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Downtown Wheeling has come a long way in the past two decades. Sometimes, though, you have to take a walk to appreciate just how far.
It wasn't all that long ago that downtown, after the work day ended, emptied out. I'll always recall the infamous line about how you could shoot a cannonball down Main Street after 5 p.m. and not hit a soul.
That's not the case today.
I took a stroll through town this past Wednesday evening after work -- the day after local officials broke ground on the new Gateway Center project at 10th and Main streets, the site of the former Wheeling Inn. Wednesday evenings, in general, are never going to be a busy day in a community such as ours, outside of when Waterfront Wednesdays are scheduled or there's another event. But what I saw provided additional proof that we've turned a corner.
Granted, it was a beautiful evening, but people were out. Families at Heritage Port. Couples walking dogs. Waterfront Hall had a nice crowd, as did DiCarlo's, the Vagabond Kitchen, the Bridge Tavern & Grill and River City.
There's no question that the living options downtown have had a big impact. But it's also folks staying downtown after work for dinner or a walk; it's families stopping to sit along the water.
And it was easy to see how, once the Gateway Center project is complete, that's going to add another dimension to downtown's comeback.
The future is taking shape -- today. The $35 million streetscape improvements provided downtown with a fresh, clean look. New and long-standing businesses have responded, combining investment and their own creativity to draw people here.
The scaffolding surrounding the structures in the 1400 block of Market Street, where preparations are underway for a renovation expected to cost $10 million to $15 million, also marks a step ahead. The pending groundbreaking for Barry Allen's new hotel along Water Street will mark a much-needed addition to the growth of our central business district.
And now, we have this new investment at downtown's most important gateway near the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, where ground was already being moved the day after officials tossed the first shovels of dirt for the Wheeling Gateway Center.
After years of discussion about downtown's potential -- or, not that long ago, lack thereof -- there is something magical about seeing its renewal take place. The Gateway Center represents an important step forward in a revitalization that now is beginning to feel connected.
At more than $25 million, the project marks a substantial investment in a significant location. The Suspension Bridge is Wheeling's most important landmark, yet for generations the property beside it has blocked views of the span and, in more recent times, not been the best representation of our city.
A new visitors center that is designed to showcase the bridge, connect people with the waterfront and introduce visitors to Wheeling's place in America's history -- a history, again, we've spent much time discussing over the past few months -- will help to change that experience.
It also can help answer the question Wheeling Convention & Visitors Bureau Executive Director Frank O'Brien raised at the groundbreaking: "Now what?"
The answers are there. The opportunity the Gateway Center provides is to make those answers easier to discover -- where to eat, where to walk, why should I plan another visit. And with some of the features planned at the site, those answers will come in ways many of us are not expecting.
There is still considerable work ahead. The Gateway Center is planned to develop in phases over the next few years, and downtown's larger revival will require sustained commitment.
But, as I walked through town Wednesday evening, the significance of where we're at today compared to what seems like a short time ago was not lost.
The streetscape project. Private investment. Buildings finding new life. An energized community.
These pieces are coming together at the right time.
There's still much work to do. There remain buildings -- the former Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel headquarters, the shuttered McLure Hotel, the longstanding eyesore that is the Rogers Hotel -- for which decisions need to be made. But positive steps are being taken at a time when Wheeling's future, in my opinion, is there for the taking. As noted last week, it's up to us to seize this moment.
I would hope longtime city residents find these development encouraging. It's been easy to be critical of downtown over the past 20-plus years. Now it's time to take a fresh look and see all the positives taking place.
Downtown Wheeling is becoming a destination again. If you haven't spent an evening here recently, do yourself a favor and give it a try. See a show at the Capitol. Listen to live music at The Bridge. Grab dinner. Enjoy this beautiful fall weather we're experiencing.
You'll have a great time.
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I mentioned last week that I would get deeper into the city's move to offer legislation to regulate potential data center developments that fall below the threshold of House Bill 2014, but that will have to wait. Today, I wanted to take a moment and offer congratulations to the soccer players and coaches at Wheeling Park High School (coaches Mario Julian and Tom Smith), Wheeling Central Catholic High School (Brian Komorowski and Bill Konkle) and St. Clairsville High School (Jeff Roberts and Wes Stoner). Both the boys and girls teams at Wheeling Park and Wheeling Central are among the final four teams remaining in their classifications and will travel to Beckley this coming week for the state soccer tournament. St. Clairsville's boys and girls squads both won district titles and now move on to play in Ohio's regional semifinals.
Youth soccer has such a strong history in the greater Wheeling area, going back decades. My good friend Jay Adams was so instrumental with soccer being at this point today, through his early involvement and promotion of the sport locally (and statewide) and then the subsequent growth of WASA over the years. Having six teams from our region still playing at the end of the year is a testament in so many ways not just to those early years but also to those coaches, parents and players that have continued to make youth soccer a priority in our region.
Good luck to all the players and coaches as they continue their march toward a state title. Next week will provide some wonderful memories for those taking part.
John McCabe is editor of The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register. You can hear him from 9-10 a.m. Fridays on AM 1600 WKKX discussing the latest happenings in Wheeling and the Upper Ohio Valley. He can be reached via email at jmccabe@theintelligencer.net.