Development A ‘Pipe Dream’?
Tiu, Henry Say It’s Time for Building to GoBy CASEY JUNKINS Staff Writer
Article Photos
Fact Box
"My idea would be to demolish the Rite Aid building to create a 'historically correct alleyway.'"
Wheeling Councilman James Tiu
WHEELING - After paying $200,000 for the former Rite Aid building at 1135 Market St. last year, Councilmen James Tiu and Robert "Herk" Henry believe it is time to bring down the structure.
Tiki Bar and Grill owner James Grace, meanwhile, wants the city to do something positive with its buildings to generate more activity as part of his "Downtown Wheeling's Revitalization Plan" he presented to council members last week. This plan includes a provision to use the city-owned G.C. Murphy building as a center for teenagers to give local youth something to do.
In September 2008, council spent $715,000 worth of Tax Increment Financing to purchase the G.C. Murphy, River City Dance Works and Rite Aid buildings. After more than a year searching for tenants and exploring options, Tiu and Henry do not see much of a future for the Rite Aid structure.
"I have been to the top of (Rite Aid), and all the way through it. It is indeed a 'pipe dream' to believe a developer is going to come in and take over these buildings," Tiu said, making a play on the phrase Grace used during the Tuesday council meeting to describe the chances of a major developer investing downtown.
"My idea would be to demolish the Rite Aid building to create a 'historically correct alleyway,'" he said, noting this could help connect the eastern part of downtown to the riverfront area.
"The (G.C.) Murphy building is in pretty good shape, but the Rite Aid building should go," Henry added.
Both councilmen believe Grace's ideas for the G.C. Murphy building have merit.
"We really must find a productive use for the first floor of that building. ... It is a good idea to find productive uses for buildings that can be saved, but we must get rid of blighted ones," Tiu said.
Grace also wants to establish a "consignment district," which he said would allow folks to exchange second-hand goods. Painting, cleaning and beautifying remaining downtown buildings are also high priorities for Grace's plan.
"The city needs to be cleaned up and painted. If you look around the city, it looks old," Grace said.
Grace also believes downtown parking meters discourage business, so he wants to see the meters replaced with solar powered lamp posts. This is a point not lost to Tiu who said his "historically correct alleyway" could also feature parking.
Henry believes Grace's plans are worthy of exploration.
"The problem is that we still have to get someone in here. We can do all these things like cleaning up and painting and whatever, but we still need to get business to come in here," Henry said.
Councilwoman Gloria Delbrugge, though not committed to Grace's plans, said, "Someone has to come up with an idea, so it might as well be him."
The council members know that redeveloping downtown Wheeling is a long-term project, but acknowledge that the must start somewhere.
"Downtown can, and should be, the area that generates ideas, employment, tax revenue, culture and education. When city-owned properties hinder this, development goes elsewhere," Tiu said.
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goodboy
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11-11-09 3:01 PM
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WASHINGTON — The number of US veterans who died in 2008 because they lacked health insurance was 14 times higher than the US military death toll in Afghanistan that year, according to a new study. The analysis produced by two Harvard medical researchers estimates that 2,266 US military veterans under the age of 65 died in 2008 because they lacked health coverage and had reduced access to medical care. That figure is more than 14 times higher than the 155 US troop deaths in Afghanistan in 2008, the study says. google d o t com / hostednews / afp /article / ALeqM5iXSJa5eFMuXF2Uxwptns _ JOxRcMA
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goodboy
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11-11-09 2:32 PM
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Troll, "Oh, so I should pay for MY government health insurance, YOUR government health insurance, AND for a supplemental policy to hopefully bring my coverage back to the quality I pay for now. " No Troll. You just pay for what you want. That's the whole point of a public "OPTION" it's OPTIONAL. Troll, "At least I got you to admit “you can keep your insurance” was a lie." No, you didn't. You can keep your insurance just the way it is. You're trying to blur two different unrelated points. Troll, "goodboy, it’s clear you’re ineducable." Ad-hominem attack. next. Troll, "But debating you on active threads, where you can display your typical liberal ignorance and I can point it out to other readers, would be worthwhile." Ad-hominem attack. next. troll, "ease continue to display your brilliance on future active threads." OK.
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TrollSlayer
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11-11-09 1:35 PM
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Oh, so I should pay for MY government health insurance, YOUR government health insurance, AND for a supplemental policy to hopefully bring my coverage back to the quality I pay for now. Liberals always have such great ideas on how to spend my money. LOL At least I got you to admit “you can keep your insurance” was a lie. Obama’s lie. Pelosi’s lie. Reid’s lie. Liars all. And you trust them to provide your family’s health care. LOL goodboy, it’s clear you’re ineducable. There’s nobody else left on this old thread but you and me. So debating you further here would be a waste of my time. But debating you on active threads, where you can display your typical liberal ignorance and I can point it out to other readers, would be worthwhile. Please continue to display your brilliance on future active threads.
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goodboy
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11-11-09 11:10 AM
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TrollSlayer, "DING DING DING! You DO get it! You DO understand that I really CAN’T keep my insurance because it WILL be driven out of business by the government’s Ponzi scheme" Except that won't happen. This was the same whining garbage insurers tried in Europe...except they're doing just fine, selling supplemental policies. We're on our way to single payer universal health care. It's gonna happen. And there's nothing you can do about it. :D
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goodboy
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11-11-09 11:08 AM
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Ellis, "Allow consumers to save up to twice their deductible, each year, pre-tax, in an untouchable, portable health fund." How does that help people who can't afford coverage to begin with? Ellis, " Push for education to include better health, less junk food, more activity, better hygiene." AGREE 100% Ellis, "More doctors, faster FDA drug approval, etc." AGREE 100% The point to all this is, as Europe has learned, Free Market destroys healthcare. It is possible to cover everyone, AND spend less AND get better care than we get. This is America, we can do anything. I really can't understand why you're fighting for the insurance companies against the American people. They don't provide care, develop drugs, write prescriptions, give tests. They don't do anything but deny care (rationing) drop people (death panels) in order to profit off of people's health. And it's killing us. You're either on the side of life, or you're on the side of death...death f
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goodboy
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11-11-09 11:04 AM
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EllisWyatt, "Free market methods could rescue health care." No, the free market greed run amok is what's caused the healthcare crisis in the first place. Ellis, "1) Tort Reform. Why would anyone oppose this?" University of Pennsylvania Law Professor and Health Sciences expert Tom Baker said medical malpractice lawsuits "account for .5 percent to 1.5 percent of total expense." Ellis"2) Allow for purchase of insurance across state lines, with legal issues to be settled in the state in which the buyer resides. HOW MANY Shady fly-by-night backwater "insurance" companies do you think would spring up then? Ellis, "3) Get government out of health care, thereby saving at least $200 billion per year in red tape." ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS FOR PRIVATE INSURERS TOP 30% Medicare, Medicaid, -3% ellis, "Allow employers to pay for employee health insurance pre-tax." That solves NOTHING. Insurers can still charge what they want. (Continu
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TrollSlayer
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11-10-09 11:42 PM
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goodboy “I don't care if the insurance companies go out of business. I want them to go out of business.” DING DING DING! You DO get it! You DO understand that I really CAN’T keep my insurance because it WILL be driven out of business by the government’s Ponzi scheme. So it’s all about YOU getting the insurance you want at the expense of MY insurance I pay for. Which makes you a wanna-be thief. And you also DO realize Obama was lying when he said I could keep it. And Obama knew he was lying, because he’s not stupid, he’s corrupt to the core. So you chose to vote for a Ponzi-scamming crook. What a piece of work you are.
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EllisWyatt
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11-10-09 5:58 PM
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Goodboy Barry Hussein Sotero says that he wants Socialized Medicine to put "competition" into a marketplace with 400 insurance companies already selling a product. If they all go out of business, what options will you have then? Free market methods could rescue health care. 1) Tort Reform. Why would anyone oppose this? 2) Allow for purchase of insurance across state lines, with legal issues to be settled in the state in which the buyer resides. 3) Get government out of health care, thereby saving at least $200 billion per year in red tape. 4) Allow employers to pay for employee health insurance pre-tax. 5) Allow consumers to save up to twice their deductible, each year, pre-tax, in an untouchable, portable health fund. 6) Push for education to include better health, less junk food, more activity, better hygiene. 7) More doctors, faster FDA drug approval, etc.
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goodboy
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11-10-09 2:53 PM
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Troll, "Be ready to pay even more for less care if this gigantic scam passes." Because the insurance companies say so? That's exactly why we need a strong public option. Troll, your peanut analogy is cute...but it doesn't work because I don't care if the insurance companies go out of business. I want them to go out of business. So keep your peanuts...
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TrollSlayer
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11-10-09 2:28 PM
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goodboy “I pay for private insurance too. It happens to be Health Plan, and it happens to cost 1/3 of my weekly pay.” Good for you. Be ready to pay even more for less care if this gigantic scam passes. goodboy “you won't be forced into anything. Keep your expensive insurance if you want.” Let’s say the government decides whatever your business sells is way overpriced. Say it’s peanuts. So the government starts selling peanuts for half what you charge, and they put a tax on your sales to cover the difference. Do you think I’ll be able to buy peanuts from you for long, even if I want to? This is such simple economics it’s amazing you can’t figure it out.
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goodboy
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11-10-09 11:38 AM
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TrollSlayer, "Come on, goodboy. People like me who pay for private insurance or pay as we go cover those charity ER costs." I pay for private insurance too. It happens to be Health Plan, and it happens to cost 1/3 of my weekly pay. So s u c k it. troll, "And we DON’T want to be forced into universal Medicaid, which is what Obamacare will be." I wish it would be universal medicare for all...but it's not going to be. And you won't be forced into anything. Keep your expensive insurance if you want. idiot.
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weshatch
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11-10-09 10:55 AM
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.."historically correct alleyway.." Is that one that the drunks and prostitutes are in period dress?
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Shark88
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11-10-09 8:50 AM
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.."historically correct alleyway.." What is a historically correct alleyway? Perhaps Tiu meant to say "politically correct alleyway".
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acousticportal
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11-10-09 8:39 AM
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Adjust and overcome....or whine like a bunch of babies who can't find mama's teet.
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LPMFB24
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11-10-09 8:30 AM
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If they tear down Rite Aid building, will they put a parking lot there and get rid of the parking meter's? ($5.00 all day parking).....
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dyingov
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11-10-09 6:38 AM
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Does anyone wonder why the population has decreased 6.6% since 2000! The argument that the Valley is "a nice place to raise a family" is old and lame. I find it hard to raise a family on $9 a hour jobs.
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mernie
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11-09-09 10:25 PM
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Tear them down, write a grant for money to build a replica of Fort Henry, offer tours, etc., and you have a tourist destination. Perhaps then some other things will spin off.
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CTMountaineer
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11-09-09 9:52 PM
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So Gooch, ... You're saying the city, with its amazing wisdom, purchased the "property" that a building Wyatt says was appraised for $24 thousand for $200 thousand because it has "potential"? What potential? Where is one single example of a positive retail development those bozos have brought about in the past 2 decades with their incredible waste of taxpayer funds?
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EllisWyatt
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11-09-09 6:52 PM
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Who was the previous owner of the Rite-Aid building? Was he or she related to or in cahoots with someone in city government? Was it owned by a "partnership" that included connected people? I do not want to do any more research but here is what I've found so far, with regard to the city's property. 1103 Main Street Assessed at $24,400 Purchased by the city for $110,000 on 9/14/05 1120 Main Street ("Unsound Commercial Stucture") Assessed at $24,200 Purchased for $37,000 on 3/1/92 The city also owns lots assessed at $2.35 million (1406 Main St.) and $1.281 million (12th & Water St.) The city's Intermodal Center is assessed at $7.95 million. Imagine the tax revenue if such properties were owned by FOR PROFIT entities? Wakeup call, Wheeling!!! Jobs bring families, who buy homes, spend money, pay taxes, volunteer, donate, support other jobs, bring new ideas, etc. JOBS build an economy.
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atoddh
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11-09-09 6:15 PM
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Don't forget that it was absolutely necessary to buy the buildings for the $70,000 "music city" study/ movement to be catalized by the Capital purchase. In addition, there were to be hundreds of new well paid Downtown jobs: if the just would buy those buildings. The sellers did very,very well.Who were they?? Live Nation did very well and kept the JUSA show to boot(the thing of value.)
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GoochStephens
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11-09-09 4:31 PM
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Understand this...the City did not purchase these buildings...they purchased the property that they sit on...They have always know that no developer would want the buildings, however the property may someday have potential. Did the City buy?, or sell you tax payers out? Option 2 Amigos..
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corgitoy
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11-09-09 2:57 PM
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Obama can't take the blame for the fall of Downtown Wheeling. If you must blame people, try the names Becker, Levinson, and Boury, just to name a few. They and their cronies sounded the death knell for Downtown Wheeling when they managed to kill urban renewal and the Downtown Mall in the 1970's. We in Belmont County, the Ohio Valley Mall, the Ohio Valley Plaza, and the developers should thank Wheeling's forefathers for their pigheadedness.
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TrollSlayer
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11-09-09 2:35 PM
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Come on, goodboy. People like me who pay for private insurance or pay as we go cover those charity ER costs. And we DON’T want to be forced into universal Medicaid, which is what Obamacare will be.
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GETACLUE
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11-09-09 2:10 PM
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theRadical Weren't these buildings purchased, and the tenants run out of them, because of the pipe dream of a downtown outlet mall?...................TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION NO! These were vacant properties when purchased.
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tmoore
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11-09-09 1:59 PM
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Leave it to govt to pay 200K and figure an alley is a good investment. Glad Madoff never saw our city council!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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