WHEELING — A popular home improvement incentive program in Wheeling will continue to assist participating property owners by using funds from a federal earmark, which in turn will free up local money for use on another major project in the city.
This month, Wheeling City Council approved the latest round of Facade Improvement Program grants for nearly a dozen property owners and/or business owners in the city. The ongoing program provides matching funds in an amount of up to $15,000 for improvements. 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.
While the Facade Improvement Program has been available over the past several years, the city’s matching funds for this latest round of improvements will be the first to draw from the new pool of federal money secured through the efforts of U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.).
“These projects are the first to be funded by the Congressionally Directed Spending secured by U.S. Senators Manchin and Capito,” Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron said. “These funds will leverage $343,031 of private investment in 11 small businesses in the city of Wheeling. The senators’ efforts are paying immediate positive dividends for the community and will enable the city to continue this program going forward.”
Last month, the senators announced that $500,000 for the Facade Improvement Program in Wheeling had been released to the city.
The money is part of the CDS requests approved through the Fiscal Year 2023 federal funding bill that had been passed.
The approved matching funds for projects include: $15,000 to Roger Malone for 2231 Chapline St., $10,140 to Jeff Johnson for 76-15th St., $15,000 to David Kappel M.D. For 2265/2267 Market St., $9,500 to Edwin Boyd for 2210 Market St., $5,600 to Derek Weisenborn for 637 Market St., $6,519 to Rebecca Regrut for 649 Main St., $7,278 to Elsa Campiti-Vaughn for 15-17th St., $8,800 to Fulton Lending LLC for 538 National Road, $3,400 to Rod Haller for 1420 Market St., $15,000 to Trinity Lutheran Church for 3536 Eoff St., and $8,500 to P. Pepper Ford and Gary Ford for 617 Fulton St.
Herron noted that the property owners must also invest their own money into their improvements in order to be eligible to participate in the program. The Congressionally Directed Spending allocation for the program will help many more businesses in the future, the city manager noted.
“The city’s Community and Economic Development Director Nancy Prager is to be congratulated for administering this program and for working with the U.S. Small Business Administration to get these funds cleared for use,” Herron said.
Before the federal money was secured, the city utilized funds from its sales tax RCIP (Restricted Capital Improvement Program) to pay for the city’s contributions toward the Facade Improvement Program. Those funds are now being redirected, Herron explained.
“Effective June 2, 100% of those funds are committed to the annual debt service on the Market Street Parking Structure,” he said. “During construction of the parking structure, partial principal and interest payments are made, and there is some interest savings because we use a draw format.”
A payment was made June 1, the city manager explained. Beginning Dec. 1, however, the city must begin paying the full cost of the money borrowed for the $12.3 million parking structure.
“We have to begin setting aside 100% of that revenue source for payments in December 2023 and June 2024, and then every June and December thereafter,” Herron said.