WHEELING — Members of Wheeling City Council continue to seek answers about the former Ohio Valley Medical Center property before making a final decision on whether or not the city should acquire the sprawling property, which could come as soon as this week.

Council members met last week in a private session during a special virtual meeting held online via Zoom in order to discuss the OVMC property. Council already has introduced legislation on a purchase agreement with owners Medical Properties Trust (MPT) to put the process in motion in case a decision is made to move forward with the acquisition. However, council members are still exploring the many aspects of what it means to take on such a large piece of property.

Following the closed-session meeting, council members reconvened, and Mayor Glenn Elliott announced that city leaders were continuing to research the venture.

“No decisions were made as a result of our meeting,” the mayor said. “City council identified various additional due diligence points that have to be further explored. Some additional questions and discussions that have to take place with MPT. So no decisions were made, except to continue that due diligence.”

On Friday, the city posted the council agenda for Tuesday’s regular meeting. Up for consideration under unfinished business is a second and final vote on the OVMC purchase agreement. However, it is unclear whether or not the council will move forward with a vote on the measure or table the matter for a future meeting.

City leaders have said an initial assessment of the property values it at around $40 million. According to the pending sales agreement, the city would take ownership of the property — minus the Robert C. Byrd Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health Center facility — for the price of covering closing costs and addressing any outstanding tax debts. MPT has expressed interest in having a transaction take place before the end of the fiscal year on June 30 because of tax purposes, city officials have indicated.

If acquired, the city would take control of marketing the buildings to potential private sector businesses. Earlier this year, the city began looking at the vacant buildings with the intention of possibly creating a new Public Safety Building to house headquarters for its police and fire departments in one building in particular, the Professional Building located on Chapline Street.

Officials have noted that liability issues and many other concerns have to be considered and weighed before a decision on the acquisition can be made.

“I know that it’s a very weighty issue for this council and for the city to consider,” Elliott said. “Just rest assured that before this council makes any final decision here, all the information that we have right now and that we’re considering right now will be made public, and it will be put in public discourse with an adequate amount of time before a vote or decision is made. But right now we’re still in the due diligence phase and our city staff is working very hard to get the answers we requested.”

Meanwhile, plans are moving forward for the last remaining tenant at OVMC — Northwood Health Systems — to construct a new addition to its administrative office facility on 19th Street. The site plan that was approved for recommendation by the Wheeling Planning Commission was for a project to create a new behavioral healthcare center in an addition at its 19th Street site, which will allow Northwood to relocate those services out of the former OVMC hospital complex and into its own facility.