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In this past week's announcement of the new JC Lando hotel to be built in downtown Wheeling, the spirit of old Wheeling could be felt.
Barry Allen of nonprofit Vol for Life stood before dozens of Wheeling dignitaries and West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey to talk about the new hotel, which is predicted to bring hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in spending and tax revenue to the Friendly City.
In describing why he decided to take on this project, the reason was simple. Allen wants to make Wheeling a better place for everyone.
"This project began as a simple passion -- a desire to give something back to a city that has given so much to me and my family," Allen said. "My mission has always been simple -- to revitalize Wheeling, West Virginia."
Anyone who knows their Wheeling history knows that such motivations have led to some of Wheeling's most wonderful assets.
In 1924, Charles Sonneborn and Louis Haller bought a privately owned amusement park property and said they would sell it to the city if enough funds could be raised. W.E. Stone offered a challenge grant that assured the purchase of what is now Wheeling Park. A few years later, Earl Oglebay deeded his Waddington Farm to the city, and what is now Oglebay Park Resort was born.
Allen and wife Lisa Allen embody that same mindset. This $58.7-million project is an ambitious undertaking. In choosing to spearhead it through both leadership and resources, the Allens are showing the rest of Wheeling that private investment into the city will help it continue to grow.
Wheeling Mayor Denny Magruder said the arrival of this hotel -- which also will include a conference center, retail space, restaurants and more --will be an important addition to the city.
"Their investment is not simply a building," Magruder said. "It's an investment into the future of our community, our economy and all of the people who call Wheeling home. It will bring visitors, support local businesses and restaurants, create jobs and strengthen Wheeling's position as a destination for tourism, business and special events. It's another sign that our downtown continues to build momentum, and that people really believe in Wheeling's future."
Allen stirred the spirits of Wheeling's past another way that day, when he talked about how the family would use the hotel to give back to the community. Some of the hotel's profits, he said, would go toward causes dear to the Allens' hearts, like autism awareness, homelessness and education. He also said that the hotel would put down $100,000 annually to help young entrepreneurs in Wheeling get a firm footing early in their careers, and he challenged at least nine other businesses in the city to do the same. A million dollars a year for that cause, he said, would be very meaningful.
"My entire vision was, you've got to pay back the debt, you've got to make money," Allen said after the announcement. "But after that, let's give it back."
Hopefully, there will be some businesses in Wheeling that will answer that challenge, and some more of that old Wheeling feeling can energize the community. While we shouldn't constantly look back at what was in this city, rekindling aspects like that spirit of philanthropy will do nothing but make Wheeling better.
Regardless, this hotel project is what that Wheeling needs, something that will improve the look of the city's waterfront, offer a new downtown space for lodging and events, create jobs and inject the city with revenue.
Barry Allen's mission to revitalize Wheeling may be simple, but it's important -- and if anyone can pull it off, the Allens can.