The City of Wheeling took possession of the six buildings and the 800,000 square feet of interior space that came with them about 30 months ago with no idea whatsoever of its ultimate fate.
Would another health provider move right in to reopen the hospital? Would a state university from six hours away create an engineering program on the campus? Or could the towers and buildings be transitioned into a small village with retail and a restaurant or two on the courtyard level with office and residential up above?
Wheeling City Manager Bob Herron added the OVMC campus to the list of duties for his economic specialist, Kurt Zende when the transaction was final, and he attempted all the above before leaving the position to become the president of the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce.
And Zende tried it all. During the pandemic, some city employees moved to the OVMC campus to increase the amount of at-work distancing, but then a few non-profits moved in, the Hillcrest property was utilized as a winter shelter for a couple of years, and Roxby Labs conducted Covid testing at the rear of the East Building for more than a year.
And the rumors proved true. A three-way agreement had been reached with WVU Medicine and the Ohio County Commission that would ensure not only the demolition of the structures but also the construction of a new 95,000-square-foot regional cancer center that will hire about 150 employees.
“It was a process, for sure, but the deal is great for the future of that area of Wheeling,” said Ward 2 Councilman Ben Seidler. “I remember thinking when the conversation started with WVU Medicine, and that it was what we would see it take place very quickly, but that’s not how it happened at all. It was very frustrating because it took so long to get finalized.
“I know a few necessary steps have taken place since the press conference, but I’m really looking forward to watching as everything moves forward for that area of Center Wheeling. I know there was a lot of hope for the hospital to re-open after closed a couple of years ago, but now we know what’s next,” the councilman said. “I know there’s a lot of history on that campus so I’m hopeful we can do something to pay tribute to those years of care.”
While the former Ohio Valley Professional Center soon will be the new headquarters for the Wheeling Police Department, the six structures that surround the campus courtyard all will come down, including the pair of nurse’s residences, the West and South towers, the Education and Administration Building, the former home of Hillcrest, and the East Building.
“I know the demolition plan is being developed right now, and I know there’s really no easy way to do it and that it’s going to take some time,” Seidler explained. “It’s 800,000 square feet of buildings so it’s not going to happen overnight, that’s for sure.
“The project has a timeline of five years so movement will start to take place pretty soon,” the Ward 2 representative added. “At first, most of the work will take place inside the buildings, but once all of that is completed, people will start to see those buildings go away.”
