It was one of a bunch of press releases written by H. Darlene Gump and distributed by the local Division of Highways office. It was short and sweet, too.
“A portion of WV 2, Main Street, in Wheeling, will have the right lane closed between Tenth Street and 16th Street, from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., beginning on Monday, June 17, 2024, through Friday, June 21, 2024, for paving. Beginning on Monday, June 24, 2024, through Friday, June 28, 2024, the left lane will be closed from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., for paving. Motorists are advised to slow down and expect slight delays. Parking will not be permitted in the work zone.
Inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances may change the project schedule.”
Did someone say, “Main Street”? In downtown Wheeling? This coming week? The same roadway that’s not been paved since the early 2000s? THAT Main Street?
Hmmm, but is it true? Becaus, ya know, it’s too good to be true.
But it is, in fact, true, and when it was announced you would have thought Elvis was found alive and U2 was headlining the Italian Fest. The joy – even jubilation – and the collective sigh of relief was actually audible to all and it’s kind of scary to think of the reaction when the final cone is literally conquered by completion.
What’s even more frightening is to contemplate, though, is what kind of downtown – commercially – we’ll have when the dust clears. Be sure, we have terrific businesses and restaurants inside the project zone and the community has come out to support those adversely impacts by the construction and will, hopefully, continue to do so.
But there’s also a lot of “What About?” buildings, including the Absure Tower, the McLure Hotel, the Wheeling-Pitt building, and the Rogers Hotel, and the “glass-half-empty” perspective is that the structures will rot into dilapidation and the taxpayer inevitably will have to fund the demolitions like they’ve done hundreds of times before.
The “glass-half-full” view? Well, that would mean those vacant buildings represent “potential,” and there’s proof of that, too. Like the new location of the Smart Center, or Waterfront Hall, or Taqueria 304 and the Bridge Tavern and the Newbridge Academy and ThrIVe, and, soon, downtown DiCarlos Pizza for a third time.
With smooth roads, too.
