This rendering provided by The Mills Group shows plans for a new hotel, restaurant, retail and event center downtown. The $63 million project, spearheaded by city residents Barry and Lisa Allen, will be located on 14th Street between Main and Water streets, adjacent to WesBanco Arena and the Robert C. Byrd Intermodal Transportation Center. A formal announcement is expected today. (Image Provided)
WHEELING — For Barry Allen, it’s all about giving back — and also setting the example. He’s putting that philosophy into action through a planned hotel, restaurant, retail and event center downtown that will replace the former Wheeling Coffee & Spice Co. and National Equipment Co. buildings at Wheeling’s waterfront.
The $63 million project is spearheaded by Vol for Life, a Wheeling-based development company established by Allen and his wife, Lisa — two city residents who are the former president and former CEO and chair of the board of directors of The Ziegenfelder Co., respectively — who believe the multi-use building will help fuel the city’s revitalization.
The project’s formal announcement is set to take place at 9:15 a.m. today in front of WesBanco Arena in downtown Wheeling.
While the hotel’s design is still being finalized, a restaurant and coffee shop are planned for the building’s first floor. Other floors will feature dedicated retail space, a 2,600-square-foot event center, 122 hotel rooms and also eight condominiums, including an almost 3,000-square-foot condo overlooking the Ohio River.
The building will also boast a rooftop bar and entertainment area.
“This is much more than a hotel, it’s an event place,” Barry Allen told The Intelligencer, a day after he penned an op-ed that set the stage for his announcement. “It’s a place for people to come and experience Wheeling. The waterfront couldn’t be a better place for a hotel to show the beauty of our city.”
The building will encompass the area on 14th Street between Main and Water streets adjacent to WesBanco Arena and the Robert C. Byrd Intermodal Transportation Center. The more-than- 100,000 square-foot establishment will stretch from the location of the Wheeling Coffee & Spice Co. and National Equipment Co. buildings north to the DiCarlo’s Pizza building.
Work on the project is set to start in December, beginning with the demolition of the Wheeling Coffee & Spice Co. and the National Equipment Co. buildings. Vol for Life aims to cut the ribbon on the establishment in April 2026.
The idea came after Allen retired in December 2021, which left him eager to return “something positive” to the city. This led to discussions with Mayor Glenn Elliott regarding what needed to be done to forge the city’s future. One of the needs was a hotel downtown, which “got the wheels turning” for Allen.
Since his conversation with Elliott, Allen and Vol For Life have been formulating the project. This has included Allen consulting with an advisory team of architects, construction companies, legal representatives, hoteliers, the Regional Economic Development Partnership and city officials.
The advisory team goes beyond local input, with VFL engaging with the Southern Hospitality Group of South Carolina, whose founder and CEO Andrew Cajka has been assisting Allen “every step of the project.” Allen also credited Oglebay CEO Bob Peckenpaugh for providing his guidance as the planning has progressed.
With the demolition of the historic Wheeling Coffee & Spice. Co. building required for the project, Allen noted that the building’s designs aim to preserve Wheeling’s history while also informing guests of all the city has to offer.
“We want to emphasize the history of Wheeling inside the hotel rooms, so we’re going to be working with interior (designers) on capturing the history of Wheeling, whether it’s Betty Zane or the nail industry,” said Allen. “I’m excited to engage with people through this building, which will be a stamp on the history of Wheeling, West Virginia.”
Allen’s vision for the project is a location where visitors to Wheeling can have a place to stay for the night that will not take them away from the city’s hub after attending a show at WesBanco Arena or eating at Waterfront Hall.
Allen’s family is providing the seed funding for the project, but he noted that they will need assistance from local lenders, the city, the region, the state and the county to build the “capital stack” required to fully fund the $63 million project.
One of the first contributors to the “capital stack” is Wheeling City Council, which is slated to approve the transfer of $540,000 in TIF District Economic Development Purposes funds to the Ohio Valley Area Development Corp. at today’s meeting.
“From a personal standpoint, we are really coming to the table with a substantial amount of money, and I think that will drive other folks to support the project,” said Allen. “It’s an investment for everybody, and contributors who would not have gotten on board if they didn’t think we could do this.”
Allen believes the project will serve as a call to action for local business owners to begin to invest in creating a “vibrant downtown” that will attract a younger demographic and bring new opportunities to Wheeling. He noted that “the time is right” for business owners to step up and add to city-driven revitalization efforts such as the Downtown Streetscape project.
“I’ve got to lead by example,” described Allen. “People can either follow or do what they’re doing, but I won’t stand still. We’re going to do this.”
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