WHEELING ­­– Several bids were received for demolition work on the site of the former Clay School building in East Wheeling.

A total of six contractors bid on the project to demolish the sprawling old school building along 15th Street. The low bidder was Raze International Inc. of Shadyside, which submitted a bid of $459,300 for the work.

Members of Wheeling City Council are expected to hear a first reading on an ordinance to authorize City Manager Robert Herron to enter into a contract with Raze International for the project. The cost is slated to be paid with $319,440 from a West Virginia Environmental Protection Agency D-LAP (Dilapidated Properties Program) grant and another $139,860 from the city’s Project Fund.

Other bidders were Edgco Inc., $546,000; Reclaim Company, $568,850; FRB Wrecking, $1,350,000; Marlo Construction, $571,923; and Safeco Services Corp, $607,000.

“The Clay School demolition is on the city council agenda for a first reading on Tuesday,” Herron noted.

City officials predicted that because several contractors had expressed interest in the demolition project, competitive bidding would likely bring a favorable price for the project. In fact, the city spent more on asbestos abatement in the building.

Last year, Reclaim Company LLC of Fairmont, W.Va., was awarded at $498,000 contract for the abatement work, which was funded through a $123,624 draw from the city’s Restricted Capital Improvement Project (RCIP) fund and around a half-million dollars via a Brownfields grant from the U.S. Environmental Projection Agency – a portion of which was used to fund engineering for the project’s plans.

The Clay School first opened its doors more than 80 years ago and operated for decades as part of the city’s public school system before closing in the 1990s. Several attempts by private investors had been made to bring a new life to the building along 15th Street in East Wheeling, but no ventures to redevelop the property ever took root.

In December of 2021, the city of Wheeling acquired the property. A study about the property’s future was done with input from neighborhood residents and community members, including those who worked and attended classes at Clay School. With the cost to renovate and repurpose the building considered, it was ultimately decided the building should be razed.

City officials noted that once the site is cleared, work should be underway to assemble a funding package to construct a new indoor recreational facility at the site, which is located adjacent to the outdoor fields of the J.B. Chambers Memorial Recreation complex.

The demolition contract is expected to receive a second reading and vote for final approval later this month. Work should begin in the spring, and demolition is expected to be completed later this year.