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Unsustainable Urban Renewal

An unfortunate fact of life in Wheeling is that the city contains many rundown buildings. They detract from the appeal of the downtown business district as well as some residential neighborhoods.

Just this week, municipal officials discussed a private-sector proposal to renovate two city-owned buildings, at 1107 and 1109 Main Street. When the structures were purchased a few years ago under the former council and administration, the cost was $200,000. The new buyer may get them for as little as $1 each.

Efforts had been made to interest developers in those and other dilapidated buildings, but to no avail. No wonder: The structures will require an enormous amount of work, perhaps as much as $2 million worth, to be restored to productive use.

The current mayor and council may have little alternative but to virtually give the Main Street buildings away. They cannot be allowed to remain vacant and subject to continuing deterioration.

That said, what may happen to 1107 and 1109 Main Street cannot be considered an urban renewal model for the future. Wheeling taxpayers cannot afford to spend that much to deal with eyesore structures.

Various considerations went into the decision by officials a few years ago to buy the two buildings. One was the hope — borne out — that a major development could be landed for land across the street. The Health Plan, now located there, is a major asset to Wheeling. Company officials reportedly are eager to see something done with the 1107 and 1109 Main Street properties.

In the end, then, the situation may have been unavoidable. Clearly, however, city officials should think long and hard about property acquisitions in the future. Wheeling cannot afford to continue buying buildings for 100,000 times the price it can get out of them.

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