Photos by Eric Ayres Officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday at the site of the future Gateway Park at the foot of the Suspension Bridge on Wheeling Island. From left are Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron, Michael Gianni of James White Construction, Assistant City Manager Bill Lanham, Sunni Fitzsimmons, Kayleen Fitzsimmons Clough, Rocky Fitzsimmons, Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum, Mayor Glenn Elliott, Parks & Recreation Director Rochelle Berry, Councilman Ben Seidler and Vice Mayor Chad Thalman.

WHEELING — A new chapter is ahead for one of Wheeling’s most notable historic landmarks, and even though the Suspension Bridge is an iconic symbol of the city’s past, it promises to continue serving its original purpose — as a gateway to the future.

On Thursday, local dignitaries gathered on Wheeling Island for a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating the beginning of construction for the future Gateway Park. The facility will be built in phases on the south side of the bridge along South Front Street, and once completed, the outdoor recreational area on the island will serve as a riverside space showcasing the history of the Wheeling Suspension Bridge.

“It’s going to be a wonderful addition to the city of Wheeling,” Mayor Glenn Elliott said. “I think people will add this to their sites to stop when they are visiting Wheeling as tourists destinations, because it offers one of the best views you can get of the downtown and the bridge.”

The park project not only celebrates the bridge as a monument that is as “synonymous with Wheeling as anything,” the mayor said, but also cleans up and beautifies a portion of Wheeling Island and connects residents and visitors to one of the city’s most treasured resources — the waterfront.

“This site checks so many boxes for us here in the city,” Elliott said. “This park, when it’s all said and done, is going to truly offer perspective on what this bridge meant not only for Wheeling history but for American history as the gateway to the west, and the park of course reflects that.”

City leaders were joined by members of the Fitzsimmons family, who gifted $150,000 to the city for the completion of two phases of the Gateway Park Project.

“On behalf of all the citizens of Wheeling Island, I just want to really thank the Fitzsimmons family,” said Councilman Ben Seidler, who represents Ward 2 which includes Wheeling Island and the site where the park is being built. “Thank you very much for your investment in Wheeling Island. This is a beautiful location, and as you can see, it’s going to be the face of the island and for our beautiful waterfront.”

The mayor described the Fitzsimmons’ gift as a “great gesture of good will to the city” and to what the new Gateway Park will represent for generations to come. Rocky Fitzsimmons commended city leaders for their vision and efforts to move the project forward, praised Seidler for his leadership on Wheeling Island and indicated that progress on the park project will be a welcome sight in the wake of the global pandemic.

“On behalf of the Fitzsimmons Foundation, we want to thank you all,” he said. “It’s really nice to have something positive to look forward to — it’s going to be a nice boost in the arm.”

The Gateway Park project had been moved to the back burner over the past two years as the Suspension Bridge was closed to vehicle traffic in 2019, then the COVID-19 pandemic put many activities on hold.

However, just recently the state of West Virginia awarded a $17.9 million contract to Advantage Steel & Construction LLC of Butler County, Pa., for the rehabilitation of the 172-year-old Suspension Bridge. Also this summer, the city awarded a contract for the first phase of the Gateway Park project to James White Con”It’s a six-phase project, and today we’re breaking ground on phase one, which is the utilities and the streetscape portion of it,” Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron said. “We do have a grant that has been awarded to take care of a small underground tank on the site, once that’s done, then we can move forward with other phases of the project.”

Future phases will include creation of a landscape public green space, boat dock and kayak launch, a walkway with information on historic highlights, a scenic overlook, a parking lot and more.

The overall theme will highlight the Suspension Bridge as an integral piece of Wheeling’s history that solidified the city’s role as a gateway to the West in the late 19th century

“All told, it’s about a $1.5 million project,” Herron explained. “This phase is about $475,000 of it. So we’re excited to get started, and we look forward to a successful phase one.”