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The Health Plan Could Be Open by January in Downtown Wheeling

Health Plan: 325 More Workers Will Be Downtown by January

Photo by Casey Junkins Contractors with Able Concrete work Wednesday toward the completion of the new headquarters of The Health Plan in downtown Wheeling.

WHEELING — By the end of January, about 400 new workers will be downtown each day, as The Health Plan is nearing completion of its new headquarters that officials hope will spark a renaissance of the central business district.

The building’s contractor is putting the finishing touches on the first new building to grace downtown in decades. Once complete, 325 full-time workers will join the 70 people already working downtown at the Horne’s building on Main Street.

Wendy Hodorowski, The Health Plan’s marketing director, said the four-story, 53,000-square-foot headquarters should be ready for some workers to move in before the end of the year, with the remainder coming in January.

“I think everybody is excited to get going. It should be a boost for Wheeling,” Hodorowski said.

Most of the new employees will park in one of the city’s parking garages, Hodorowski said. To help transport workers from the garages to the worksite, a 24-passenger trolley will loop from 10th Street to 22nd Street during peak times when workers are coming and going.

The Ohio Valley Regional Transportation Authority has agreed to spend $60,000 to for the trolley to begin its run in January.

“We will have people come in as early as 6 a.m.,” Hodorowski said, noting regular business hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

There also will be on-site parking for customers and some employees, she added.

However, the office will not be open to those planning to make payments on bills, she said. Instead, there will be a “lock box” into which customers can deposit payments.

Hodorowski said the company already has deep ties to Wheeling — The Health Plan traces its founding to Wheeling, and many of the company’s current employees already live in the city.

“We have quite a few employees who already live in Wheeling — mostly in the Centre Market or North Wheeling areas,” Hodorowski said.

“It is possible that some of them may want to live closer to their jobs.”

Some downtown business owners are looking at how they can capitalize on the new traffic.

“I wouldn’t call it a silver bullet, but it could definitely help us,” Matt Welsch, owner and chef at the Vagabond Kitchen at the corner of 12th and Market streets, said of The Health Plan. “Anytime you have more people in downtown Wheeling, it’s got to be a plus.”

After The Health Plan vacates its two buildings near St. Clairsville, Belmont County officials plan to create a consolidated court system on the campus. County commissioners recently agreed to pay $3.3 million for the structures.

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