WHEELING — A renaissance in the Friendly City continues with a flurry of construction that includes everything from multimillion-dollar public projects, new private construction and even improvements to existing commercial properties.

The city of Wheeling’s Facade Improvement Program was introduced several years ago and has helped incentivize private investments into scores of commercial properties while helping to revitalize city blocks with significant facelifts to existing structures, one address at a time.

Under the program, the city provides matching funds in an amount of up to $15,000 for improvements to the exterior facade, roof or other eligible features to private commercial properties. Those interested in participating in the program submit applications to the city’s Economic and Community Development Department, which determines eligibility and forwards a list of projects to council on a quarterly basis for final approval.

The latest round of Facade Improvement Program grants were approved by city council this month.

“Since I’ve been on council, we’ve approved so many of these resolutions, and I think they are absolutely incredible,” Wheeling City Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum said. “I would love to see the economic impact illustrated somehow. I’d imagine it would really reveal how successful this program has been.”

In recent years, the program was expanded to include properties situated in commercial districts in neighborhoods throughout the city, opening the door of eligibility to many more property owners in all corners of town. Initially the program was open only to eligible properties situated downtown, in the central business district and in historic districts such as the Centre Market area and North Wheeling Historic District.

While the city provides up to $15,000 for eligible property owners through the program, the recipients of the grants often invest much more of their own money to help spruce up their properties.

“It is so gratifying to see local property owners continue to take advantage of the facade program,” Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott said. “This is a program for which the city is providing an incentive, but I think that at the end of the day, there’s a lot more private money going into the built environment of this community.

“As I drive around, I take stock in the different projects that we’ve voted on over the last few years, and it’s just encouraging to see this program continue forward.”

The city had been funding the Facade Improvement Grant program with money from its sales tax RCIP (Restricted Capital Improvement Program) fund to pay for the city’s matching contributions. However, this year the city was awarded $500,000 through a Congressionally Directed Spending line item secured through a federal spending bill for Fiscal Year 2023. U.S. Senators Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., championed this CDS request to help Wheeling continue funding its popular and successful Facade Improvement Program.

Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron noted that this latest round of approved Facade Improvement Program grants represents a significant amount of money in private investments.

“These facade resolutions approved by council represent a $87,867 investment from the city for these improvement projects,” Herron said, noting that the private contributions to these projects total a whopping $707,394. “So that $87,867 from the city against the $707,000 is quite a bit of private investment.”

Herron noted, however, that out of that $707,394 worth of private investments from this round of facade improvements, $500,000 is coming from one major project. He said the $15,000 grant approved for property owner Eun Jung will be part of a major renovation project at a sprawling riverside mansion at 807 Main St. in the North Wheeling Historic District.

The latest round of approved facade grants include those awarded to Jung; to Teresa Toriseva for 1308 Chapline St. in the amount of $15,000; Joshua Miller for 1314 Chapline St. in the amount of $15,000; to Kevin Perris for 1817 Warwood Ave. in the amount of $11,640; Greg Gellner for 1440 National Road in the amount of $11,547; American Tire Inc. for 2901 Chapline St. in the amount of $9,180; and Denny and Joan Hazelton for 3140 Jacob St. in the amount of $7,500.