Signs alert the public to ongoing construction on the first floor of the City-County Building in Wheeling. (Photo by Joselyn King)

WHEELING – Work is now complete on a $12 million project to make energy upgrades to the City-County Building in Wheeling, and all that’s left to do is to bring in the color and comfort to make it a home for employees.

Official construction ended Feb. 28, according to Melissa Marco, project coordinator for Ohio County. The project has been ongoing for more than three years, with employees and their offices periodically displaced as work took place in their areas.

City offices on the first floor, as well as Wheeling City Council chambers, remain out of use at this time.

“Right now, we’re in the process of painting and putting carpeting down. And so we should have everybody back in probably within a month,” Marco said.

She set forth a time frame for the return to regular offices of City of Wheeling and Ohio County employees presently displaced due to construction.

On the first floor, the Ohio County Health Department should be back in its space next week, and City Council chambers should open up shortly after, she reported. Next, Ohio County tax office employees presently working out of the courthouse annex will be placed in new offices on the second floor that were previously occupied by the County Prosecutor’s Office.

After this, employees in the city’s water and finance offices will be moved back to their regular offices on the first floor.

All of this should take about four weeks, according to Marco.

The Ohio County Building Authority approved the issuance of $12 million in bonds in October 2022 for heating, ventilation and air conditioning replacement throughout the building. Construction gradually has been taking place since that time.