Demolition crews knock down a building on Jacob Street in South Wheeling in 2023. During their meeting tonight, Wheeling City Council is expected to approve a contract to raze a dozen more dilapidated structures. (File Photo)

WHEELING — Officials in the city of Wheeling are set to continue an aggressive demolition program this year, with several dilapidated properties in the city slated to be razed as part of a new contract.

Members of Wheeling City Council are scheduled to gather for their first meeting of 2025 today at 5:30 p.m. at the City-County Building on Chapline Street downtown. Among legislation before council this evening, an ordinance authorizing the expenditure of $138,100 with Aster Oilfield Services of Bellaire for abatement and demolition of several properties is up for a vote during the meeting.

City leaders in recent years have taken efforts to remove several dilapidated structures in Wheeling that have gone through the process in which private property owners are given an opportunity to raze or repair neglected structures. Many of those dilapidated structures eventually are demolished and removed by the city, and liens are placed on the properties.

Officials in Wheeling have used a variety of funding sources to tackle these properties, which are usually addressed under demolition contracts that include a dozen or more different structures for each project. The contract cost with this pending ordinance scheduled to be passed tonight is set to be charged to the city’s general fund budget and reimbursed by funds from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s DLAP (Dilapidated Properties Program) grant.

Properties set for demolition on this contract include 442 Main St., 324 Warwood Ave., 86 Virginia St., 76 Maryland St., 13 Florida St., 3919 Wood St., 136 Arthur St., 4028 Jacob St., 3637 Jacob St., 3318 Eoff St., 2718 Eoff St. and 45 View St.

Aster Oilfield Services, which has performed a number of recent demolition projects for the city of Wheeling, was the low bidder for this latest round. By comparison, Edgco Inc. submitted a bid of $148,350 for the job, Reclaim Co. bid $209,800 and Raze International submitted a bid of $185,093 for the work.

In other action during tonight’s meeting, council is expected to authorize the expenditure of $418,000 with Verdantas of Wheeling for engineering services for the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant and road slip damages related to flooding events that occurred in April 2024. The cost of this project is to be charged to the Wheeling Water Pollution Control Division and regular Restricted Capital Improvement Project fund and is expected to be reimbursed by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency.

A renewal agreement with Century Realty LLC is expected to be approved tonight for leasing services related to ground-level retail space that is available in the new Market Street Parking Garage. Now that the new six-deck parking structure is open and adjacent sidewalks have been installed as part of the state’s ongoing Downtown Streetscape Project, the city is expected to move forward with its plan to seek tenants for the street-level space.

Also this evening, new legislation for equipment purchases is expected to be introduced. Ordinances up for first readings tonight include one authorizing a $95,331 purchase from Atlantic Emergency Solutions for rescue equipment and a $94,999 purchase from Fire Force Inc. for self-contained breathing apparatus equipment. Both purchases are for Wheeling Fire Department Station 2 and are to be charged to the city’s amended Community Development Block Grant fund program.

Council is also scheduled to hear a first reading of an ordinance authorizing the purchase of a Takeuchi excavator from Contractors Connection LLC of Washington, Pennsylvania for $75,254 using the city’s sales tax RCIP fund. By comparison, Southeastern Equipment bid $84,220 and ICR Equipment Solutions bid $76,800 for the excavator.