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Ohio County officials are looking to fill some empty real estate in downtown Wheeling - but they're not willing to sell the property to just anyone.

They want the former Bob Robinson car dealership, located on 16th Street, to house a business that will be good for the downtown, one that will create new jobs for Wheeling.

The Ohio County Development Authority acquired the property in a land swap when Bob Robinson moved to The Highlands, the authority's retail development located 5 miles east of the city off Interstate 70.

Greg Stewart, county administrator and authority secretary/treasurer, said an asking price has not been set. He noted the dealership building and lot were appraised at about $1.5 million eight or nine years ago. However, if a promising business or company was interested in the property, the authority would be willing to negotiate if the company could bring enough new jobs to the city.

''If they employ 200 people, we may be a little more generous in our asking price,'' Stewart said.

The three-story building offers 50,000 square feet of space and sits on about an acre. Stewart said it has been a month since he last showed the property. A few people have viewed it, mainly those looking for office or professional space.

Stewart noted he could not name the types of businesses that checked out the property, as doing so would likely reveal the companies' identities.

''It's structurally sound. The building is made of concrete and steel,'' Stewart said.

The authority recently approved selling another downtown car dealership property - Straub Honda & Hyundai - for $1.2 million to West Virginia Northern Community College, also located in the downtown. Straub's new place at The Highlands is expected to be ready July 13.

The Straub property is expected to be used to house the college's table gambling classes, refrigeration and heating classes and will also serve as a site to retrain workers who have been laid off from their jobs. WVNCC aims to start classes there in fall 2010.

Stewart noted the authority previously approved handing over the former Robinson property's deed of trust to Cast and Baker to help cover debt owed to the contractor for construction work done at The Highlands. However, since the authority has been able to pay down much of its debt, handing over the deed has not been necessary, he said.

''We've made a lot of payments to Cast and Baker. ... The option is there if we need it,'' Stewart said.

He also said when WVNCC moves into the Straub property and the former Robinson property is filled, 16th Street will become an even more appealing ''corridor'' in downtown Wheeling.