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Foundation.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey, during a stop here Tuesday, used that word to describe many of the things he said his administration has been doing over the past 18 months -- including providing a $3.2 million grant for the Wheeling Gateway Center and, just recently, state loan guarantees for the JC Lando Hotel on the waterfront.
Foundation. It's an appropriate word for where Wheeling finds itself now, as well.
Anyone who has spoken with me understands that I'm impatient when it comes to this city. I want to see progress. I want vacant buildings filled, new businesses opening and downtown bustling. I want Wheeling to be better tomorrow than it is today. I want Wheeling to capitalize on the current momentum before it ends.
But as much as I might wish otherwise, it can't happen all at once.
Consider where Wheeling is today -- particularly its downtown.
When I first entered this newsroom in the late 1990s, downtown, I quickly realized, was on life support. Buildings were empty -- or soon would be. Businesses were leaving. There were plenty of reasons to wonder what the future held.
Now, look around today. Investments are taking place. Businesses are opening. The public is responding. Downtown no longer feels neglected.
What's even better? Wheeling isn't finished. Far from it.
But to understand where we're at today, you have to understand how we got here. And the foundation of this city's current revitalization has been laid, piece by piece, administration by administration, over more than three decades.
Former Mayor Jack Lipphardt's administration (1992-2000) led the charge to renovate what is now the Wheeling Artisan Center. The Robert C. Byrd Intermodal Transportation Center was completed. The hideous Wharf Parking Garage was demolished to make way for Wheeling Heritage Port. Work also began on Celeron Plaza in Center Wheeling.
Former Mayor Nick Sparachane's administration (2000-08) carried the ball forward, working with partners to redevelop Celeron Plaza, including renovation of the former Wheeling Stamping Building for Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe's global operations center. That era also brought redevelopment of the Wagner Building, the acquisition of the 1100 block of Main and Market streets that ultimately became The Health Plan headquarters, renovation of the former Stone & Thomas building and efforts to save the Capitol Theatre.
Former Mayor Andy McKenzie's administration (2008-16) finalized The Health Plan deal and secured the state's initial promise for the Downtown Streetscape project. His administration also took a gamble on East Wheeling, acquiring and demolishing properties to create the J.B. Chambers Memorial Recreation Park on 16th Street.
Then came eight years under former Mayor Glenn Elliott (2016-24). The JC Lando hotel project got its start. A new police and fire headquarters was built. The city set the stage for demolition of the former Clay School while investing in playgrounds throughout Wheeling. And much more.
Even though some of these projects were just outside of downtown, they've all impacted how we look at the city and its evolution. That's important. Downtown remains Wheeling's heartbeat, but development just across Wheeling Creek, or a few blocks east on 16th Street, matters.
Now comes the Gateway Center.
Tuesday's $3.2 million commitment from the state provides the final piece of the funding puzzle for a project that could transform the most critical entrance to downtown. It will become another piece of that foundation -- a place that welcomes visitors and gives them a starting point for exploring Wheeling and the surrounding region.
But it cannot be the last piece.
The responsibility to keep the 30-plus years of momentum moving forward now falls to Mayor Dennis Magruder and the current council. Their job isn't simply to finish projects started by others. It is to identify what comes next, to lay the groundwork for those that follow.
We should expect -- no, we must demand -- that of them.
We need more private investment. More housing options. An environment that encourages small businesses. More reasons for people to come downtown -- and more reasons for them to stay. We should expect city leaders to capitalize on the streetscape, the hotel, Heritage Port, the Gateway Center and everything that has come before.
Wheeling didn't arrive at this moment of its possible rebirth because of one mayor, one council, one private investor or one $3.2 million state grant. It arrived here because successive city administrations kept adding to the foundation. It arrived here because that commitment led to private investors taking a gamble.
That must continue.
The Gateway Center is the next step in Wheeling's evolution.
The challenge now for Mayor Magruder, members of council and the city administration -- heck, the challenge for all of us -- is making sure it isn't the last.
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On Monday, The Intelligencer -- founded on Aug. 24, 1852 -- marks its 174th anniversary.
Think about that. For nearly two centuries, The Intelligencer has been here to chronicle the life of this community -- to tell the story of our Ohio Valley.
I've been so privileged to serve in a leadership role for about 23 of those 174 years. That represents only a small slice of this newspaper's remarkable history, but it has given me such a deep appreciation of what it means to be entrusted with an institution that has endured for generations. Following in the footsteps of editors such as Archibald Campbell, Tom Briley, Robert DeFrancis, Francis Hollendonner, Robert Kelly, Mike Myer and so many others ... it's a true honor.
Some things have changed -- the way news is created, consumed and delivered has evolved. But what matters most hasn't changed. We still have our team out and about each day, keeping their fingers on the region's pulse. We still weigh in daily on issues of importance to our communities. We remain the gatekeepers of this region's history -- and the architects of its future.
That's important. At a time when it's easy to become disconnected -- when information comes at us from every direction and separating fact from noise can be difficult -- our job is more important than ever. Our goal each day is to give you the information you need to understand your community, make informed decisions and, we hope, make this region a better place to live.
I've been proud to keep that 174-year legacy strong. And as we begin year 175, our entire team remains committed to telling the Ohio Valley's story -- one day, one person and one community at a time.
John McCabe is editor of The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register. He can be reached at jmccabe@theintelligencer.net.