Five bids for environmental remediation and demolition were received and unsealed Friday afternoon, marking one of the final preparation stages to remove the existing Wheeling Inn structure.
The public procurement process, led by the City of Wheeling, was announced at the end of February. To qualify, prospective bidders were required to attend a site tour on March 7th to evaluate the existing conditions of the property, and the remediation and demolition plan authored by the architects and engineers on the project.
Companies that Qualified and Submitted bids:
Edgco Inc. - $ 409,000
Raze International - $ 499,800
Reclaim Company - $ 638,988
Aster Hardwoods - $ 795,000
F. R. Beinke Wrecking - $ 988,000
"The project will ultimately be awarded to the company that is most qualified, provided the best scope of work, with the best price. With significant investment into the renovations of the historic suspension bridge, and the current street scape project, it is important that we evaluate each bidding team has included all of the factors that they would need to work around, before making an award” said Robert Herron, Wheeling City Manager.
The Wheeling Gateway Center, set to be constructed on the former Wheeling Inn site, has had an extensive amount of site diligence, to inform the environmental remediation and demolition process, which was funded by Wheeling-Ohio County Convention Visitor’s Bureau.
“This site is the gateway into our City, and as the property owner, it was extremely important to our organization and Board members that we dealt with the existing conditions of the property that right way. We’re very appreciative of all of our partners that have collaborated with us at the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection that are overseeing this process in collaboration with our environmental engineers,” said Frank O’Brien, executive director of the Wheeling-Ohio County Convention Visitor’s Bureau.
Asbestos abatement is necessary for the existing structure before demolition. The project is part of West Virginia's Voluntary Remediation Program, which will ensure that all materials that are deemed hazardous inside the building, will be safely removed and disposed of.
Recently, Tipping Point, the project’s real estate development consultant, completed both a digital and in-person engagement experience, which was open to anyone interested in providing their ideas on the project. After over 4,200 responses and 100,000 unique interactions on the digital platform were recorded, it marked as one of the largest community engagement efforts in Wheeling's history.
Jim Ambrose, President of Tipping Point added, “The public officials leading this project are dedicated to creating a memorable experience that is accessible to multiple generations. It is very clear that the community’s top priorities are to remove the blight of the Wheeling Inn, maximize access to the historic suspension bridge, the Wheeling Heritage Trail, the visitors’ experience and integrate the rich history of the area into the future building. We’re planning to provide progress and updates through the same website where the engagement platform was hosted.”
Press Contacts:
Frank O’Brien, Executive Director of CVB = 304-830-0379
Scott Schenerlein, Executive Director of Wheeling Heritage = 304-280-0805
Robert Herron, City Manager, City of Wheeling = 304-234-6401
Jim Ambrose, President of Tipping Point = 412-260-5470