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WHEELING - As the city of Wheeling’s pool of remaining pandemic relief funds is getting shallow, members of city council are urging their colleagues to consider using a chunk of it to address outstanding needs of the Nelson Jordan Center.
The only city-operated indoor recreational facility in Wheeling, the Nelson Jordan Center has been a central part of the East Wheeling neighborhood for decades. However, the 72-year-old facility is outdated - lacking air conditioning and having a deteriorating facade, poor lighting and antiquated accommodations. The building is in need of major upgrades to the point that city leaders in recent years have discussed the possibility of replacing the building with a brand new facility instead of investing in several upgrades to the existing structure.
During Wheeling City Council’s final meeting of 2022, it was announced that the city’s pool of available American Rescue Plan Act funding had diminished to an amount under $5 million. The original ARPA allocation to the city was around $29.5 million, and this year, city leaders have been distributing the funds to various projects and programs throughout the city. The ARPA funds are required to be "obligated" by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Treasury’s final rule on how these pandemic relief funds can be used.
Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron said there was less than $3 million available for direct ARPA-eligible projects and less than $2 million in the city’s Lost Revenue Fund - a portion of the original relief allocation that is set aside and can be spent with fewer eligibility restrictions.
"We’re kind of rapidly dwindling down to the bottom of the rest of those funds," Councilman Ben Seidler said, noting that earlier this year before any ARPA money was spent, many city leaders had voiced support for the idea of using these funds to help with a new chapter for the aging recreational landmark in East Wheeling. "One of the topics that we’ve talked about a number of times in the last few years is the Nelson Jordan Center. I think it’s very important that we take into consideration our options for the Nelson Jordan Center when we look at the remainder of our ARPA funds."
While building a new, state-of-the-art facility to replace the Nelson Jordan Center could have an impact for the city at large, many have noted that the current facility tucked into the hillside of East Wheeling is part of the local history of the neighborhood and has a cultural significance to the residents of the area - particularly members of local families who have used the facility for generations.
"I realize it’s a subject with a lot of opinions on the matter, but I think that we need to take a really hard look at putting a brand new Nelson Jordan Center at the site of the Clay School, or at least have this conversation," Seidler said. "I don’t want to see the rest of that ARPA money go away before we talk about that. So I recommend that we have those conversations sooner rather than later."
The proposal to build a new Nelson Jordan Center at the site of the former Clay School had been gaining traction in the spring. The city of Wheeling assumed ownership of the hulking former school building along 15th Street in East Wheeling, and city leaders have indicated that the building is not salvageable and will likely be razed. The vacant Clay School sits directly across the street from the relatively new $3.3 million J.B. Chambers Memorial Recreation Park. The outdoor sports complex was dedicated in 2015 and boasts fields for soccer, lacrosse, football, baseball, softball and more. Adjacent to the park is the Elks Playground, another newer addition to the East Wheeling neighborhood.
The sports complex replaced 32 properties on that block, many of which were dilapidated.
Many city leaders had publicly stated that they would support action to build a new indoor recreation center at the site of the Clay School once it is demolished, making yet another major improvement to the East Wheeling area. A new indoor recreation center would compliment the outdoor facility perfectly, officials indicated, and the entire site is not far from the location on 17th Street where the new $9 million Wheeling Fire Department Headquarters is currently being constructed.
Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum, who represents the East Wheeling neighborhood of Ward 3, concurred with Seidler’s sentiments about the ARPA fund investment into the Nelson Jordan Center.
"I couldn’t agree more," Ketchum said. "We absolutely need a concerted effort to address the problems at the current Nelson Jordan Center. The Clay School - I think we all, as members of council and the city administration, realize the incredible effort there - and as I think we understand the importance of the cultural impact of that (Nelson Jordan Center) building."