Almost $1 Million in Sewer Work Planned for Wheeling Island | News, Sports, Jobs

Photo by Alec Berry
The seal of the city of Wheeling overlooks empty chairs in council chambers at the City-County Building.

WHEELING — Major sewer improvement projects as part of the city of Wheeling’s long-term water-pollution control program are set to make their way onto Wheeling Island this spring.

During tonight’s meeting of Wheeling City Council, new legislation is being introduced authorizing City Manager Robert Herron to spend $963,027 with Ohio-West Virginia Excavating Co. of Powhatan Point for Phase III-B of wastewater collection and treatment system improvements on Delaware Street.

The ordinance is expected to receive a first reading tonight. A second reading and final vote on the ordinance is expected to come before city council during the next regular meeting on April 5.

“Once the city council approval occurs through the two readings of the authorizing ordinance, construction begins in about 30 days from the completion of that process,” Herron said on Monday.

Ohio-West Virginia Excavating was the lowest bidder for this project. In comparison, the other contractors that submitted bids included Alex E. Paris Contracting Inc. of Atlasburg, Pennsylvania, which submitted a bid of $1,235,030, and Cast and Baker Corp. of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, which submitted a bid of $1,350,395.

The project costs will be charged to the city’s Water Pollution Control Division.

In order to address Environmental Protection Agency mandates and bring Wheeling’s aging infrastructure up to date, the city’s long-term water pollution control plan has been moving along one major project at a time with a full head of steam over the past few years, and projects are expected to continue in years to come.

Overall, the city is expected to complete a total of around $280 million worth of sewer system improvement projects associated with Wheeling’s long-term water pollution control plan alone over the course of more than 20 years.

The most recent major project — also as part of Phase III of the plan — began in late 2020 along Bedillion Lane and surrounding neighborhoods in Woodsdale and Edgwood, and the bulk of the work for that $2.1 million project was completed last year.

Also on city council’s agenda for tonight are several resolutions to approve funding for properties eligible for the latest round of participation in Wheeling’s Facade Improvement Program.

Slated for approval are adjacent properties owned by the Friends of Wheeling LLC in historic North Wheeling at 722 and 724 Main St. The grant amounts recommended for this facade improvement project are $7,787 and $14,288, respectively.

Other Facade Improvement Program grants set for approval include 2408 Eoff St., owned by Karras Painting LLC, in the amount of $3,135; 700 Main St., owned by Frank Hotlosz, in the amount of $10,940; and 540 National Road, owned by Amy LaHood, in the amount of $6,947.

Wheeling’s Economic and Community Development Department reviews submissions to the Facade Improvement Program and submits recommendations once per quarter to city council for adoption. Depending on the overall cost of the projects, the city provides up to $15,000 in matching funds for eligible properties, and the property owners provide the remaining funds.

Last year, the city expanded the popular facade grant program to areas beyond just the downtown and historic districts, which had been the only areas eligible to participate when the program first kicked off.

Wheeling City Council is scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. today in council chambers on the first floor of the City-County Building on Chapline Street.