WHEELING, W.Va. — West Virginia is committing an additional $3.2 million toward the planned Wheeling Gateway Center, providing funding needed to move the major downtown tourism project toward construction.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced the investment Tuesday. The funding is being provided through the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization program.
The Gateway Center is planned for the former Wheeling Inn property near the eastern end of the historic Wheeling Suspension Bridge. The site has already undergone environmental remediation and demolition in preparation for redevelopment. City materials have previously identified the property as the future home of a visitors and heritage center.
The overall project is expected to cost more than $25 million and will include approximately 23,835 square feet of space.
Plans call for a visitor center and heritage museum, retail space, a restaurant, event areas, outdoor plazas and offices for the Wheeling-Ohio County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The development is also designed to improve connections between downtown, the Wheeling Heritage Trail and the Ohio River waterfront.
Officials project the completed center could attract approximately 175,000 visitors annually and support 87 permanent jobs.
Economic projections associated with the project estimate approximately $9.3 million in direct tourism spending each year, along with about $21 million in additional economic activity and approximately $320,000 annually in state and local tax revenue.
The Gateway Center has been developed through a partnership involving state and local agencies and organizations. Previous funding has helped acquire, remediate and prepare the former hotel property, while other grants have supported development of the project. City officials have also pursued additional federal support as part of the broader funding strategy.
Morrisey said tourism development can play a role in creating permanent employment opportunities while helping communities attract additional economic activity.
The Gateway Center is part of a larger effort to redevelop and reconnect Wheeling’s downtown and waterfront areas. The city has also been undertaking major infrastructure improvements downtown, while the nearby Wheeling Suspension Bridge remains one of the area’s most recognizable historic landmarks.
Construction is expected to begin in August, although an official groundbreaking date has not yet been announced.
