Wheeling Gateway Center
- Client:
- The Wheeling Convention Visitor’s Bureau (CVB)
- Location:
- Historic Suspension Bridge – 949 Main Street, Wheeling, WV
- Year:
- 2023 – Present
- Building Uses:
- State of WV Tourism Visitor’s Center, Wheeling Heritage Attraction, Recreation, Restaurant, CVB Offices
- Status:
- In-Progress
- Budget:
- $25,800,000 for Phase 1
- Size:
- 23,835 SF
- Our Role:
- Community Engagement + Conceptual Development Plan + Capital Stack + Secured / Deployed Brownfield Remediation Funding + Procurement + Public Fundraising + Private Fundraising + Grant Implementation/Compliance + Design,Engineering and Construction Coordination
View Trail Detour Map
What to Know About Trail, Sidewalk, and Parking Impacts Near the Gateway Center Site
Beginning September 24, 2026, the section of the Wheeling Heritage Trail behind the Gateway Center site is closed while crews rebuild the 40-foot hillside between the Suspension Bridge, Main Street, and the riverfront. Sidewalks and parking around the site are also closed. When it’s finished, this phase will deliver new retaining walls, a reconnected stretch of trail, and the community’s top priority for the project: an elevator tower providing an accessible route from the Suspension Bridge and the Gateway Center down to the waterfront. Pedestrians utilizing the Wheeling Heritage Trail should follow the detour route on the map below.
Have a question about construction impacts or the detour route? Send them to the project team.
From Obstruction to Historic View: The Demolition Time-lapse
Project Timeline
The Wheeling Gateway Center project stakeholders are dedicated to transparency throughout all steps of the project process.
Check out the timeline above to see what we’ve done, what we’re doing, and what’s to come!
Have a question? Submit in our contact form and we will populate in our soon-to-be release FAQ.
Completed
-
August 2021
Appalachia Regional Commission Visitors & Heritage Center Feasibility Study Completed -
January 2023
Wheeling Ohio County Convention Visitors Bureau Acquires Former Wheeling Inn -
July 2023
Wheeling National Heritage Area Foundation Funds Tipping Point Contract -
July 2023
Senator Joe Manchin Awards $5MM HUD EDI Grant -
November 2023
Site Technical Diligence, Engineering, and Design Team Selected – Desmone Architects -
February 2024
Governor Jim Justice Announces $2MM AMLER Grant -
March 2024
Site Technical Diligence, Environmental Remediation and Technical Plan Completed -
May 2024
Environmental Remediation and Demolition Contract Awarded to RAZE by City of Wheeling -
June 2024
Mobilization of Crews on Site Begins -
July 2024
Environmental Remediation Officially Begins -
July 2024
Collaboration with WV Department of Tourism to Establish Visitors and Heritage Center Design Concepts -
October 2024
Community-Centered Designs of the Visitors and Heritage Center are Unveiled to the Public -
January 2025
Remediation and Demolition of the Former Wheeling Inn is Officially Completed -
February 2025
TimeLooper Selected for Heritage Experience Design through RFP Process -
February 2025
Desmone Architects Begins Design Development Drawing Package -
March 2025
HUD NEPA & Section 106 Processes Begin -
June 2025
Advancement of Technical Due Diligence On-Site – Environmental & Geotechnical -
June 2025
TimeLooper Holds Community Meeting on Heritage Attraction -
November 2025
50% Construction Drawing Packages Complete -
December 2025
Completion of WV VRP Process -
February 2026
Completion of 100% Construction Drawings -
March 9, 2026
Construction Bid Package Release -
April 16, 2026
Construction Bids Received and Unsealed by Desmone -
April 17 – 20, 2026
Project Funding Partners Review Qualified Bids -
April 22, 2026
Meetings with Three Lowest Qualified Bidders to Certify Bid Scope -
April – August 2026
Construction Contract Negotiations with Stonemile Group -
August 2026
Governor Patrick Morrisey Awards $3.2MM AMLER Grant to Achieve a Fully Enclosed Building -
August 2026
Signed Construction Contract with Stonemile Group
In Progress
-
Construction Mobilization on Site
Why a Visitor’s and Heritage Center?
WV Tourism has a Major Impact
$7B+
Overall WV State Tourism Economic Impact 20222,760+
Tourism Jobs in Ohio County 2022$388MM
In Annual Traveler Spending in Ohio County 2022$5.3 Billion
in direct visitor spending$1.4+ Billion
in food & beverage spending$800 Million
in lodging spending for 1st time ever275%
increase in short-term rental revenue$520 Million Tax Revenue
Directly into state & local governmentsData sourced from the West Virginia Department of Tourism and the 2022 Annual Report. Full report here.
Project News and Updates
Gateway Center Mission
Project Team
Contact Us
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