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Revitalized 11th Street Plaza Offers an Inviting Public Gathering Place

The newly refurbished 11th Street Plaza in downtown Wheeling brings a modern look to the area while weaving in parts of the cityás history. The attractive public plaza features new green spaces and dynamic lighting, and officials said the site will compliment the look that the Wheeling Streetscape Project will bring to the downtown area over the next two years. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

WHEELING — Local community leaders are hopeful that a newly revitalized public space in the heart of downtown Wheeling will serve as a first step toward a fresh new look for the city.

Combining a modern splash that is peppered with elements of the city’s history, the newly renovated 11th Street Plaza was home to a dedication ceremony held by the city of Wheeling and the Wheeling Park Commission on Wednesday morning.

The new green space features flowering trees, shrubs, granite seating, new walkways and dynamic decorative lighting strung above the plaza.

Creation of the rejuvenated public space was made possible through a gift from the late James Hunkler, who bequeathed funds to the Wheeling Park Commission for a new public green space in his hometown.

Hunkler’s gift of $150,000 we complimented by matching funds provided by the previous Wheeling City Council.

The newly revitalized 11th Street Plaza in downtown Wheeling was made possible by a generous gift from the late James Hunkler. A native of Wheeling, Hunkler bequeathed $150,000 for the creation of a green space in his hometown to be enjoyed by many future generations. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

“If you remember, this was a street/sidewalk before,” Elliott said before a small crowd of socially-distanced invitees on Wednesday. ” It looked like a sideway for all intents and purposes, but cars would sometimes bisect it.”

The mayor said he expects this to be the first new example of many collaborations to come between the city and the Wheeling Park Commission.

“Since my time on city council we’ve talked a lot about making the city more walkable, more inviting for people at the ground level, better for retail business, and just having more of a look and feel for our downtown streetscape,” the mayor said. “This to me is a great example of what is possible here.”

The city of Wheeling recently secured $25 million in state funding for its long awaited Streetscape Project, which is scheduled to move forward over the course of the next two years. Main Street improvements are expected to be under construction next year, and Market Street renovations will likely take place in 2022, according to the major.

“Those two main downtown thoroughfares are going to look a lot different than they do now,” Elliott said. “New street surfaces, new sidewalks, new trees, new lighting new signalization — all of the above are going to complement this very much. This is going to be a model project for how we can expand our downtown foot presence to make it more inviting for pedestrians. It’s green space, it’s inviting, the lights are a terrific feature.”

James Hunkler

Adjacent to the recently renovated Market Plaza, the 11th Street Plaza space is nestled amongst buildings that have recently been renovated, including buildings owned by Dean Connors, who was on hand Wednesday during the dedication. Connors has made investments into his downtown buildings, and earlier this month, Wheeling City Council passed a resolution providing for a facade improvement grant application approval in the amount of nearly $7,020 for Connor’s exterior renovations to the 1061 Market St. building.

Pieces of history also have been incorporated into the design of the plaza, the mayor noted.

“I’m glad the turtle is still here,” Elliott said, noting that the recognizable stone turtle statue that has stood in the place for decades remains there today among the many new features. “The turtle was here when I was a kid. I played on that turtle many times. I’m glad we kept that part of our history here.”

Architect Gabe Hays with the Wallace Pancher Group took part in the design, and Savage Construction served as the general contractor.

“We would have like to have saved the dolphin as well, but it was missing a nose, which had a little bit of iron sticking out … which was dangerous,” Hays said, noting that the old stone dolphin statue that had been at the site was removed.

Wheeling Park Commission President and CEO David Lindelow, right, speaks to a crowd gathered downtown Wednesday morning for the dedication of the newly revitalized 11th Street Plaza as Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott listens. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

The new walkways in the plaza are dotted with green spaces that feature granite blocks that have been in Wheeling for more than a century. The blocks were originally part of the B&O Railroad’s platform structure next to the railroad building that once stood near the site of West Virginia Northern Community College, Hays said.

A 16-foot square footprint created near the Main Street entrance to the plaza marks the approximate location of the blockhouse where local Revolutionary War heroine Betty Zane ran to and from Fort Henry, covertly smuggling gun powder ammunition to help soldiers defend the fort against invading British and native forces. The fort was located on a site just north of the plaza on Main Street. Hays said when the city’s Streetscape project is constructed, a complimenting designation of the historic Fort Henry will be created just off of the sidewalk along Main Street where it once stood, and footprints will be inlaid into the pavement on the street tracing Zane’s heroic steps.

“We’re trying to interpret the history of Wheeling through design, and this project is kicking that process off,” Hays said. “There are some really neat aspects in every project that we’re doing in Wheeling, and we’re trying to weave the history into the narrative.”

David Lindelow, president and CEO of the Wheeling Park Commission, said this is the eighth park or green space in the city that the Wheeling Park Commission maintains through its continuing partnership.

“This is really going to inspire a new Wheeling downtown, which is very exciting,” Lindelow said. “Strengthening the Wheeling Park Commission’s partnerships with the city of Wheeling on the 11th Street Plaza has been a great opportunity. Mr. Hunkler’s generosity highlights the importance of green spaces in the planning and revitalization of Wheeling’s downtown and the entire community.”

The newly refurbished 11th Street Plaza in downtown Wheeling brings a modern look to the area while weaving in parts of the cityás history. The attractive public plaza features new green spaces and dynamic lighting, and officials said the site will compliment the look that the Wheeling Streetscape Project will bring to the downtown area over the next two years. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

Lindelow noted that through Hunkler’s financial gift, a permanent endowment has been established to maintain the plaza in perpetuity.

Friends of Hunkler also spoke of his love for Wheeling and dedication to give something back to his home community for generations to come. Hunkler was born and raised in Wheeling, growing up in a house on Wabash Street on Wheeling Island. His father worked for Wheeling Steel and his mother worked as a sales clerk in the old Stone & Thomas building in town. Hunkler later went on to business ventures and success in public relations with Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, but like many others who left for greener pastures, he never lost a love for his hometown of Wheeling.

“One of his parting wishes was to give back to this community,” Elliott said of Hunkler. “I think it says a lot.”

A small crowd of socially-distanced invitees gathered Wednesday morning for a dedication ceremony for the newly revitalized 11th Street Plaza in downtown Wheeling. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

Architect Gabe Hays of the Wallace Pancher Group speaks to a crowd gathered downtown Wednesday morning for the dedication of the newly revitalized 11th Street Plaza as Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott listens. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

Many local residents remember the stone turtle that has graced the 11th Street Plaza for decades in downtown Wheeling. The turtle remains at the newly revitalized site. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

The newly refurbished 11th Street Plaza in downtown Wheeling brings a modern look to the area while weaving in parts of the cityás history. The attractive public plaza features new green spaces and dynamic lighting, and officials said the site will compliment the look that the Wheeling Streetscape Project will bring to the downtown area over the next two years. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott speaks to a crowd gathered downtown Wednesday morning for the dedication of the newly revitalized 11th Street Plaza. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

A stone commemorating the last battle of Fort Henry is displayed at the newly revitalized 11th Street Plaza in downtown Wheeling. The engraving shows the names of the county commissioners at the time, as well as the name of West Virginia Gov. George W. Atkinson, a newspaper man by trade who served as the state's governor from 1897-1901. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

The reverse side of a stone marker, placed around 1900 to commemorate the last battle of Fort Henry, was covered for decades by thick bushes. During the revitalization of the 11th Street Plaza, workers uncovered the engraved "Fort Henry" on the back side that had not been seen for generations. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

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