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Restoration Work Is Underway At Former Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Building

Wheeling residents Samuel Zane, left, and Richard Hall move a large desk out of the former Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel building on Market Street. Photo by Casey Junkins

WHEELING — Before contractors turn the former Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel tower into a $20 million apartment building, they must remove hundreds of desks and chairs — along with an estimated 30 tons of paper — which RG Steel simply left inside upon the firm’s 2012 bankruptcy.

“My crew has been here for a couple of weeks. We’re probably only about 10 percent done cleaning it out,” said Jim McCue, who serves as project manager for Louisville, Ohio-based Coon Restoration and Sealants. “We’ve probably got 30 tons of paper left in this building that we have to remove.”

Eventually, McCue said the plan is to build at least 90 market-rate apartments inside the massive structure, allowing tenants some of the same vistas once seen by executives of Wheeling-Pitt and the Schmulbach Brewing Co. There may also be some retail space on the first floor of the 12-story building, which opened in 1905.

“There are a lot of things falling into place in Wheeling,” McCue said, while referencing the new headquarters of The Health Plan across Market Street from the giant building, in addition to the possible $6 billion PTT Global Chemical ethane cracker at Dilles Bottom.

McCue said Coon officials waited until January to submit an application to the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office for the state rehabilitation tax credit. On Jan. 1, the amount of the credit jumped from 10 percent to 25 percent.

Coupled with the 20 percent federal credit, the developer will be able to cut the cost of the project by 45 percent.

“This project would not be possible without the state and federal tax credits,” McCue said. “We also need a commitment from the city on the parking garage.”

The parking structure to which McCue refers would go opposite the Wheeling-Pitt. building on the west side of Market Street. It likely would be south of The Health Plan on the site once home to the historic L.S. Good’s department store.

“We are absolutely committed to building a parking garage, if that’s what it takes to make this happen,” Wheeling Vice Mayor Chad Thalman said.

“It’s a project that simply won’t work without parking,” Mayor Glenn Elliott added of the apartment complex.

Before any of the materials left by RG Steel could be removed, McCue and his crew had to get one of the building’s six elevators working. They also updated some fire extinguishers and installed a temporary electricity source.

Exiting the elevator onto the 12th floor, it is almost as if the building is frozen in time. There are still 2012 calendars on the walls, books and papers stacked on desks, and even some personal photographs and belongings of former RG Steel employees. There is also some water damage, as portions of the ceiling have collapsed.

“The building was just vacated,” McCue said. “They just went home and never came back.”

The building, which actually features a 13th floor that is only for mechanical and service use, began as the Schmulbach headquarters in 1905. It became the headquarters to the company ultimately known as Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel in the 1940s.

“It’s a shame the steel company closed, but we can save this building,” McCue said.

McCue, along with Harvey Goodman Realtor representative Sam Matheny, admire the extensive marble and brass inside the building.

“It’s phenomenal,” Matheny said of the structure. “We would have lost this treasure without Coon Restoration.”

In recent days, some former employees and representatives of nonprofit groups have made their way through the building. McCue said developers are donating as much of the material as possible so it goes for good use.

“One former employee actually found an old pair of shoes they had left here,” McCue said.

McCue acknowledged the success of the 73-unit Boury Lofts, as well as the 22-unit Stone Center Lofts as evidence for the demand for downtown housing.

McCue said there would be both one and two-bedroom apartments. Although he could not commit to a time frame, he said the construction phase would be up to two years, once the work actually begins. Before that, McCue and his crew have to clear out the 30 tons of paper, along with a myriad of other items.

Elliott said the city’s preferred plan would be to enter a long-term land lease with the property owners to build the multi-million-dollar parking garage. Thalman said the hope would is to create retail space on the first floor of the garage.

“We wouldn’t want it to just look like a typical parking garage,” Thalman added.

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