CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WVDN) – Governor Patrick Morrisey announced a $3.2 million investment to help launch construction of the more than $25 million Wheeling Gateway Center, a new tourism destination expected to attract 175,000 visitors annually and support 87 permanent jobs in the region.
“The Wheeling Gateway Center is exactly the kind of project we want to invest in because it takes a property that had become an eyesore and turns it into something that will bring people, jobs, and economic activity to West Virginia,” said Governor Morrisey. “Wheeling has incredible history and tremendous momentum, and this project will give visitors a new front door to experience everything the city and the Northern Panhandle have to offer.”
The 23,835-square-foot Gateway Center will be located at the foot of the historic Wheeling Suspension Bridge in downtown Wheeling and will include a visitor center and heritage museum, event space, retail stores, a restaurant, outdoor plazas, and offices for the Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau. The project will connect directly to the Wheeling Heritage Trail and Ohio River waterfront.
The $3.2 million award is being provided through the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization program and provides the final piece of funding needed to move the more than $25 million project into construction. The investment builds on previous state, federal, and local support for the project, including funding used to acquire and prepare the former hotel property for redevelopment.
Governor Morrisey thanked West Virginia’s congressional delegation, the Legislature, and local partners in Wheeling and Ohio County for their support and work to move the project forward.
“This is another example of how we can take a strategic state investment and use it to help unlock a much larger economic opportunity,” said Governor Morrisey. “Tourism already supports more than 60,000 jobs in West Virginia, generates more than $1 billion in state and local tax revenue, and produces more than $9 billion in annual economic impact. Investments like the Wheeling Gateway Center will help us keep that momentum going.”
The Gateway Center is projected to generate approximately $9.3 million in direct annual tourism spending and another $21 million in induced economic activity, while producing an estimated $320,000 annually in state and local tax revenue. Construction is expected to begin this month, with an official groundbreaking date to be announced.
The project is part of a broader revitalization underway in downtown Wheeling, including the recently restored Wheeling Suspension Bridge and a $35 million streetscape improvement project. The Gateway Center will replace a previously blighted property with a new destination designed to connect visitors with Wheeling’s history, downtown attractions, and Ohio River waterfront.
