(Publisher’s Note: He piqued our curiosity. What in the world could this guy from Ohio do with a building that had sat silent for a pretty long time? It was a warehouse and a showroom for new kitchens, as far as what the public knew, but Dan Milleson shared a vision and then made it all come true.)
In fact, no, it didn’t just happen overnight.
It may seem like that to the patrons of Waterfront Hall because the new establishment suddenly and innocently partially opened across the street from Heritage Port a little more than a month ago, but historic preservation and restoration is a painstaking process no matter where such a project takes place.
For developer Dan Milleson, it was five years of exhaustive education, careful collaboration, and meticulous meeting after meeting that transformed the property formerly known as Berry Kitchen Supply into downtown Wheeling’s newest establishment.
But overnight? Not so much.
“In no way does it feel ‘all of a sudden’ to me,” Milleson said with a humble chuckle. “It’s been a five-year odyssey for me because when I first got here, I was a little bit delusional about what I might be able to accomplish. My mind took me where I see this building today but getting all of me to where my head wanted to go someday, well, let’s just say there was a lot to learn and a lot to struggle with.
“And I will tell you the experience has really been the best teacher here because I didn’t have a good grasp on just how many moving parts this was going to require,” he admitted. “It feels like, at this point, it’s kind of like, not to get too dramatic but like a kind of a rite of passage for me now.”
Milleson is his family’s fourth-generation owner and operator of the Milestone Company, an insurance and financial firm with offices in Cadiz and Steubenville that was founded in 1946 by his grandfather, Arthur “Brady” Milleson.
He’s been involved in politics, too, as a strong supporter of Harrison County’s $60-million school bond issue in 2015 and as an unsuccessful candidate in 2018 for state government.
“And after that happened, I was ready to throw myself into something new. And this, the Waterfront Hall, has really been what was new,” Milleson explained. “I really don’t have a background in historic preservation or development, but I was really more intoxicated about Wheeling and what’s possible here. I saw the project at the Bridge Tavern, and I love what the Carl is family has been doing. I wanted to be a part of that.
“And I saw what Will Wallace at Clientele was doing, and I really like the really cool scene that he’s created there,” he said. “Wheeling’s government has been great to work with, and if anyone asks me about working with the city, I can tell them, after my five years, that everything has been great and everyone involved with the city has been very supportive of this project.”
The Very First Bride and Groom
Waterfront Hall is a three-story structure along downtown Wheeling’s Water Street, and the former kitchen supply business was once one of three – National Equipment, Boury Inc., and Berry Kitchen Supply – located along the roadway.
While National Equipment continues business and has expanded into the Morgantown market, the former Boury’s building now is home to DiCarlo’s Pizza and Berry’s closed down in July 2018 after nearly 200 years of family business. While Waterfront Hall’s first-floor saloon and Avenue Eats opened five weeks ago, construction has continued on the second and third floors.
“Avenue Eats was perfect to bring in, and the business is driving an incredible amount of traffic into this space, and we get to benefit from it,” Milleson explained. “There was a lot of anticipation for the return of Avenue Eats, and the owners are just kind souls. It all works so well and it’s obvious by the lunch and dinner crowds Wednesday through the rest of the week that their food is in demand.
“We’re working on the second food area now and hopefully we’ll be announcing something soon,” he said. “We’ll have our very first wedding reception on our third floor in mid-October, and hopefully it’s the first many, many more.”
What else is possible at 1230 Water Street? Maybe a salon, perhaps a couple of small apartments and Airbnb units, and, sooner than later, live entertainment two or three nights per week.
“I’d like to have our local performers because the local talent is terrific, but I also want to try to find people who are on that Pittsburgh-to-Columbus tour, or that Cleveland-to-Morgantown route, and just pick them off to play here on their way,” Milleson said. “Live music is going to be a big part of what we’re doing here.”
And hey, there’s the rooftop to consider, too, right?
“The rooftop, well, if all of this is as successful as I believe it will be, will be the final thing we’ll develop here,” he insisted. “And if that does happen, we’ll go about it the same way we’ve done everything here, and that’s with local labor. When you decide to make an investment like this, you want to see it pay dividends for the community. At least, that’s what I believe.
“The first way to do that is to hire local contractors,” Milleson said. “My family always has been pro-labor because we believe earning a living wage is healthy for everyone in your community. I want to be a part of that strong community.”
Why? It’s not like other structures can be constructed next door or down the road from Waterfront Hall because Milleson’s property was grandfathered in because of its extended history in the Friendly City. Anything new would need to be stilted away from the rising waters of the Ohio River when flood conditions are present, and that requirement, of course, adds expense.
So, again, why? Why Water Street? Why Wheeling?
After a long-than-expect pause, Milleson said matter-of-factly, “Well, it has been a big endeavor.”
And then the developer took another lengthy pause before saying …
“Why here? Why now? Well, at first, I wanted to inspire people to do the same,” Milleson said. “In the end, I wound up inspiring myself.”
