Flurry of Recreation Improvement Projects Underway in Wheeling
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WHEELING - Work to improve recreational facilities continues in the city of Wheeling, where a number of projects fueled by significant investments are unfolding this spring.
Last month, members of Wheeling City Council approved an ordinance authorizing City Manager Robert Herron to spend $245,850 with Savage Construction Company of Wheeling for playground improvements at the 36th Street Playground in South Wheeling, the Elm Terrace Playground in Elm Grove and the playground in Clator.
Herron indicated that demolition work at those three playgrounds was about to begin.
"Council awarded those contracts a couple of weeks ago, so that work is progressing," he said. "The play apparatus will be delivered on May 15, with construction to begin very soon thereafter."
The city manager noted that new play structures at these neighborhood playgrounds will be installed for children of different age groups.
"Clator will have a new play apparatus geared toward 2- to 12-year-olds with a new playhouse installation," Herron said. "The 36th Street and Elm Terrace playgrounds will each have new play apparatus geared toward 3- to 12-year-olds."
Additionally, new padded all-weather surfacing will be installed at each playground.
"Poured-in-place, rubberized safety surfaces will be installed at all three locations," he said.
Savage Construction was the sole bidder for the latest playground upgrades in Wheeling. The city in recent years has invested in several playground upgrade projects throughout the city. In fact, these three recent projects are among the last on a lengthy list of playground improvement projects.
The city is using a chunk of its American Rescue Plan Act funding to complete these playground upgrades. No official completion date has been set in stone for the upgrades at the three neighborhood playgrounds, but Herron said the work is expected to be completed by early summer of this year.
Another highly anticipated playground improvement project from the city’s list is currently being completed in South Wheeling. The Pulaski Park Playground is having a padded surface installed as a finishing touch to a project that began last fall. The $260,150 project - also being completed by Savage Construction - is being paid through a combination of ARPA funds and a portion of the city’s Community Development Block Grant funds.
Crews were on hand Monday installing the new padded surface to the renovated playground.
"The Pulaski Playground is nearing completion," Herron said. "It will be completed within the next two weeks. All of the safety material is on site and will be installed. The weather and flooding put a little bit of a damper on that project, but it is slated to be completed in the next two weeks."
Savage Construction is also currently working on another ARPA-funded recreational project in Downtown Wheeling. The Heritage Port Splash Pad project is bringing a new "sprayground" area to the south end of the port near WesBanco Arena. That $348,500 project is expected to be completed by May 31.
In all, the city has committed more than $1 million in ARPA money to improvements to city parks, playgrounds and ball fields, in addition to additional renovation projects utilizing other funding sources.
Another long-awaited improvement project will be coming to Heritage Trail near Tunnel Green, where the pedestrian bridge over the freeway will soon be getting a fresh new paint job.
"The bridge over Route 2 and U.S. 250 near Tunnel Green that city council awarded a bid to paint - the contractor will be mobilizing on May 27 and will begin that project shortly thereafter," Herron said. "I don’t know how long it will take. I think it’s a 30- to 45-day range. There will be some traffic lane restrictions during the time in which the bridge is painted, but that project is slated to begin at the end of May. That company is coming from North Carolina, and that will be ideal weather to paint the bridge."
City officials indicated that the city had to coordinate this effort with the West Virginia Division of Highways since the pedestrian bridge on Heritage Trail passes over this major state traffic artery.
Members of Wheeling City Council awarded a $441,500 contract to Saffo Contractors of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, back in June of last year. Saffo Contractors was by far the low bidder for the work, as other bids by comparison were from Liberty Maintenance Inc. in the amount of $830,834 and from Southern Road and Bridge in the amount of $922,000.
Money from Wheeling’s City Service Fee will be used to complete this bridge painting project.