Demolitions in Weirton to provide new opportunities
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WEIRTON -- The recent demolition of two buildings in the city's downtown is expected to contribute to the future of the community, according to local development officials.
This fall, under the direction of the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle, the former Magnone Building on the 3300 block of Main Street and the former Weirton Daily Times building on Lee Avenue have come down.
At one point, the structures had been part of plans for an industrial training center, to be operated by West Virginia Northern Community College.
Jacob Keeney, executive director of development for the BDC, explained plans for the training center, announced in November 2019, had always included the demolition of the Magnone Building, with the former newspaper offices to be the focal point.
"We got a grant to do some improvements to the building. We had the costs figured out," Keeney said. "COVID happened."
In addition to the pandemic, Keeney noted, changes in administration and the need for certain educational programs at WVNCC resulted in the training center falling by the wayside.
The BDC had been provided with a grant from the Economic Development Authority to assist with the project, with those funds being returned when it couldn't move forward, according to Keeney.
Continuing with plans to demolish the Magnone Building, Program Director Anthony Clements explained the building had been suffering from the effects of years of neglect, with ceilings and floors rotting away, the need for an asbestos abatement, theft of materials and more damage.
"You're left with just a shell of a building," Clements said, adding the costs of renovating in such a situation would have been too high.
In the meantime, the BDC spent the last few years seeking potential tenants for the Lee Avenue building, holding discussions with various local organizations and businesses in the hope of reusing the structure.
"What we weren't counting on was the deep freeze that happened last Christmas," Keeney said.
In late December 2022, the freezing and thawing from local weather resulted in water lines breaking in the top floor of the former newspaper offices, causing a flood throughout.
"Hundreds of gallons went from the top floor to the basement," Clements noted. "The cost to rehab the building exceeded the insured value."
With the use of the City of Weirton's Revolving Loan Fund, established in 2019 through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the BDC began the demolition process on both buildings.
Now, the BDC is looking at its options for the properties, with officials noting demolition of the structures will make way for new opportunities, whether it be for new business or possibly an expansion of the Weirton Event Center or the creation of a new community space.
"You have about a half-acre of downtown city block that's ready for future use," Keeney said. "It's really the reason the BDC exists."