WHEELING, W.Va. — The owners of the former McLure House Hotel in Wheeling are facing a deadline to sell the building or risk a $1 million fine tied to building code violations.
Municipal Court Judge Jeffrey Miller held a hearing on the violations and found the defendants guilty.
However, the court suspended the $1 million fine pending the sale of the property. If the building is sold by Aug. 5, the fine will be reduced to $250,000.
The former McLure House Hotel is currently owned by companies connected to Missouri businesswoman Frances “Fran” Garey. Ownership returned to Garey’s firms — FA Management Corp. Inc. and FG Management LLC — following a 2023 foreclosure auction after Wheeling-based Roxby Development defaulted on the property.
Roxby had purchased the historic hotel in 2021 as part of redevelopment plans, but later filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid financial difficulties involving several downtown Wheeling properties. Jeffrey Morris, owner of Roxby Development, was later sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud and tax-related charges tied to his real estate business.
The historic downtown structure has been the focus of ongoing safety and maintenance concerns in recent years. The City of Wheeling condemned the property in 2024 due to mold and sewerage issues.
