparations have started and during a natural gas conference this summer in Pittsburgh, Bechtel Corp. said it had been chosen to oversee construction of the cracker.

As part of its Bellaire effort, the chamber is set to host a Business Afterhours titled “Making Bellaire Great Again” from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday at Capes and Tiaras, 527 44th St., Bellaire. There is a fee or a reduced fee with the contribution of an unwrapped toy for local children.

Anderson said she hopes more Bellaire businesses join her chamber.

“If we get enough, I might look into getting an office down there and look at being there once a month,” Anderson said. “I have people walk into my (St. Clairsville) office all the time to tell me about new businesses and what’s going on. If we get enough people that’s what I would do. I could have an office down there and take my computer with me down there.”

Anderson said Bellaire has a lot of potential for growth, describing it as “pretty town” with “wide streets.” She noted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Trinity Health Systems health care clinic at the Kroger plaza in Bellaire was held last week.

To contact the chamber, call 740-695-9623.