“I gotta see it to believe it.”
That is a common response from Wheeling-area residents when properties are purchased and announcements are made.
A theme park? Wild Escapes? The 300-acre park that was supposed to include a hotel with a water park inside?
A $10 million petrochemical “cracker” plant right across the Ohio River from downtown Moundsville?
A natural gas-powered power plant in Marshall County?
All of those announcements were made, but not one of those developments exist today. The theme park project disappeared once the housing crisis hit in 2008, and the power plant was opposed by the coal industry and was not approved. Only the PTT project in the Dilles Bottom area of Belmont County has any potential to still take place.
“And if they make the announcement that they are going to build the cracker, there are people who won’t believe it until they start seeing the construction,” said Don Atkinson, a former Wheeling council member. “I remember when we announced The Health Plan headquarters was going to be built in the 1100 block, and no one believed it until the steel went up.
“This city has been in a spiral of decline for so many years that it is hard for the residents to believe anything good is going to happen,” he said. “It was the same after we announced the Boury Lofts. The residents want to see it to believe it, and to be honest, I’m the same way.”
Moving Forward
Steve Coon of Coon Restoration and Sealants entered a partnership with an Ohio-based physician to transform the former headquarters for Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel into 128 apartments, and a part of that deal is the construction of an $11 million parking garage on the corner of 11th and Market streets.
Roxby Development has purchased the McLure Hotel at 1200 Market Street and already has initiated exterior and interior improvements. The property includes 173 guest rooms, and a separate structure that contains 30 long-term apartments.
“I have had people tell me they don’t think the Wheeling-Pitt project is going to happen because they don’t see anything when they drive by the building. What they don’t realize is that most of the action is taking place in the rear because of the demolition that’s taking place,” Atkinson said. “That’s just the way we are here. We’re used to seeing businesses go away and not come in because it’s been happening for so long now.
“The same is true with the McLure Hotel. I give all the credit in the world to the people with Roxby because they have the guts to jump right in and get what needs done, done,” he said. “And the public can see the painting that’s taking place on the exterior so that allows people to be confident that something very good is taking place.”
Proof in the Pudding
The headquarters for The Health Plan came true, and so did the Boury Lofts, and downtown Wheeling still features DiCarlo’s, the Vagabond Kitchen, Tacoholix, Tito’s, the Bridge Tavern, and River City Restaurant.
Roxby Development plans to reopen the bar and restaurant areas on the street level of the McLure Hotel, and a rooftop lounge is on the drawing board, as well. Elle & Jack’s recently opened on the corner of 12th and Chapline streets, and The River’s Edge reopened along Main Street in the spring.
“Trust me, there are a lot of good things that are finally happening in the city, and I support it all,” Atkinson said. “It takes people with the guts to put their money in and take the risk. They have to ask themselves if they can make the business work and I give those folks all the credit in the world.
“I have always believed there is a lot of potential in the city of Wheeling, but it takes the people to make the investment to make anything happen,” he said. “The city’s downtown is never going to be the same as it was when the streets were crowded at Christmas. I think we all realize that, but it can be something different that can draw people in for different reasons.”
Atkinson recognized the most needed amenity in the downtown area is a grocery store, but he’s not sure of what kind of market would make the most sense for an area with residents living in several high-rise apartments and loft apartments.
“You just can’t build a Kroger in downtown Wheeling. There’s no room for that,” the former council member said. “And if it’s in the downtown area, it has to look like it fits, but I don’t know where you put that. There are spaces, so I guess we’ll have to see what happens.”
