Progress in the Panhandle

Community Revitalization

In 2022, Governor Jim Justice approved the bid award of $31.9 million for the Wheeling Streetscape Project. This project, scheduled to be completed by summer 2025, will beautify downtown Wheeling by adding decorative traffic signals, plants and trees as well as brickwork along Main and Market streets and between 10th and 16th streets. ADA-compliant curb cuts and widened sidewalks are also part of the project.

“The streetscape is absolutely transitional for downtown Wheeling and the region. Through his support of this vital project, Governor Jim Justice has created a foundation for future investment and supported our existing business community,” says Josh Jefferson, president and CEO of the Regional Economic Development Partnership (RED). “With significant community support, our businesses have stayed committed during construction to keeping their doors open. This project has created great opportunities for new businesses to see these improvements for the future of our region and say, ‘We want to be part of that future.’”

In recent years, Wheeling and its surrounding cities have seen new businesses arise, such as Form Energy, Newbridge Academy for Kids, Waterfront Hall and Bridge Tavern & Grill.

Form Energy’s Factory 1 in Weirton, WV, is a 550,000-square-foot facility that sits upon a historical 55-acre site, once home to the Weirton Steel Corporation. Factory 1 is Form Energy’s first high-volume battery manufacturing facility.

“The iron air batteries Form Energy is manufacturing in Weirton will help provide energy resiliency and grid security throughout America,” says State Senator Ryan Weld. “I grew up in downtown Weirton, not far at all from the site of Form Factory 1. So, to see this incredible opportunity come to a reality—for this community to once again be manufacturing a product that will put Weirton back on the map—is something all West Virginians can be proud of.”

Newbridge Academy for Kids opened in September 2024, filling a vital need for child care in the Wheeling area. Newbridge Academy has revitalized a marquee 1930s Art Deco building through nearly $8 million in renovations, making it an important part of Wheeling’s downtown
revitalization efforts.

Waterfront Hall opened in 2023 and is a bar, food hall, live music venue and large private event hall. The building that houses Waterfront Hall was constructed in 1873 and was formerly known as the Berry Supply Building. The structure was reimagined and renovated and now serves as one of Wheeling’s most popular food and entertainment venues.

Bridge Tavern & Grill re-opened in 2023 following extensive renovations. This iconic restaurant and bar with a history spanning more than 60 years features an extensive food and drink menu, entertainment and an event room available for rental.

Health Care Expansion

“WVU Medicine has an overarching goal of providing quality care close to home,” says Phillip Carl, director of communications and marketing for Wheeling and Reynolds Memorial hospitals. “Having localized branches of WVU Medicine institutes allows our local communities to have access to high-quality care without having to drive hours to receive it. A cancer patient in Marshall County, for example, can stay local for their treatment, or a patient requiring a knee replacement in Wheeling doesn’t have to travel far for follow-up appointments or physical therapy. We can provide tremendous care while alleviating the stress and burden of travel.”

One way that WVU Medicine is achieving this localization in the Northern Panhandle is through the creation of WVU Medicine Children’s Northern Region Outpatient Center.

“Located across from Wheeling Hospital, this center will have street-level access and its own parking,” says Jessica Rine, associate vice president of foundation and community relations for Wheeling and Reynolds Memorial hospitals. “It will also provide separate well and sick entrances to avoid spreading contamination; specialty clinics, such as nutrition and behavior health; and an after-hours pediatric clinic where sick and injured kids can be seen by our caring pediatricians.”

The after-hours clinic will also be beneficial for well visits as parents don’t always have the availability to leave work to take their children to appointments.

“These well visits are important because they are where a lot of the issues that kids are facing can hopefully be caught before they progress,” Rine says.

While these additions to health care in the Northern Panhandle are exciting, Rine recognizes that none of this could happen without the work of the Medical Park Foundation and its community partners.

“Because we’re a nonprofit hospital, the small margin we make goes toward recruiting top doctors to this area so people don’t have to travel out of the area to receive specialty care,” says Rine. “It also goes toward making sure our equipment is state-of-the-art so we can provide the best care possible to our patients.”

WVU Medicine is also bringing a regional cancer center to the Northern Panhandle. This approximately $100 million project is still in its early stages, but the estimate of its completion is 2028.

“The construction of the state-of-the-art regional cancer center is going to be transformational,” says Robert Herron, city manager for the City of Wheeling. “Not only will it change the delivery of cancer care in our region, but it will also change the economic landscape of the Centre Market area, downtown Wheeling and the city as a whole. Health care represents a significant part of the economy and is essential to the success of a community. Development around the health care industry represents an opportunity for research, collaboration and urban redevelopment. I am grateful for the vision of WVU Medicine’s leadership along with their commitment to the well-being of our citizens.”

Tourism

The land that once was home to the Wheeling Inn will now be the site of the Wheeling Gateway Visitor’s & Heritage Center. This new center merges the historical significance of its location with new experiences for those visiting Wheeling for the first time. It’s important to Wheeling residents that the new visitor’s center provides access to the Wheeling Heritage Trail and Ohio River as well as offering a stunning view of the Wheeling Suspension Bridge.

Olivia Litman, marketing director for Wheeling Convention & Visitors Bureau, says this center is a product of what community partnerships can accomplish. Local project stakeholders are Wheeling Convention & Visitors Bureau, WV; RED; Ohio County Commission; City of Wheeling; and Wheeling Heritage. Senator Joe Manchin, Senator Shelley Moore Capito and West Virginia Tourism are supporters of this project. Jim Ambrose, president of Tipping Point, is the project manager and Desmone Architects is providing the design of the center.

“Downtown Wheeling is a true renaissance,” says Litman. “It is transforming before our very eyes, and it is very exciting to be a witness to this part of our history.”

Herb Faulkenberry, vice president of sales and marketing at Oglebay, describes the current renovations to the resort as an example of how Wheeling is progressing.

“There is a buzz occurring throughout the city and county about the opportunity for growth and expansion,” he says. “The streetscape project concluding is a huge kudo because it’s been a work in progress for as long as I can remember. Now you’re seeing the results, and the people are the focus of this development of the downtown area that brings energy back.”

Faulkenberry shares that the locals in Wheeling are supportive of the renovations Oglebay recently completed on things like its restaurants and common areas.

“This is not something you see every day with a resort or park,” he says. “The local community has always heavily supported Oglebay, and we cannot underestimate how important that is.”

As 2024 comes to an end, Oglebay plans to start the renovation of its lakeside wing. Fifty-four rooms will be completely renovated to match the new, fresh look of the resort’s brand.

“With all these enhancements and the media coverage they have garnered, we’re seeing business from Ohio we’ve never had before, and we’re increasing business from Pennsylvania that we’ve never had before,” Faulkenberry says. “It has always been a challenge getting business from the southern part of the state to Oglebay. Now, however, we are seeing more of this as well as people becoming more aware of Oglebay as a regional destination as opposed to just a West Virginia park.”

Economic and Workforce Development

WesBanco recently announced a definitive agreement to merge Premier Bank into WesBanco.

“The proposed acquisition of Premier Financial is a transformative milestone in WesBanco’s continued evolution,” says Dave Klick, Upper Ohio Valley market president. “We’re bringing together two high-caliber institutions to create a community-focused, regional financial service partner with more than $27 billion in assets and operations in nine states.”

WesBanco is headquartered in Wheeling, which will continue to be the case for the new combined organization. Throughout its 154-year existence, WesBanco has expanded into Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Kentucky. The bank also expanded to Maryland, which introduced it to the Washington, D.C., metro area. In 2023, WesBanco opened loan production offices in Tennessee and northern Virginia.

“Through the proposed acquisition, we expect to increase our market share, expand our presence in Indiana and establish our presence in Michigan,” says Klick.

Jan Pattishall-Krupinski, executive vice president and director of operations, says WesBanco is looking to do its legal close around the turn of the year. Three to six months after that close, the organizations will be integrated.

“Our philosophy to acquisitions is important to understand,” says Pattishall-Krupinski. “We lead with culture. We look for organizations that have a matching culture and fit with WesBanco. Then, we look at complementary
products and services as well as geographical footprints. This is a really exciting proposed acquisition.”

Generation West Virginia (GWV) understands the importance of retaining young talent in the Mountain State in order to sustain its future workforce. In January, the organization is launching a data analytics program.

“We have learned that a lot of the companies we work with, including higher education, health care and banks, need more support in data analytics,” says Alex Weld, executive director of GWV. “This is a growing field in West Virginia, but training is not readily available. So, we’ll be providing a new free training program that will launch soon under our NewForce umbrella, which will be a four-month training starting in January.”

Weld says GWV will be taking applications for its annual fellowship program in December. The GWV Fellowship is a leadership development training program for young professionals, with five sessions throughout the state and four virtual sessions.

“We work with companies across the state who want to support their young team members with this professional development opportunity,” Weld says. “They not only gain confidence in their professional skills, but they also become better equipped to be leaders in their companies and communities.”
GWV has also expanded its job placement support with the addition of the Career Connector, which supports smaller companies that do not have a lot of human resources strength by helping them find high-quality candidates to fill those roles.

Williams Lea, a business process outsourcing facility that provides administrative, creative, financial and accounting support services, will be announcing a significant renovation of its downtown Wheeling office. Jefferson highlights the importance of this development, noting that the company employs 500 people in downtown Wheeling, which is significant for the community and West Virginia as a whole.

These projects are just some of the many ongoing efforts and developments in the Northern Panhandle signifying a new era of growth and vitality.