Photo by wirwuenscheneinbierinternationalereisegesellschaft/FlickrCC
By Alec Berry/The Intelligencer
Rep. David B. McKinley said Wednesday he’ll work with West Virginia’s next governor to push for expanded historic rehabilitation tax credits, while pressing Congress to follow suit.
McKinley, R-W.Va., said these credits incentivize private development, and they advocate for the restoration of dormant downtown districts.
He cited several local properties revived because of tax credits, and said these buildings now contribute to the revitalization of Wheeling.
“How a community treats its downtown is a manifestation of how it thinks about economic development,” McKinley said. “It hurts me every time I see another building come down because I know they could be restored.”
McKinley’s talk was the second installment in the West Virginia Division of Culture and History’s Betty Woods “Snookie” Nutting Lecture Series at West Virginia Independence Hall. The subject of historic rehabilitation credits is timely because surrounding states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania offer 25-percent credits, compared to 10 percent in West Virginia.
Some, such as Jake Dougherty of Wheeling Heritage and members of Wheeling City Council, believe a higher rate would change the rehabilitation game in Wheeling, enabling developers to take a fair shot at many of the city’s vacant structures…
I stayed in the Waldo Hotel for two nights in 1945 when my father and I were visiting Melvin G Sperry in his apartment in the Waldo. I remember my visit very well and would love to see the hotel restored.