Wheeling Gateway Center Project Update: The Complete Demolition Progress Recap

The remediation and demolition of the former Wheeling Inn marked the first major chapter of the Wheeling Gateway Center project. From the first bucket of the northwest wall in early October 2024 to a fully graded and demobilized site in January 2025, Raze Construction and the project team worked through phasing changes, traffic and pedestrian rerouting, an on-site crushing operation, and West Virginia winter weather to clear the way for a new landmark on Wheeling’s riverfront.

Below is a week-by-week record of how the site came down, compiled from the project updates published throughout the demolition phase.

Raze Construction officially began demolition on Wednesday, October 9, starting on the northwest side of the building. By the end of the first week, roughly 20% of the structure had been removed.

The demolition team strategically used the debris itself to create a stable pad for positioning heavy machinery deeper into the site. That approach let crews extend their reach and operate with greater precision as they worked through the structure.

The next milestone was one of the most complex of the entire phase: taking down the section of the building closest to the bridge pier and the iconic tower at 10th Street. The proximity of those structures required careful planning and coordination to keep the work safe and efficient. Once that section was clear, the team planned to shift focus eastward toward Main Street — a progression that would mark a significant step forward in the overall redevelopment and produce visible landscape changes for the community to watch.

Heading into the second full week of demolition, Raze crews had removed 40% of the building, including most of the structure that had been obstructing the view of the Historic Suspension Bridge.

With that progress came a slight adjustment to the phasing plan. The original sequence called for working toward Main Street once the riverside-most portion was down. Instead, the team elected to continue demolition from north to south in sections — the same approach used during the first week and a half. Crews had observed that this method allowed for easier handling of materials and helped limit the size of the debris field.

Demolition remained on schedule with approximately 60% of the building down. The Raze crew earned particular credit for closely monitoring how the building’s overall structure responded as each section was crushed.

Because debris was being reliably contained within the site boundaries — especially around the previously removed portion near the bridge and the hillside above the Wheeling Heritage Trail — Raze determined that demolition would be safer and potentially faster if crews began to “crunch down” the multi-story section along Main Street.

That shift came with public-access impacts worth noting:

The goal for the end of the week was to leave only the “middle section” of the original structure standing. The takedown of that section was carefully planned to keep all debris contained within the site and clear of the bridge’s suspension cables, which are anchored into 10th Street.

Demolition entered its final stages with 90% of the structure removed. Crews worked through the rubble, separating materials like concrete, brick, and steel for processing and reuse as infill.

The exposed debris told the story of the building that had stood there: the heavy concrete and rebar of the Wheeling Inn reflected its mid-century design. In its place, the Gateway Center is planned as a modern structure incorporating glass, steel, and brick to echo the city’s industrial and architectural history. The design will complement the surrounding area, stepping back to preserve views of the historic Wheeling Suspension Bridge — a development that balances contemporary design with respect for Wheeling’s historical character and connects the city’s past with its future.

Wrapping up the sixth week of demolition brought a major milestone: the Wheeling Inn had been fully demolished, leaving behind only large piles of debris.

Significant work remained in sorting and processing that rubble — and the plan for it changed. Earlier updates had described transporting debris off-site for processing. After careful evaluation, project stakeholders instead approved bringing a crusher to the site. The decision reduced traffic disruptions and improved pedestrian safety, at the cost of a slight increase in noise for surrounding neighbors between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Proper dust and noise mitigation measures were put in place throughout the process.

Crushing was scheduled to begin shortly after Thanksgiving and to conclude before Christmas.

The final phase of the demolition process officially began with the arrival of the crusher on-site. Concrete debris from the demolition was now being processed on-site rather than hauled away — a crucial step that moved Raze and the Wheeling community closer to completing the remediation and demolition of the former Wheeling Inn ahead of the 2025 target. Updates on the full reopening of the Heritage Trail during working hours were expected in the weeks ahead.

The project team also shared news from the next phase: procurement of design firms for the future Heritage Experience within the Gateway development had begun. Innovative exhibit design firms from around the country showed significant interest in bidding, each bringing their own interpretation of the stakeholders’ vision — a unique experiential exhibit that welcomes visitors and residents alike into exploring the region’s rich local history and businesses.

Week 9 was a special one for the crew, the project team, and the community, as a completely unobstructed view of the Historic Suspension Bridge was revealed.

Before Raze began infilling the old foundation, the project team paused to take in a rare perspective on the Ohio Valley. From that vantage point, the bridge loomed large in the foreground — an impressive view that hadn’t been appreciated in decades.

The moment was short-lived. Crews turned their attention to preparing the former Wheeling Inn’s slab-on-grade foundation, creating drainage penetrations to ensure proper moisture flow. The infill would be compacted in multiple layers to meet specifications set by the architects, engineers, and environmental consultants. Over the following week, passersby watched the debris piles steadily diminish as Raze pushed through cold weather, rain, and snow to complete the foundation infill.

Substantial progress was made on infilling the old foundation. Crews crushed, spread, and compacted enough material to produce four one-foot lifts, all of which were tested and approved. The infill was on track to soon align with the surrounding landscape.

Per the specifications in the drawings, once the infill was complete the grade would be sloped away from the streets to ensure proper drainage — keeping water away from sidewalks, streets, and buildings. Crews planned to continue early the following week, staying focused on meeting the goals set ahead of the holiday break and finishing the task before the new year.

The Wheeling Gateway Center approached a major milestone, with the remediation and demolition phase expected to wrap up within the following week. Winter weather temporarily closed the site that morning, but Raze remained committed to completing site grading to the specified requirements, with any remaining debris hauled off-site during the final stretch.

Once grading was complete, the focus would shift to finalizing the punch list and demobilizing equipment. For the most part, the site would appear finished to passersby — a significant step forward for the project.

That cleared and properly graded site was the prerequisite for the next phase: it enabled the engineers and architects to proceed with detailed design and construction drawings, which in turn would serve as the basis for procuring contractors for building construction.

The remediation and demolition scope at the Gateway Project is complete. The site has been fully graded, and demobilization is underway. Minor punch list items may be addressed in the following days, and the contract closeout process for this phase is in progress.

Looking ahead, the next phase of the project begins soon, with engineers and architects starting development of the construction drawings. We’re excited to continue moving forward and will provide further updates as the project progresses.