Historic District Demolition Contract Up for First Reading Tonight
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WHEELING - Members of Wheeling City Council are expected to hear a first reading tonight on legislation to demolish several structures in the Downtown Historic District to clear space for a new hotel complex near the waterfront.
Tonight’s meeting, which is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. in city council chambers, will be the first regular meeting that Wheeling City Council has held in three weeks. City leaders attended the West Virginia Municipal League Conference last week in Charleston, prompting them to reschedule their first August meeting for one week.
Among new pieces of legislation set to be introduced tonight is an ordinance authorizing the expenditure of $628,290 with Reclaim Company LLC of Fairmont, W.Va., for abatement and demolition of buildings for the 14th Street development project. Spearheaded by Vol for Life, the $58.7 million waterfront development project is fully funded and ready to bring a new complex to be known as the JC Lando to the property across 14th Street from WesBanco Arena.
The project will feature a new hotel and spaces for a restaurant, rooftop lounge, retail space, event center, residential living units and more.
There has been some public push back on the project because it requires the demolition of contributing structures to the historic district, including some that date back to the mid-1800s. The former Wheeling Coffee and Spice building predates the state itself, and its exterior columns are embossed with the date of 1858 with the location of "Wheeling, Virginia."
Officials have pledged to allow historic elements of the buildings to be salvaged before demolition takes place. Last week, the Wheeling Historic Landmarks Commission reviewed the proposal to demolish the buildings in the historic district and voted in support of a recommendation to approve the application to raze the structures.
Reclaim Company LLC was the low bidder by far for the work. By comparison, Total Wrecking and Environmental LLC bid $974,228, Land Clearing Specialists bid $944,456, Raze International bid $1,228,071 and Advance Buildings Inc. bid $978,250 for the job.
The city is handling the demolition contract for the project, which itself is a private development. Cost of the asbestos abatement and demolition work will be paid through a West Virginia Economic Enhancement grant.
Buildings set for the wrecking ball include those at 1, 9, 13 and 15-14th St., along with 1319 and 1323 Main St. Demolition is expected to be completed by the end of the year, and construction of the new JC Lando waterfront complex is targeted to begin next spring, with a tentative completion date around 18 to 24 months afterwards.
In other action tonight, a public hearing will be held at the beginning of the meeting regarding a public nuisance complaint for 11 Florida St. City officials have said that the property has code enforcement issues, but the overlying problem centers around a large number of dogs at this location that the owner is struggling to take care of, according to the city administration.
Also tonight, council is slated to hear a first reading on an ordinance fixing the assessments for costs of razing dilapidated structures at 4524 Jacob St. at $9,800 and 221 S. Wabash St. at $14,400.
Another new ordinance up for a first reading tonight will be to authorize conveyance of certain real property located at 314 S. York St. to the Ohio Valley ADC for a redevelopment proposal from Carnetta Webb, as recommended by the Development Committee of Council following an executive session to discuss the plan for economic enhancement at the property.
Prior to the regular council meeting tonight, members of the Development Committee are scheduled to meet in another executive session to discuss property acquisition.