Published on January 08, 2021
The tallest building in the City that once housed Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel’s headquarters will no longer sit empty as it will be undergoing a renovation and restoration process that will convert it from offices to 128 market rate apartments.
Steve Coon, founder and president of Coon Restoration and Sealants in Louisville, Ohio, said the building, located at 1134 Market St., will consist of one and two bedroom units that will be complete with granite countertops and some amazing views of Wheeling and surrounding areas. The lower level of the historic structure, which was constructed in the early 1900s, will house some commercial space.
“While some preliminary work has been done, we plan on starting the project in early February and it will take about 14 or 15 months to complete,” he said. “At one time, this was the tallest building in the state of West Virginia and we are bringing it back to life.”
Coon noted the demand for high-end, downtown living accommodations and credited city officials for making this project possible.
“The public-private partnership made this a reality. City officials wanted development in Downtown Wheeling and worked hard to make this happen. You don’t get that everywhere,” he said, noting the historic tax credits were also a vital piece of the project puzzle.
Coon said he looks forward to future projects in the Friendly City.
“My company works in about 16 states with a focus on historic buildings. That’s all we do. Wheeling has more historic fabric than any other city its size in which we have ever worked,” he said.
Mayor Glenn Elliott said across the Rust Belt, cities with aging downtowns have followed a simple formula for revitalization - repurposing vacant buildings with market-rate housing. This approach not only treats the cancer that vacant buildings bring to any city block, but it also places residents with disposable income in a location where they are most likely to spend money in nearby restaurants, coffee shops and other first floor retail outlets.
“With the Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel Building, we have arguably Downtown’s most magnificent building—a 12-story, 144,000 square foot, historically significant work of elegant architecture that for many years was the tallest building in the State of West Virginia. Few cities with populations of 30,000 or less have anything comparable, and it is imperative that we do what we can to save it,” he said. “Thanks to Mr. Coon and Dr. Johnson, we have a viable proposal before us to restore this critical building to productive use with a $30 million investment—by far the largest economic investment in the history of Downtown Wheeling. To make this project a reality and to
accommodate additional projected growth Downtown, the City is prepared move forward with a new parking structure at the corner of 11th and Market Streets. Without such a public-private partnership, this project will not happen and the future of this majestic building would be in jeopardy.”
Vice Mayor Chad Thalman said city officials are pleased with the impact this project will have on Wheeling present day and in the future.
“This is an exciting project which has been several years in the making. This renovation represents a significant investment in our downtown and will bring new residents into our city with disposable income. Over the next two years of construction, a lot of the materials will be purchased locally and a lot of the labor will be local,” he said.
