Developers Share Hopes for Market Street Buildings
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WHEELING -- An Arizona couple is hoping to make Wheeling -- specifically, a row of vacant buildings on Market Street -- their new home.
Business owners Ryan and Nikki Stoker plan to move to the Friendly City and rehabilitate four city-owned buildings on the 1400 block of Market Street of Wheeling if the city accepts their proposal for the project.
The Stokers aim to purchase the buildings, 1425 to 1437 Market St., from the city for a nominal fee, such as $1. They would spend $500,000 to $600,000 of their own money for the initial phases of the project, Ryan said.
The couple, based in Tuscon with children aged three and five, sought a change of pace and searched across the country for buildings to develop and a community to move to.
"We love the idea of a small town for them growing up, and we wanted a downtown brick building," Ryan said.
After visiting towns from Idaho to Pennsylvania, the couple eventually stopped in Wheeling and were put in touch with Wheeling Heritage. The organization, through historic preservation manager Betsy Sweeny, worked to determine how feasible it would be to rehabilitate the Market Street buildings.
Sweeny concluded that the buildings, despite being in poor condition, are structurally sound enough to conduct repairs largely due to the quality of timber and strength of masonry used when they were built in the late 19th century.
Now, the Stokers are forming plans to develop the lower floors of the buildings into retail space and the upper floors into apartments. They also plan to move into the first apartment that they develop on Market Street.
The buildings require a number of repairs, such as major structural work and roof replacements. Ryan said he first plans to replace wall studs with galvanized steel in 1429 Market Street, which has seen major water saturation, and improve the buildings' facades.
"I have a background in remodeling," said Ryan, who now owns a furniture business. "I worked in construction companies forever, starting as a 17-year-old welding on commercial buildings."
On Tuesday, the developers spoke with Wheeling City Council in an executive session Development Committee meeting. At council's request, the two will next work to specify the finances of the project before presenting their plans again, Ryan said.
The city purchased the four buildings for a total of $295,000 in 2015 and 2016. The only active business on the site is Market Street News, an adult book store at 1437 Market St., which pays rent to the city.
The two also would open their current businesses at the site once renovations are complete. Ryan runs a business where he builds, imports and restores furniture that he ships around the country. Nikki, meanwhile, runs an aesthetic medicine practice and would open a "med spa" on the premises.
The buildings were built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and feature a wide variety of architectural styles, such as Flemish Revival and Italianate facades, that were appealing to the developers, Sweeny said.
"They are some of the most architecturally striking buildings in Wheeling," she said.
Beyond the potential purchase from the city, Sweeny said several financial incentives will be available for the two developers to use, such as state historic tax credits, state development grants and the city's facade improvement grant program.
Ryan added that he understands people have varying opinions on how to approach downtown buildings in Wheeling, but he hopes his plan will come to fruition.
"A lot of people want to see buildings rehabilitated, some people want to not touch the history, keep it authentic and make it work," he said. "I can understand people who want to start new and people who want to see it come down. Everyone has a point and an opinion and there's validity to all of them. I'm just hoping we can change their minds and agree with how we can attack the project."