Consulting Firm Eyed for Robrecht Park Project in Wheeling
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Officials in the city of Wheeling continue to take steps toward future development of the proposed Robrecht Riverfront Park, a Brownfields redevelopment project that has already received grant funding for initial planning and architectural design.
Earlier this month, Wheeling City Council approved legislation authorizing City Manager Robert Herron to negotiate and carry out terms of a master consulting service agreement with Stromberg, Garrigan and Associates for the Robrecht redevelopment project.
Plans call for the creation of a green space on the property surrounding the mouth of Wheeling Creek and along the Ohio River in the city's lower downtown area. The 3-acre site had been a former railroad right of way dating back to the mid-1800s. A tract of the property abutting Main Street on the south side of the creek was once home to the Robrecht Grocery store.
Since the 1970s when railroad operations ceased in the downtown, the Robrecht property has fallen into deterioration, while other commercial sites such as the adjacent Celeron Plaza have been revitalized in recent years.
The plan for the green space at the proposed park would include a ramp with river access via a kayak and canoe launch, a new parking lot, walking paths with bridges above the creek and other features.
Last fall, Gov. Jim Justice announced a $240,864 grant had been awarded for the Robrecht project through the West Virginia Transportation Alternatives and Recreational Trails program. Since then, the city was also awarded a $360,000 Brownfields cleanup grant through the Environmental Protection Agency.
"The funds already awarded are going to be used for a full design of the Robrecht site and the accompanying environmental remediation," Mayor Glenn Elliott said. "My understanding is that the design work itself will include a determination of the optimal environmental remediation procedures needed before the site can be repurposed."
Elliott said the design concepts will include alternate access to Heritage trail, along with additional recreation options for the site. While Stromberg, Garrigan and Associates developed the initial conceptual designs for the park and council approved the ordinance allowing the city manager to enter into a new contract with them, city officials are still awaiting authorization from the West Virginia Department of Transportation before officially entering into the contract for consulting services.
"This agreement is the first critical step in many to come to bring the Wheeling Robrecht Riverfront Park to a reality," Elliott said. "This project would not only provide a connection to Wheeling's Heritage Trail, but it would also afford a multitude of benefits for the businesses in the nearby downtown and Center Wheeling areas."
Because there are Brownfield and floodplain issues at the site that prevent challenges for other types of development, a riverfront park represents the best available use of this property, according to the mayor, who said a new park at this location will help spur economic growth and enhance quality of life in Wheeling.
"Going forward, we will still need to find funding for the overall project implementation costs," Elliott noted. "We don't have a firm number yet on what that will be, but it is safe to assume that an investment of at least $1 million would be needed to achieve the basic concepts emanating from the design stage."
The mayor said city leaders are hopeful that the WVDOT remains interested in this redevelopment and continues to provide funding for future stages of the project.
"This is an excellent opportunity to take an underperforming Brownfield site and convert it into quality recreational space that enhances our trail system and provides another critical connection to our waterfront," Elliott said.