Along with the changing of the leaves on the region’s rolling Appalachian hills and the names on the campaign signs scattered in communities on both sides of the Ohio River, more of the landscape in the Wheeling area has continued to evolve away from most memories held by moved-away natives.
The most significant change has involved the demolition of the former campus of the Ohio Valley Medical Center, once home to Hillcrest, the older and newer nurses residences, the original structure of the Ohio Valley General Hospital, the Education & Administration Building, and the South and West towers.
Downtown Wheeling also has been under construction for five years with a number of underground infrastructure projects and the ongoing, $32 million streetscape that won’t be completed for another year.
“We’ve been patient for a bunch of years and now we’re almost to the end of the mess in our downtown, and I know we’re hoping WVU Health Systems gets started on the cancer center soon rather than later,” said Wheeling Mayor Denny Magruder. “But once the streetscape is completed, it will represent the end of the long process that was necessary to get it all done. We all want things done immediately, and it doesn’t always work that way.
“Watching OVMC disappear hasn’t been easy, I can tell you that. It’s been there my whole life, and it’s played such an important role in this city and in the valley. This process hasn’t been easy for anyone, especially the people who used to work there,” he said. “The good news is that lives will continue to be saved on that property for many years to come.”
The downtown’s eastbound gateway – Exit 1A off of Interstate 70 – is finally evolving away from an embarrassing blight on the corner of 10th and Main streets and into a welcome/heritage center that local civic leaders believe will draw travelers off the freeway.
“The change on that corner is long overdue, and the designs that were released are terrific. It’s going to take time to take place – just like the streetscape, right? – but it’s proof that everyone is working hard to make (Wheeling) a better place,” said Ben Seidler, the Wheeling city councilman who represents Wheeling Island, downtown, North Wheeling, and the Fulton/Glenwood neighborhoods. “I love that the motel is coming down, too.
“One of the things I’ve had to learn is that it’s all about the pieces getting put together in our downtown, and now in that area you have what’s happened at the Bridge Tavern, and at the Capitol Theatre and with the Newbridge Church,” he said. “Hopefully we see the same kind of thing in the other parts of downtown, too.”
One campaign sign not seen in Wheeling during the current election season are those that once read, “Storch for House of Delegates”, and that’s because Erkka Storch is not permitted to hold an elected partisan position while serving as Appalachian Power’s external affairs director. Storch was a Republican legislative member for 13 years before resigning from the seat after accepting the position with the utility company.
Come November 5th not only will local voters choose a new American President, but U.S. Senate and congressional seats are up for grabs in Ohio and West Virginia, and the state and local ballots are packed full, as well.
“There’s been a lot of progress that’s taken place in Wheeling, and the state has been involved with a lot the projects like the I-70 projects, the streetscape, the Suspension Bridge, and the new welcome center. None of those improvements take place without the state funds, so that’s why Election Day is so important when it comes to the delegate races.
“It’s about a lot more than campaign signs, trust me,” she said. “I just hope people do their research and vote for the best people for the positions.”
