While the seven members of Wheeling Council consider taking possession of the former Ohio Valley Medical Center campus, one conversation involves a possible move of city offices from the Ohio County Courthouse to the Valley Professional Center on Chapline Street.
Councilman Dave Palmer, the representative for Ward 6, said Monday on The Watchdog (98.1 FM WKKX and 97.7 FM WVLY) that he instigated the conversation while weighing the aspects of the proposed takeover of the property that once was home of the hospital, Hillcrest, Northwood, and the structure that once housed the nursing school and student residence.
“I have had the conversation with the city manager, and we are looking at what space we utilize now in the City-County Building and if it would be feasible to move the city offices there,” he said. “That is a possibility, but I am not saying that we are going to do that, but it has been discussed as a possibility. I know what we pay Ohio County for our office space is very reasonable, but I also know they wouldn’t be disappointed because that could have some more room for themselves.”
Currently, the city of Wheeling leases 18,000 square feet on the first and third floors of the Ohio County Courthouse at an annual cost of $195,000, according to City Manager Bob Herron. The Wheeling Police Department, with a roster of as many as 73 officers as well as staff, is squeezed inside 4,600 square feet.
“The Valley Professional Center building is 32,000 square feet, and I don’t know if we need that much space for a police department,” Palmer said. “But we also could utilize other parts of it for other things, so there are possibilities there, too, and that’s something that we have to figure out internally. It is definitely something we should take a hard look at because of our situation right now.”
Not a Done Deal
Wheeling council members heard the first reading of an ordinance that would authorize Herron to continue negotiations with MPT Inc., the property owner of the Ohio Valley Medical Center campus. The proposed deal would include all buildings on the Center Wheeling parcel except the Robert C. Byrd Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health Center.
Taking possession of the structures concerns Palmer because of the financial commitment involved.
“It’s just a big project, and anything of that magnitude requires a lot of thought and lot of information,” Palmer explained. “I just want to make sure we have all of the information that is available to us, so we are able to make a concerned decision. Something of this magnitude will affect Wheeling for many years, so this has been quite a chore for us.
“And we have to be clear here. This agreement would be with MPT, Inc, the owner of the property, and that means Alecto is not getting off the hook for what they owe the city of Wheeling,” he said. “This is all about the property taxes that are owed by MPT. Whether we go through with this is one thing, but Alecto is still going to owe us what they owe us, and that includes B&O taxes, parking fees, property taxes, and water fees, and all of those numbers really add up.”
The discussion with MPT, Inc., initially concerned only the Valley Professional Center, but the corporation surprised city leaders with the counter proposal.
“MPT is in the property business for hospitals. They buy the property and another company, like Alecto, runs the hospital and pays them for the use of the property,” Palmer explained. “They don’t want to be in the property business without a hospital, and I think they have come to the realization that there is not going to be a hospital there.”
Potential and Pitfalls
There is possible growth to consider, but then there is the age of structures. Of course, a rebirth for the Center Wheeling Garage is a factor, but so are roofs and water lines and sprinkler systems.
“It’s really an exciting and fascinating offer to take over this property, but then we have to identify all of the problems that could be associated with this agreement,” Palmer explained. “We need to prepare for the worst possible scenario because that is part of our responsibility.
“I love the concept of it. I just love it,” he said. “I just worry about how everything is paid for.”
The growth of the Centre Market area also is part of the equation for Palmer because when the OVMC campus was active, the businesses benefited on a daily basis.
“We would get a very large piece of property in a growing area,” Palmer said. “Centre Market under Kurt Zende’s supervision has been very successful in recent years, so this property would give us the opportunity to market these properties for future growth in Wheeling as opposed to letting this company, which operates out of Alabama, to try to market them.
“We are very concerned about whether or not they would be able to wholeheartedly market it,” he said. “It’s a large piece of property for a very reasonable price, and most of these buildings are great buildings, and there are a lot of possibilities that could happen. But I can’t say what will happen because none of us have that crystal ball, and that’s why we have to weigh the bad things, too, and that’s what I am trying to do right now.”
