(Publisher’s Note: This is the second of a two-part series that reviews the development of ideas concerning the corner of 10th and Main streets in downtown Wheeling and the organizations and individuals who are participating in the process thanks to the explanations provided the executive director of Wheeling Heritage, Mr. Scott Schenerlein.)
The Original Gateway
Scott Schenerlein remembers when the Wheeling Suspension Bridge was lit up for the first time back in the 1980s.
There were bright flood lights on the historic span’s sandstone pillars and piers and on its suspension cables, too, and orange-lit lamps lined the pedestrian walkways on both sides. The bridge’s railings were painted red and the guiding lines were blue and white, and when the switch was thrown the very first time, it was a very big deal.
Very big.
“My dad worked for Yahn Electric at the time and he actually crawled all over the bridge to install a lot of those lights,” the Wheeling Heritage executive director recalled. “So, we have a lot of pictures from that day.
“We were down by where Heritage Port is today when they lit up the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, and we were so proud of my dad. We were proud of him, and everyone involved because it looked so nice. It was a great idea to light it up then, and I love how it’s been lit up this time. What a treasure it is.”
There was no doubt, though, back in the 1980s that when the extensive overhaul was finished, the Wheeling Suspension Bridge would re-open to vehicular traffic. That, though, is not the case this time around. The bridge, constructed and reconstructed in the mid-1800s so frontiersman and their families could cross on the way to the west, was closed in September 2019 following a second motor coach crossing.
That’s why officials with the W.Va. Division of Highways have stated a final decision – vehicles or not vehicles – would be made once the $18 million beautification and preservation project was complete. And it’s completed, pretty much, but still, silence.
Kinda.
Back in January, Jimmy Wriston, the secretary of the state Department of Transportation, called the Suspension Bridge a “national treasure” but also said that “as far as vehicular traffic, it’s time has probably passed.”
“No matter what the official decision is by the state, the Wheeling Suspension Bridge and all of its great history will tie into what happens on the corner of 10th and Main streets as far as the idea of a welcome and heritage center. It ties in perfectly,” Schenerlein said. “The Suspension Bridge is the original ‘Gateway to the West,’ and no matter what, people will be walking back and forth so they can enjoy the incredible views. And thanks to the renovations, the span can be seen from near and far.
“It also will be very special once the former hotel is demolished because it will be the first time in more than 150 years that the (northeast) corner of the Suspension Bridge will be visible,” he said. “I know that is very important to (Wheeling CVB director) Frank O’Brien and it’s important to everyone involved, too. That will be a sight to see.”
Big Boy on the Block
It was the Downtowner Motor Inn, it was opened in 1956, and it was a very popular place during Jamboree weekends for a couple of decades, but the lodge fell into disrepair and was sold to Boury Enterprises in the early 1980s.
The founders of the Elby’s Family Restaurant franchise quickly revamped and renovated the lodge into a modern motel complete with a restaurant and a lounge for the evenings. The Best Western Wheeling Inn later was home to the Riverside Restaurant, a very popular eatery with a deck overlooking the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, and the show schedule at the Capitol Music Hall kept the grounds buzzing on most weekends.
The ownership of the property changed again in 2004 when Nalini, LLC, purchased it, and in May 2022 the Wheeling Inn was deemed a nuisance property and the business was shuttered. In January 2023, the Wheeling CVB purchased the parcels for $1.7 million.
CHECK!
Ever since Schenerlein and O’Brien have gathered a group of civic leaders and advisors to help guide what’s next for 989 Main Street.
“There’s been a long conversation about that property for several years and we’re just glad that a deal worked out so there’s another chapter for that corner (of 10th and Main streets),” Schenerlein confirmed. “It’s always been a priority for Wheeling Heritage to establish a heritage center, and there couldn’t be a better opportunity and that’s why we put a survey out there so we could collect as many opinions and ideas as we possibly could.
“It’s a process that’s already started, and now that we have the survey results, it’s time to move forward,” he said. “There were so many great ideas shared with us and once the property is clear, we can really concentrate on what’s next.”
It was O’Brien, in fact, who revealed the next step when explaining three weeks ago the timeframe for the demolition, and now the bids are due by this Friday for the environmental remediation and the razing. The survey results indicated people want to learn and experience the city’s long history, and they wish to take advantage of the perched location of the property and also gain access to the riverfront that rests below.
“We received over 4,000 responses, and the common denominator is seeing the old building be torn down in favor of something new,” reported Olivia Litman, marketing director for the Wheeling CVB. “And seeing the (northeast) corner of the bridge for the first time in more than 100 years also was high on the list of their priorities.
“The community’s passion for this project was obvious with the survey results, and I think that’s the best part of it,” she said. “There are a lot of people who are discussing all of the ideas the participants offered and that’s one of the most important parts of all of this because this is the community’s project.”
Dollars and Sense
Schenerlein, of course, is the executive director of Wheeling Heritage, and Alex Panas is the program manager, Amy Karrasch serves as the communications and development manager, and Johnathon Porter and Dillon Richardson are the organization’s digital content specialists.
Those five individuals are challenged each day with the herculean task of discovering, documenting, preserving, and promoting the antiquities of a region that dates back to the 1700s. Since the non-profit was created in 1994 as the Wheeling Area Heritage Area Corp., six different directors and their respective staff members have achieved those goals and much, much more.
According to the Wheeling Heritage website, the organization has “generated $86.6 million in economic impact, supported 1,109 jobs, and generated $6.4 million” between 2014-16. Those statistics could sharply increase, too, with the completion of the heritage center project on the upper downtown property.
“The residents of Wheeling through the years have always had a big connection to our riverfront, and that’s why Heritage Port was completed in the early 2000s. I do believe it’s time to go back and freshen that up,” Schenerlein said. “And the Gateway project, I think, will connect us to the trail next to the river, too, and then there will be that connection to everything else that’s along the waterfront.
“We hear about other towns along rivers and how they thrive because they utilize the waterfronts, and we have a boating community here in the Wheeling area that should be able to come into downtown Wheeling to enjoy things like the Artisan Center and River City, like Waterfront Hall and what they have there, and other things, too,” he said. “That’s a whole community that really can’t utilize that growth right now in our downtown.”
Other than discussing the ideas for the welcome and heritage center, Schenerlein has stressed “sustainability” for the property, and quite simply that means what sits next at 10th and Main streets must pay for itself.
“In our meetings, we have discussed many times that cannot just build something that doesn’t sustain itself somehow, and one of the ideas is a boutique hotel of some kind with some other amenities, too. It’s something I bring up often,” he said. “I know what it takes to operate the Artisan Center, and it’s not cheap.
“So, sustainability is a piece of the project, so I believe a place where people can stay overnight and go enjoy our downtown is really important. And once we get folks in here, we have the chance to orient them to where they are and what’s around them, and maybe they’ll go to Oglebay, or to Independence Hall, or to a restaurant,” Schenerlein added. “Who knows? We’re going to run the numbers, review all of the offered ideas, and then go back to the community again to see what they think.”
