West Liberty University’s Downtown Center Moving to New Location
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WHEELING -- West Liberty University is relocating its Downtown Center this week in the hopes of putting the new space to good use.
The university will begin moving the center, home to the WLU Foundation and other initiatives, from 1100 Main St. to 1310 Market St. starting today.
"This new space offers a more dynamic space that works well with all we do and it continues our support of the ongoing revitalization evident in downtown Wheeling," WLU President Stephen Greiner said in a press release.
The center, which opened in January 2018, houses the foundation's offices, West Liberty's broadcasting platform Topper Station and other community outreach efforts, school spokeswoman Maureen Zambito said. It also acts as an off-campus site for prospective students and transfer students to visit and pick up enrollment information.
The new building on Market Street offers several advantages, including more space, adaptable rooms and parking spaces, Zambito said.
"Our new location is much larger and is a more appropriate space for all we do," said Angie Zambito Hill, executive director of the WLU Foundation. "For example, we'll have our own boardroom for foundation meetings and other amenities like a kitchenette. We will also have additional space to allow Topper Station its own studio. It's also a better space for community events that we are planning."
The new space will also allow the university to renew its entrepreneurship efforts at the Small Business Center at the downtown location, Zambito said. The center is designed to offer resources to business start-ups.
The Downtown Center previously operated on the first floor of the Regional Economic Development Building on Main Street, and Hill thanked RED for its support.
"We have enjoyed being a tenant in the RED Building and we are grateful to the Regional Economic Development partnership for working with us over the past few years," Hill added.
The center's new location at 1310 Market St. also houses the accounting firm Perry and Associates on the third floor. The more than 100-year-old building previously was home to the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley, the Wheeling Chamber of Commerce and Crones men's clothing store.
Relatedly, the Community Foundation will hold an open house today from 4-6 p.m. at its new location, 1226 Chapline St., former home of Bachmann Hess and Garden. The foundation announced in December that it purchased the building after renting various office spaces downtown.
Members of West Liberty's wrestling team will help out with today's move, Zambito said, and the university plans to add new signage to the Downtown Center building soon.
In addition to WLU's Downtown Center and 290-acre main campus, the university also has a satellite campus located at The Highlands retail park. The Downtown Center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and can be reached at 304-336-5635.