Wheeling to build $1.9 million ‘gateway park’ on Wheeling Island
WHEELING — A $1.9 million park on Wheeling Island intended to celebrate the history of the Wheeling Suspension Bridge is now in the works by the city.
The city announced Wednesday that the Fitzsimmons Family Foundation donated $150,000 to help pay for two phases out of a six-phase construction project for the Wheeling Island Gateway Park. The park is to be built south of the suspension bridge on an acre of city-owned land.
“It’s a perfect spot for interpreting what is arguably the most important historic asset of the city, which is the suspension bridge,” Mayor Glenn Elliott said. “This was a great opportunity to do something that interprets the bridge and really offsets downtown with something looking really nice on Wheeling Island.”
The city intends to pay for the rest of the construction through donations from other local foundations and federal and state grants, Wheeling’s Parks and Recreation Director Jesse Mestrovic said.
He estimated that construction could begin in the fall of 2020.
“This project is a big project,” Mestrovic said. “There’s going to be a lot of stages, a lot of steps. But it’s very important for us to pursue available grants, other foundations, things like that to really make things move forward.”
The city purchased the future park land, adjacent to the bridge along South Front Street, for $91,000 in early 2017 with the intention of developing it into a park. Last year, it hired the Charleston-based firm GAI Consultants to design the project.
At an announcement event held in City Council’s chambers Wednesday, the city showed the master plan for the park that the firm designed.
According to the plan, the park will include trails and green space, a plaza near the bridge, a boat dock and kayak launch, a larger plaza and a “history walk” with informational panels and an interactive water feature, in addition to several other features.
The donation from the Fitzsimmons Foundation will pay for all of phase one of the project, which would cost $75,000, and part of phase four of the project, which would cost $250,000, Mestrovic said.
Phase one involves building a “bridge plaza” and is the first feature the plan recommends is built. Phase four would renovate South Front Street to create parking for visitors and add improved streetscaping and landscaping.
“It’s something that we think will keep the momentum going in Wheeling,” Rocky Fitzsimmons of the foundation said at the event. “We hope that this initial grant will get the project up and running, and then hopefully within a number of years we’ll see that project come to fruition and completion.”
Other phases of the project included in the master plan are:
? Phase two, constructing trails and open green space, which would cost $75,000.
? Phase three, riverbank stabilization, river access and building a boat dock and kayak launch, which would cost $200,000.
? Phase five, developing a large plaza and landscape space at the corner of South Front Street and Ohio Street, which would cost $550,000.
? Phase six, developing a green with a history walk, interactive water elements and a scenic overlook, which would cost $750,000.
Mestrovic said the next step is conducting site assessments and going through the permitting process before construction can occur. The city is working with the EPA and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to assess the property, part of which is on the floodway of the Ohio River, he said.
“This site has unique challenges, unique features, but also is a tremendous opportunity,” Mestrovic said.
He added that the park aims to tell the story of the suspension bridge and Wheeling Island and could serve as a draw for tourism.
“This support will provide some great momentum for this project that will enhance our city and provide a great place for residents and visitors alike to enjoy another aspect of our waterfront,” City Manager Robert Herron said.