Barnes & Noble Opens a Corner in Wheeling

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Barnes & Noble booksellers and West Virginia Northern’s latest improvement to downtown Wheeling has created a necessary connection for the city.  This renovated building proves to be the necessary link between business and culture, as it is situated between the downtown business district and historic Center Market. Since it’s opening this past summer, it has continued to generate recognition for the college as well as SMG Architects. Creating a quadrant that saddles a busy intersection, WVNCC has enabled one more beautiful area for passersby to admire. The campus stretches from Main Street to Eoff Street, and can be enjoyed from the green and lively plaza beneath the façade of the prestigious B&O building, the campus’ main building.

Thanks to Julie Doerr for every one of these lovely photos!

I may have been the first customer too, as suggested in the above shot.

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The lower level serves the public as the upper space is reserved for students.

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The upper floor was designed to be used as a secondary service counter during the college’s busiest times, and at the start of each semester.

Enjoy a cup of coffee while watching the streets at this high bar located at the ground level.

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Things ‘Perking’ Up In Town

It has been another great week of restoration and revitalization in Wheeling.

Kudos go to West Virginia Northern Community College for repurposing and revitalizing another corner of 16th and Market streets in downtown Wheeling.

Congratulations and thanks also are extended to the Wheeling chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and its partners, the Wheeling National Heritage Area Corp. and the Wheeling Park Commission, for spearheading the restoration of the historic Madonna of the Trail monument along National Road.

The week began with the much-anticipated opening of West Virginia Northern’s latest facility on the southwest corner of 16th and Market streets, featuring a combination Barnes & Noble bookstore and Starbucks shop on the new building’s first floor and the college’s student activities center on the second floor. Public officials, civic leaders and other guests joined college representatives for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening of the new facility Monday, July 15.

Wheeling architect Victor Greco, who also is the genius behind the transformation of the intersection’s northwest corner for Northern’s new Applied Technology Center, noted that his design for the new bookstore-student union picks up architectural elements of Northern’s historic B&O Building located across the street. Greco explained that the new facility’s clock tower is a historic nod to a clock tower that once stood at the former B&O Railroad station. The architect added that he wanted the new clock tower to create a piazza-like look for the plaza area adjacent to the center’s entrance.

As with the Applied Technology Center, the new building’s copper accents complement the copper trim on the roof of the B&O Building, Greco pointed out.

For many years, a large building on the intersection’s southwest corner was occupied by a bank until that institution moved to a new facility out the pike in the 1970s.

Later, a Winky’s restaurant operated in part of the building for a time. Eventually, the vacant former bank building was razed. More recently, the corner lot was occupied by the Straub Hyundai sales office until the dealership built a new complex at The Highlands.

July 21, 2013 by Linda Comnis at The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

–An article that ran before the event:

The structure, once home to a Straub Hyundai car dealership, will also house a Barnes & Noble Bookstore and coffee shop on the first floor that will also serve the public.

Construction on the $2.1 million project began last September. In addition to local, state and college officials, representatives of Barnes & Noble also are expected to attend the event.

Photo by Shelley Hanson

Lash Paving of Colerain workers, from left, Brian Gosbin, Randy Homan and Paul Ondrick spread pavement Friday on the parking lot of West Virginia Northern Community College’s student union building in downtown Wheeling. The college is planning a Monday ribbon cutting ceremony for the building.

On Friday, there was a flurry of activity at the site with men working quickly on paving the parking lot, installing signage and lights, and laying tile inside and brick on the sidewalks outside. Workers also could be seen putting the finishing touches on the bookstore and its offerings.

Lash Paving of Colerain workers said they would finish laying the base coat and then install the top coat of pavement today on the parking lot. Fresh landscaping also is expected to be planted around the building in preparation for the outdoor ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday.

The Student Union building is located adjacent to WVNCC’s other newly renovated structure, the Applied Technology Center, which was the former Straub Honda dealership, at the corner of 16th and Market streets. That project cost $3.88 million and is expected to open for classes this fall.