Wheeling Heritage recently asked what types of retail and restaurants residents, workers and visitors of Wheeling would like to see downtown.
After more than 1,500 responses, Downtown Professionals Network, a firm specializing in research for downtown economic development, has analyzed the results.
The most commonly requested eating establishment is a full-service restaurant with a dinner menu and outdoor dining. The second-most chosen option is an ethnic restaurant, with Thai or Indian cuisine.
In terms of retail establishments, most respondents want to see a specialty foods market, with a focus on locally sourced, artisan and organic foods. Both women’s and men’s casual clothing stores also scored high.
It is also worth noting that 146 respondents marked that they are interested in either relocating their existing business or opening a new storefront in downtown Wheeling.
Wheeling Heritage will use these results to target the types of businesses people want to see downtown. For more detailed results, please contact Wheeling Heritage.
Wheeling Heritage is seeking art and fine craft vendors for its new event, Handmade Holiday. The event will invite shoppers to buy local, shop small and discover one-of-a-kind gifts for the holiday season.
The event will take place Saturday, Dec. 1, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Wheeling Artisan Center, 1400 Main Street, Wheeling. Vendors who would like to sell their own handmade/hand-crafted products are invited to apply.
Inspired by the independent craft fair movement throughout the country, Handmade Holiday strives to establish a marketplace of unique and creative handmade goods that support local artists and increases awareness about handmade, locally produced craft goods and processes.
“We are creating this event to provide artists the opportunity to show and sell their products in a unique venue and to create an awareness of art and craft forms outside of traditional mediums,” said Chris Villamagna, Wheeling Heritage Program Manager.
Handmade Holiday is a juried event, and up to 30 vendors will be accepted to sell their goods.
Wheeling Heritage is in the running to receive the 2019 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA). The National Main Street Center has named Wheeling Heritage one of ten semifinalists.
Each year, the National Main Street Center recognizes exceptional Main Street communities whose successes serve as a model for comprehensive, preservation-based commercial district revitalization.
This year’s semifinalists were selected from a nationwide pool of accredited applicants by a national jury based on their successful and innovative uses of the Main Street Approach. Winners will be announced at the Main Street Now Conference in Seattle, Washington, on March 25, 2019.
Wheeling Heritage was chosen as a semifinalist for its success in making the community an exciting place to live, work, play and visit, as well as its commitment to historic preservation and its ability to create strong partnerships.
“It’s an honor to receive national recognition for the impact of our work,” said Jake Dougherty, executive director of Wheeling Heritage. “While all of us here in Wheeling see the progress the city has made, it’s always nice to see people outside of the city recognize our progress and potential. Although we were selected for work that has been done in the past three years as a Main Street community, this is built off of decades of work by many people.”
Wheeling Heritage has been shaping the city of Wheeling’s development since its creation in 1994. It leads comprehensive efforts in historic preservation, arts and downtown development. Earlier this year, Dougherty was recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation for leading efforts to increase the West Virginia State Historic Tax Credit, a change that is helping to spur revitalization in Wheeling.
Wheeling was designated as a Main Street community in 2015. Through a merger with Reinvent Wheeling, Wheeling Heritage began operating the Main Street program in 2016.
“We’ve been successful because we are cognizant of the ever-changing nature of our community,” said Alex Weld, project and outreach manager at Wheeling Heritage. “We evaluate and adapt our programming to address pressing needs in the community, which we feel is the best way to help Wheeling continue to flourish. While we’ve taken great strides, our work isn’t done.”
Most recently, Wheeling Heritage saw the need for and brought CO.STARTERS, an international entrepreneur-training program, to Wheeling. Show of Hands, Wheeling Heritage’s community supported crowd funding program, continues to grow, with more than $42,000 given to community projects through the event. Wheeling Heritage also recently expanded its Partnership Grant program, which provides funding to projects that recognize, communicate and preserve Wheeling’s heritage.
If you have an idea for a new business, a business expansion, or a project that will impact Wheeling, you are encouraged to apply for Wheeling Heritage’s Show of Hands. The winner will leave the event with more than $3,000 to put towards his or her idea.
Click here to submit your application by Sept. 5. A committee will review applications, and four will be chosen to move on to the presentation round.
At the event, four presenters explain their ideas to community members in attendance. Attendees vote on their favorite, and the presenter who receives the most votes receives $3,000, plus door donations, to put towards the project. To date, Show of Hands has given more than $42,000 to 14 projects.
The next Show of Hands event is scheduled for Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. on the third floor of the Artisan Center, located at 1400 Main Street in Wheeling. Attendees pay $5 at the door, which is added to the winner’s prize.
Recent winners include Sarah’s on Main, a new café and bakery, as well as Zeb’s Barky Bites, a dog treat company that recently opened at Centre Market.
Orrick, the program’s corporate sponsor, donates $1,000 for each event. The Friends of Show of Hands, which consists of community members and business owners, also contribute to each event.
As the year hits its midpoint, we want to share our progress so far in 2018 while giving insight on what to look forward to for the rest of the year.
At Wheeling Heritage, we believe that the past informs our future. We not only learn from our history, we shape our present and future based upon it. This idea is integral when considering strategies for the revitalization of Wheeling. We recognize what makes Wheeling special, and highlight those strengths to make progress where it is needed most. Wheeling Heritage is focusing on three program areas: Community Development, Arts and Recreation, and Historic Preservation and Education.
Click the video above to watch Jake Dougherty, executive director of Wheeling Heritage, share updates about the organization on “On Money.”
Community Development
At the beginning of 2018, Wheeling Heritage set a goal to award $30,000 to various projects through our Partnership Grant program. Just seven months into the year, we have awarded $15,000 to local projects including, the Artist Studio Tour, Ohio Valley Pride Festival, Bike Wheeling’s “Bike Rodeo,” and the upcoming Reuther-Pollack Labor History Symposium in September.
Show of Hands, a crowd-funding event aimed at giving up-and-coming businesses a leg-up in today’s economy, has awarded more than $10,000 so far this year. In January, Zeb’s Barky Bites, a healthy pet food company created by a 9-year-old and his parents, won $4,270 in January. In May, our largest crowd yet – 437 voters – awarded our largest prize yet – $5,865 – to Sarah Lydick. She will be opening her restaurant, Sarah’s on Main, this summer.
After a successful launch of our first ever CO.STARTERS cohort, 12 graduates learned how to take their budding business ideas and turn them into thriving businesses. The nine-week small business training program will be kicking off its second session in September.
Arts and Recreation
Our community programs are reaching more people than ever before. In February, in partnership with the YWCA, we hosted the Art of Inclusion, a photo series on diversity, in the Artisan Center gallery. The community art exhibit attracted more than 400 attendees. The 21st Annual Celtic Celebration was, once again, successful and attracted approximately 2,000 attendees. We even launched a new program, Lunchtime Live!, a monthly lunchtime concert series in Market Plaza on the first Friday of each month during the summer. The June and July events attracted 350 attendees and increased business at local restaurants.
Historic Preservation and Education We have made headway on several historic preservation initiatives that tell our story, culturally enrich Wheeling, and economically stimulate the economy by making more funding opportunities available. The Soldiers and Sailors monument relocation is underway. During this two-year effort, we have raised more than $150,000 for the relocation through public, private, and individual contributions. We have also continued to make progress on the Blue Church, an Iconic 1837 Greek Revival Church. Currently, an engineering study is being conducted on the iconic front porch.
We are continuing work to preserve and recognize two of Wheeling’s most historic neighborhoods, North Wheeling and South Wheeling. Phase 1 of the Early Dwellings Survey in North Wheeling has been completed. Over the next two years, we will be completing Phase 2 and Phase 3, which will result in a National Register Nomination.
By creating initiatives that seek these outcomes, we are building an ecosystem in which Wheeling’s unique sense of place is preserved and enhanced, entrepreneurship is encouraged, and residents have economic and cultural amenities – a place where people want to be.
Wheeling Heritage has launched a survey to learn about the types of businesses you’d like to see in downtown Wheeling.
Click here to fill out the quick survey by July 31.
The results will help identify the types of retailers, restaurants and services that consumers would like to see downtown. Findings will also be a useful resource for businesses that are considering expanding into the growing downtown market.
Through Main Street West Virginia, Wheeling Heritage has been working with Downtown Professionals Network (DPN), as well as various partners, to create the survey. DPN, a firm specializing in research for downtown economic development, will analyze the results and provide business recruitment strategies.
“As we learn more about our residents and workers, we can better target our business development and training programs to help target the types of businesses people want to see here,” said Alex Weld, project and outreach manager at Wheeling Heritage, referencing the organization’s CO.STARTERS and Show of Hands programs.
The results will be shared with partners including the Regional Economic Development Partnership (RED), the City of Wheeling, and the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce, and will also be available to the public on Wheeling Heritage’s website.
The latest Show of Hands winner is breathing new life into her historic building with a modern yet nostalgic approach to cafe cuisine. Sarah Lydick, the owner of Sarah’s on Main, took home a check totaling $5,865 for her business.
Sarah plans to create an outdoor dining area at her soon-to-be-open storefront, located at 2122 Main Street. The outdoor dining area will prove useful as she continues to revitalize the building formerly known as the Lebanon Bakery.
The $5,865 check is the largest in Show of Hands history, which is due to increased corporate support as well as a large turnout at the event. A total of 435 people paid $5 at the door to cast a ballot, and all of that money was added to the check total.
Competition included proposals from three additional up-and-coming businesses:
Mugshots: The former Keg and Kraut, located in East Wheeling, will soon be home to Mugshots, a gourmet coffee shop and eatery. Owner Grant Coleman has purchased the majority of equipment for the restaurant, but is hoping to refurbish more of the building, as well as work with local artisans to create a coffee bar with Show of Hands funding.
Stradwick’s Fade Cave: Barber Chad Stradwick is hoping to create the “ultimate grooming experience” for men with his Fade Cave, to be located at 1902 Market Street. Show of Hands funding would provide him with build-out costs to create an old-school barbershop with a man-cave feel.
Wheeling Threads: Using historic traditions and giving them a modern, light-hearted twist, owner Daniel Finsley is creating shirt designs to create pride in Wheeling. The company is also creating shirt designs as fundraisers for various nonprofits and causes in the Wheeling area. Daniel is looking to build his inventory, find a downtown storefront, and purchase an on-site payment system.
Although Sarah’s on Main received the popular vote, all four businesses were given the opportunity to advertise and network while participating in the event.
The latest Show of Hands marks the 14 successful event. So far, more than $42,000 has been given to winning community projects.
Show of Hands would not be possible without its generous sponsors. Orrick is the event’s corporate sponsor. The Friends of Show of Hands include Wheeling Volkswagen & Subaru, Joseph Orthodontics, Touchstone Research Laboratory, H Lawrence Jones, Ed. D., Kennen & Kennen Realtors, Warwood Armature, Fuzz & Barb LaRue and an anonymous donor.
We’re raising funds to bring the Soldiers and Sailors monument back to downtown Wheeling. The monument’s relocation near Independence Hall would enhance the iconic building and complement its history.
Since we partnered with the Wheeling Civil War Monument Committee two years ago:
The monument’s future home has been assessed and prepped.
The vacant building next door to the lot, Kirk’s Art Supply store, has been slated for demolition. The building is rapidly deteriorating beyond repair, and must be removed before the monument can safely be relocated.
More than $100,000 has been raised for the monument’s move.
Now, less than $20,000 separates the Soldiers and Sailors Monument from its new home. We are on the brink of completing this project, and every dollar helps.
Click here to donate to the Soldiers and Sailors project.
Mt. Wood Cemetery Restoration
Mt. Wood Cemetery is Wheeling, West Virginia’s, oldest extant cemetery. Incorporated in 1848, it is resting place for many of the area’s prominent and hardworking citizens.
Mt. Wood Cemetery has been a victim to gravity and vandalism in years past. So far, we’ve reset dozens of large obelisks, leveled and reset hundreds of smaller monuments and gravestones, and cleaned hundreds more.
But we still need your help. Our project is wholly funded by donations from the community. There are still ten mausoleums and hundreds of gravestones that need repaired. This work can only continue through the generosity of donors like you!
Click here to donate to the Mt. Wood Restoration project.
Wheeling Heritage has once again been designated as an accredited Main Street America program for meeting rigorous performance standards set by the National Main Street Center.
Each year, the National Main Street Center and its Coordinating Program partners announce the list of accredited Main Street America programs in recognition of their exemplary commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach.
“We are thrilled to honor this year’s 829 nationally accredited Main Street America programs for their commitment to preservation-based economic development and the revitalization of their commercial districts,” said Patrice Frey, President & CEO of the National Main Street Center. “The power of Main Street shines across the country through these vibrant communities, who have all worked to generate impressive economic returns, preserve community character, and celebrate local history.”
In 2017 alone, Main Street America programs generated $4.48 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 6,211 net new businesses, generated 30,294 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 8,737 historic buildings, and clocked 2.7 million volunteer hours.
Wheeling Heritage’s performance is evaluated annually by Main Street West Virginia, which works in partnership with the National Main Street Center to identify the local programs that meet ten national performance standards. Evaluation criteria determines the communities that are building comprehensive and sustainable revitalization efforts and include standards such as fostering strong public-private partnerships, documenting programmatic progress, and actively preserving historic buildings.
Wheeling Heritage works to shape downtown Wheeling’s revitalization through three types of programs: historic preservation and interpretation, community development, and arts and recreation.
Through efforts of Wheeling Heritage and its partners, the National Heritage area has a substantial impact on the economy. According to an economic impact study by Tripp Umbach, Wheeling Heritage brings an average of $86.6 million to the area annually through tourism, grant making and capital projects. The organization’s efforts helped to bring an average of $6.4 million in tax revenue and 550,000 visitors to Wheeling through grant making, heritage site restoration and community development each year from 2014 to 2016.
Jake Dougherty, the executive director of Wheeling Heritage, has been named to a national list of honorees by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
A new initiative from the National Trust, “40 Under 40: People Saving Places,” recognizes 40 movers and shakers—all age 40 and under—from a variety of backgrounds and industries. These innovators are expanding our view of what it means to save places and tell America’s full history.
Dougherty was nominated for his work in economic revitalization. While his focus is on Wheeling, he has also championed state-wide efforts. As a member of the WV Abandoned Properties Coalition, he successfully led a grassroots advocacy effort to increase the West Virginia State Historic Tax Credit.
“Jake worked diligently to ensure West Virginia’s incentives for preservation are some of the best in the country,” said Renee Kuhlman, director of Policy Outreach at the National Trust. “His commitment to our heritage was also evident when he worked tirelessly with legislators like Rep. McKinley to keep the historic tax credit as part of the tax code.”
She noted that Dougherty created a financial model that can be used by other states to evaluate the effectiveness of their own state historic tax credits.
“This recognition speaks to the quality of work Wheeling Heritage produces every day and the positive direction Wheeling is headed,” Dougherty said. “Wheeling is fortunate to have a community that supports and cultivates young leaders who are passionate about the success of our city and state.”
Currently, Dougherty serves on the Boards of Directors of the Augusta Levy Learning Center, Generation WV, Regional Economic Development Partnership, and Wheeling-Ohio County Convention & Visitors Bureau. He is also a member of the Rose Urban Green Fund CDE advisory board. A Wheeling native, Jake previously served as Director of Reinvent Wheeling, where he led initiatives around community engagement, small business development, public art and transportation. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Public Communications from American University in Washington, D.C.
All honorees were chosen by the National Trust for their significant impact on historic preservation and related fields such as architecture, community activism, storytelling, and business, as well as for their contributions to the public’s understanding of why places matter.