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Public Safety Levy Forum Planned Monday at West Virginia Northern Community College in Wheeling

Engineer Patrick Yoho, left, and Lt. Andy Joltes of the Wheeling Fire Department welcome the public to Station 10/Edgwood Fire Station and the firefighters’ living area. Firefighters hosted an open house for those wanting to know more about the condition of the fire stations as they prepare to vote Nov. 6 on a $22 million public safety levy. File Photo by Joselyn King

WHEELING — A $22 million levy to build a public safety building downtown goes before voters Nov. 6, and voters get one more opportunity to learn more about it.

Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger and Fire Chief Larry Helms will host a town hall to answer questions about the levy. The forum is set for 6:30 p.m. Monday at West Virginia Northern Community College in Wheeling.

The community also has a chance see the needs of the fire department headquarters in Center Wheeling during an open house set for 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The city of Wheeling is asking for $20 million for construction of the public safety building, as well as an additional $1 million for renovations to the city’s five remaining fire stations and another $500,000 for a fire truck for the Warwood station. The city has said it used a figure of $500,000 for costs associated with the bonds it will issue, but officials also have said they don’t expect the final costs to be that much.

City officials estimate the levy would cost the average homeowner about $105 annually based on a median home valued of $110,000. The levy is for 15 years.

The proposed public safety building would be on Market Street across from Market Plaza.

Plans call for relocating the current police station at the City-County Building into the new structure. Officers would share the building with the main headquarters for the Wheeling Fire Department, and Station 2 in North Wheeling would be moved there.

The proposed building is designed to have a glass facade and 56,725 feet of space. The fire department would be allocated 24,510 square feet. The police department would get 18,770 square feet. The remaining 13,445 square feet would be shared space.

Early voting in the election continues through Nov. 3. In Ohio County, early voting is set for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday at the City-County Building, 1500 Main St., Wheeling.

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