WHEELING MAYOR DENNY MAGRUDER

WHEELING — Mayor Denny Magruder will deliver Wheeling’s annual State of the City address on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at Wheeling Park’s White Palace.

Doors will open at 11:30 a.m., and the event will begin at noon. This will be the 16th State of the City address for the city of Wheeling and the second for Magruder since he took his seat as the city’s mayor in the summer of 2024.

In years past, the State of the City has taken place in the Showroom at Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack, but this year, the annual event will be held at the newly renovated White Palace at Wheeling Park.

“We’ve been at Wheeling Island for 10 years, and they’ve done a wonderful job — an absolutely amazing job,” Magruder said this week. “I think, as a team, we just thought it was time to move it to the other end of town. We still wanted to have a facility that was big enough to hold the audience and that provided plenty of free parking.”

The first State of the City was held back in 2010 under then-Mayor Andy McKenzie. Magruder said there will be plenty to talk about during this year’s State of the City.

“It’s going to be an update about what’s going on, and there are a lot of good things going on in Wheeling right now,” he said. “We’re going to celebrate some people, we’re going to celebrate the direction that Wheeling is moving in, and we’re going to talk about our challenges. There are challenges out there, so we’re going to ask the community to help us with some of those and to help us come up with plans and ways to address that.”

As has been tradition with State of the City events in the past, individuals from the community are recognized for their contributions toward Wheeling’s growth. Annual honors such as the Gateway Award and Community Spirit Award have been presented, and other honorees are recognized for their work.

“I think it will be a comprehensive State of the City,” Magruder said. “Hopefully it will set the timeline and the map for the future. I’m really excited about it.”

This year’s State of the City will be a ticketed event, with a $15 admission that includes lunch for those attending in person. The State of the City will be live streamed on the city of Wheeling’s official YouTube channel so anyone interested in hearing the address will be able to do so online from anywhere.

Tickets are on sale now and will be available for purchase through Feb. 6. Tickets will not be sold at the door the day of the event. For information about tickets, visit the city’s website or official Facebook page, or contact the City Clerk’s Office for details.

“It’s going to be a great experience,” the mayor said of the upcoming State of the City. “I’m looking forward to it.”