Story and Video: Ground Broken On Wheeling Gateway Center
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Frank O’Brien, executive director of the Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau stood in the shadow of the Wheeling Suspension Bridge on Tuesday morning, on land that will soon become the new Wheeling Gateway Center. He mentioned that, since 1849, many travelers have stood by that bridge, the original “Gateway to the West.”
“And they’ve asked the same quiet question that every visitor asks when they first arrive … ‘Now what?’
“Today,” he continued, “we’re going to answer that question.”
The answer will come in the form of the new Gateway Center, a more than $25 million project that, in O’Brien’s eyes, will give downtown Wheeling the front entrance it has deserved for a long time.
Dozens of elected officials and community leaders, including U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., were on hand for the groundbreaking of the facility, which will serve as a visitors center, a Wheeling heritage experience and a site that will accentuate the beauty of the Suspension Bridge and the Ohio River.
That, O’Brien said, is a critical aspect of the Gateway Center — that it will give visitors the best look at the Suspension Bridge from Wheeling’s Main Street that is has enjoyed in decades. The 23,173-square-foot center will be set back from the bridge and its design will be oriented in a way to maximize the views of the bridge from Main Street, inside the building and all exterior spaces.
The first phase will create a new connection between the bridge, Heritage Trail and the waterfront. It will include an elevator tower that will bring users 40 feet down from the elevation of the Suspension Bridge. It also will focus on hillside and site stabilization. Future phases will complete the building’s interior infrastructure, finish the interior spaces for the CVB’s new offices, add a restaurant and bar and a new visitor and heritage prototype.
When finished — the first phase of construction is expected to last 16 months — the Gateway Center will be a place for travelers to stop, be welcomed, learn a little about the city and then head out into Wheeling to enjoy the sights, sounds and shops.
“That’s how tourism works when it’s done well,” O’Brien said. “Visitors will arrive, they’ll learn, they’ll explore, they’ll experience, they’ll spend, and they’ll return. Arrive, learn, explore, experience, spend and return is not just a slogan. It’s the heartbeat of this project.”
The project has many partners, including local and state government. More than $9.6 million of the funding for the project has come through AMLER grants through the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. State DEP Secretary Harold Ward said this project is an important one for both the region and the state. He remembered coming to the site when it was under application for the grants, and the former Wheeling Inn was still standing there.
“Police had to go in and vacate the building before people could go in and look at asbestos remediation for the site,” he said. “It was a true blight on the community. … But now we’ll be looking at a new Gateway Center with a visitor center and heritage museum, event space, a restaurant and outdoor plazas that will be overlooking the magnificent Ohio River.”
Capito, a Moundsville native, remembered when her parents would take the family into Wheeling to visit and shop. She loved the opportunity to come to the Friendly City and said the new Gateway Center will be an enticing site for visitors to enjoy.
“They’re not just going to drive through,” Capito said. “They’re going to stop and learn about the community. And when they see a beautiful building that represents the history here, they can stroll along the bridge and see the beautiful Ohio river. I just think it gives Wheeling an opportunity to shine.
“Wheeling has had many times in the past when it has been a shining part of our state,” she said. “You want to share that with people and you want to give them a reason to stay. That’s what I’m most excited about. West Virginians are friendly people and Wheeling people are friendly. This is going to be a real boost, probably bigger than what’s been predicted.”