zNewsletter Sunday

Community Leaders Celebrate $3.2M In Upgrades At White Palace

By ERIC AYRES 6 min read

WHEELING -- Community leaders joined the Wheeling Park Commission Wednesday in celebrating the grand re-opening of the White Palace, where highlights of a multimillion-dollar renovation were showcased to scores of supporters and guests.

The $3.2 million renovation was the first major project to unfold among many other planned investments as the Wheeling Park Commission prepares to celebrate the park's big centennial in 2025.

A new coffee shop, outdoor patio, grand staircase, accessible entrances and ballroom improvements were among the many eye-popping additions to the local landmark.

"This is a real day of celebration for Wheeling Park and the community," Bob Peckenpaugh, president and CEO of the Wheeling Park Commission, said. "Just around the corner in 2025 is the 100th anniversary of Wheeling Park. We're looking to do big celebrations. All of this work and all of the improvements we're looking to do up until 2025 is for that purpose of celebrating the last 100 years and making sure Wheeling Park is amazing for another 100 years."

Renovations at the White Palace were made possible by a $1.8 million contribution from the city of Wheeling through its federal pandemic relief allocation from the American Rescue Plan Act. City officials described this endeavor as a "marquee" project among the many local ARPA-funded efforts.

"Of the $28 million in ARPA money we got, there were probably 28 million different ideas on how to allocate those funds, but there was one project that stood out in terms of a consensus right away, and that was this project," Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott said. "I don't think anyone even blinked when Bob (Peckenpaugh) and Eriks (Janelsins, Oglebay Foundation president and CEO) came to us with this proposal."

The mayor said he, like many other area natives, have fond childhood memories of Wheeling Park, from riding the paddle boats on the pond to attending the legendary teen dances inside the White Palace.

"This park has always been special to me," Elliott said, who noted that the White Palace had become somewhat outdated and in need of a facelift. "It's something we all treasure."

Over the decades, the White Palace has seen various upgrades, and the latest round of improvements will help ensure that the iconic structure can be enjoyed by the next generations of residents who visit the park.

"This project is just phase one of changes to this space, and this is just the first project in the Oglebay Foundation's Forever Yours: The Campaign for an Enduring Oglebay five-year plan," Janelsins said.

The White Palace was a name given to the structure by the community, Janelsins said, noting that "Wheeling Park was created for the citizens of Wheeling by the citizens of Wheeling." The actual name given to the White Palace was the Otto Schenk Memorial Pavilion after the first chairman of the Wheeling Park Commission and the lead donor to the facility's construction.

Janelsins said that thanks to the generosity of donors in the city nearly a century ago, Wheeling Park opened on May 30, 1925. That same year, the old dance hall burned down in September, and in June of the following year, the three-story open air dance hall opened in the park.

Through generations of improvements, the White Palace today "stands as an example of excellence in our community," Janelsins said.

The Oglebay Foundation and its many donors worked to match the ARPA funds for the recent renovations, which were designed by the Mills Group and built by general contractor Waller Construction.

Ground was broken on the project in November, and the work was completed on time in a matter of months, officials noted.

A key new feature to the upgrades is the addition of a new cafe with indoor seating and an adjacent outdoor patio. Cafe 1925 "proudly serves Starbucks Coffee" and boasts a name suggested by Rod Haley, executive vice president of the Wheeling Park Commission, in honor of the park's founding date.

Scores of people - including members of the Wheeling Park Commission and the Wheeling Park team, Ohio County Schools officials, representatives of the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce, contractors, donors and other community leaders - all gathered for a ribbon cutting and tour of the renovated facility during Wednesday's grand re-opening ceremony.

Peckenpaugh said few events throughout the year utilize the entire ballroom, so the renovations created a new window wall to separate a slightly smaller ballroom area and a new Veranda Lounge. The glass dividing wall can be reopened to use the entire upper floor facility if need be, or it can be divided into two separate rooms with different capacities.

The upgraded ballroom area has new wall treatments, stage décor and sound system. The grand staircase was designed to be both functional and cosmetic. It offers a more aesthetic setting for guests entering and exiting events such as weddings and other gatherings where people can be lined up on the stairs for photographs.

The teen center and game room area on the first level also got a facelift and is expected to be repurposed. Next door - thanks to other fundraising efforts and to contributions from the Wheeling Amateur Hockey Association - the renovated J.B. Chambers Memorial Ice Rink facility will also boast another nostalgic activity that will soon be available to the public - roller skating on the new multi-surface floor. Roller hockey and pickleball courts will also be set up inside the rink facility.

The Fitzsimmons Family Dog Park at the White Palace and the Wheeling Park Pool are already open for the season, officials said. On Friday, the park's weekly Fun Fest Friday events kick off for the season at the park's amphitheater with food trucks, a beer garden, outdoor activities for kids and live music by The Rumors from 7-9 p.m.

Peckenpaugh said a new "spraygrounds" will be added to the pool next year, and many other improvements are in the works at Wheeling Park and at Oglebay.

Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron described the White Palace as an "iconic pillar of the past" and praised the collaborative effort to bring the improvements to fruition.

"This is a spectacular example of cooperation between the park commission and the city," Herron said. "These improvements not only ensure that Wheeling Park remains a cherished gem of our city, but now offers new amenities that are guaranteed to make this a highly functioning asset that will put a smile on the faces of everyone who comes by to visit this park."

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