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Robrecht Park Donation Accepted in Memory of Cole Bertol

Conceptual designs for the Robrecht Riverfront Park call for a kayak and canoe launch, bridges over Wheeling Creek, walking trails, green spaces, a parking lot and more. (Photo Provided)

WHEELING – The long-awaited development of Robrecht Riverfront Park near the mouth of Wheeling Creek is expected to get underway this year, and one local family – with the support of the Wheeling Knights of Columbus – hope that part of the new waterfront development can help honor the memory of a loved one.

During Tuesday night’s meeting of Wheeling City Council, a resolution was unanimously approved authorizing the acceptance of a $20,000 memorial donation in honor of Cole Bertol for assistance with the Robrecht Riverfront Park Project.

Bertol, at only 26 years of age, died unexpectedly in July 2021, and in lieu of flowers, the family requested that memorial contributions be made to the Knights of Columbus Council #504, where his father, Art Bertol, has been an active member for many years.

“We collected about $11,000, and we were waiting for something like this to come about,” Knights of Columbus member Ray Blust said of the memorial donations and the development of the new park.

When it was announced that the city of Wheeling had received a $1.7 million grant from state of West Virginia to help with the Robrecht Park Project, members of the Knights of Columbus thought it would be a great idea to continue raising funds and donate $20,000 toward its development, Blust said, noting that some planned features of the park coincided with Cole Bertol’s passion for the outdoors.

The young man loved to go backpacking, kayaking, whitewater rafting and enjoying various water sports and outdoor adventures with his father, according to his loved ones. Plans for the new Robrecht park along Wheeling Creek and the Ohio River call for development of green space as well as a ramp with river access via a kayak and canoe launch. A new parking lot, walking paths and bridges over the creek are among other features.

A roomful of friends, family and representatives of “The 504” Wheeling Knights of Columbus attended Tuesday’s meeting and erupted in applause when the city accepted their memorial donation toward the park’s development. The group indicated that they hoped to see a waterfront access deemed Cole’s Landing in memory of Bertol.

Chris Freeman of the Knights of Columbus spoke before city council Tuesday night on behalf of the group on hand.

Members of the Wheeling Knights of Columbus Council #504 joined friends and family members of Cole Bertol to pose with Wheeling City Council on Tuesday night. The city accepted a $20,000 donation in memory of Bertol, who died in 2021 at the age of 26. The funds will be used to assist in the development of the Robrecht Riverfront Park Project near the mouth of Wheeling Creek. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

“We lost Cole Bertol at the young age of 26,” Freeman said. “He along with his parents were graduates of Wheeling Park High School. Cole went on to achieve his engineering degree from WVU. Cole and his father loved watersports of all types, especially kayaking.”

Freeman said the Knights of Columbus feel that the development of the new park will be a great enhancement to Wheeling’s downtown area.

“Specifically, there’s a place on the drawings for a boat landing,” Freeman said. “We think this is a perfect match in which to honor Cole in calling that Cole’s Landing. We hope this significant donation can be used to enhance the project and possibly encourage other private-public partnerships.”

The proposed Robrecht Riverfront Park Project has been in the works for a number of years. It is eyed for property south of Wheeling Creek along the river and Heritage Trail. It is situated next to Main Street Bank in Celeron Plaza on a commercial site that once housed the former Robrecht Grocery store.

Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron noted that funding is now in place and said that plans for the park’s development will be ready to move forward very soon.

“It is 95% done with design, and it’s going to be ready to go out to bid in late winter or early spring,” Herron said. “It’s going to be ready to go.”

The estimated cost of the project for construction of the park is almost $1.8 million. The city has already contributed $300,000 in a local match. A planning grant for the project was also received, as was Brownfields remediation funding to clean up the creekside site, in addition to the sizable grant from the West Virginia Department of Transportation.

“There’s also the Brownfields part of it, which is about $300,000, includes monitoring wells, etc. That’s ongoing now. It’s already begun,” Herron said. “All-in, it’s about a $2.1 million project, including environmental remediation.”

Once construction begins on the project, the new park should be completed in about six months, Herron said.

In other action Tuesday night, Wheeling City Councilman Tony Assaro commended city crews for their efforts over the past several days in removing snow from the roadways during the stretch of winter weather.

“I’d like to commend our Operations Department,” Assaro. “They did a wonderful job of keeping the streets clear during this recent snow storm.”

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