City Officials Discuss Wheeling-Pitt Rehabilitation, Parking Garage
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WHEELING -- The rehabilitation of the former Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Building and a proposed adjacent parking garage are still on the table for Wheeling, city officials confirmed this week.
Mayor Glenn Elliott and Vice Mayor Chad Thalman spoke Monday about the future of the 12-story Market Street building and confirmed the city hopes to use property to its north for a parking garage.
The Ohio Valley Area Development Corp., which is the city's development arm, purchased the nearby Chris Miller Furniture building in September as a "candidate for possible redevelopment," City Manager Robert Herron said.
If the rehabilitation project for the Wheeling-Pitt building develops, then the site would be a possible location for a parking structure, Herron added.
After being asked by a resident at the town hall, Elliott confirmed that Wheeling is considering the Chris Miller building, 1122 Market St., for a parking garage.
"That is absolutely what we've been thinking," he said.
Wheeling previously committed to building the parking garage at the request of Coon Restoration and Sealants, the company that plans to renovate the Wheeling-Pitt building into a 110-unit apartment building.
The garage would accommodate the building's approximate 200 residents, Elliott said.
The developer of the project, Steve Coon, is still finalizing financing for the rehabilitation work, Elliott said.
"I've had many conversations with the developer on that project roughly going back two years," Elliott said. "He's been watching the overall economy, he's been watching the (potential Dilles Bottom) cracker plant and if it's going to happen. He's at the point now where he's looking at financing options and trying to finalize it."
In March, Coon told city officials that he was ready to begin construction on the building during the spring if the city could commit to the parking garage.
Originally, Wheeling planned to build the garage on current parking lots between 1145 Main and Market streets at the cost of $11 million with an additional lease agreement, but began pursuing other properties early this year.
Now, officials are considering properties to the building's north, including the former Chris Miller Furniture and Chase Bank buildings on the 1100 block of Market Street.
"I hate tearing any of those buildings that are there down. The Chris Miller building is beautiful, the Chase building has some nice bones to it," Elliott said. "I hate tearing it down, but if that's the only option we have, I think it's a justifiable sacrifice to lose those buildings to save Wheeling-Pitt. Because we'll never see another Wheeling-Pitt building anytime soon."
Elliott spoke further about the importance of saving the structure, which was built in 1907 as an office for the Schmulbach Brewing Co.
"From my perspective, the Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Building is the one building we have downtown right now that you could not even imagine losing. … I can't imagine losing the Capitol (Theatre), and to me the Wheeling-Pitt is on that level of buildings we just can't lose," Elliott said. "A city of our size would never see that building built in any of our lifetimes again. I think we should do everything we can do to save it, but it has to make sense."
Elliott said having 200 additional residents living downtown would boost the area's economy. He envisions a downtown entertainment district, like "Centre Market on steroids," with local shops, restaurants, a movie theater and a bowling alley.
"The way you do that is you have people living in the upper floors of buildings who spend money and keep that economy going every day," Elliott said. "I think it would be transformative. … It's a game changer for downtown if it happens. It's not going to happen without a parking solution."