redp - regional economic development partnership

w e l c o m e t o R E D

RED, the Regional Economic Development Partnership, is located in the

Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Why are businesses being enticed to this region? It’s simple. When you see

RED you save GREEN.

That’s why Wheeling is ranked as one of the top 20 small MSAs in the U.S.

in terms of business recruitment and attraction!

- Expansion ManagEMEnt MagazinE.

w h a t i s R E D ?

b u s i n e s s d e v e l o p m e n t

RED is a one-stop resource for development programs, location assistance, demographics, and economic and community information on the Wheeling, West Virginia, region including Ohio, Marshall and Wetzel counties.

RED wants you to know Wheeling has many advantages that companies notice once they take a closer look.

An article from the Associated Press sums up business development opportunities here:

“Wheeling has well-trained people, easy access to the amenities of Pittsburgh and local benefits such as good schools...once people get their hands around that, they are very excited. The area offers a pool of hardworking people interested in higher pay and good benefits. In return, Wheeling allows [businesses] to enjoy lower real estate and labor costs than big cities such as Chicago.”

w h a t i s R E D ?

These new business ventures, and many others, are proving that the Wheeling MSA is increasingly successful in expanding its local economy by attracting businesses to locate here.

• International law firm, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe’s Global Operations Center.• Global provider of Corporate Information Solutions Williams Lea’s new downtown office center. • Cabela’s retail and regional distribution center at The Highlands in Ohio County. • CertainTeed’s new wallboard plant in Marshall County. • New and expanding companies in Wetzel County.

w h e r e

The RED region is located in the I-70 Corridor

between Pittsburgh and Columbus.

A recent article published by Expansion Management

titled “2007 Top Cities for Business Attraction” states

the Wheeling area and West Virginia have become

national places of choice for businesses seeking to

relocate. It ranks the Wheeling MSA as 17th and West

Virginia eighth among states.

The study, a joint venture of the magazine and the

National Research Council, attempted to discover

which cities, metropolitan areas and counties were

most successful in expanding their local economy by

attracting outside businesses to locate there.

The study covers the business performance of 362

metropolitan areas and 3,141 counties nationwide.

The study analyzed the relocation data of 19 million

companies over the past eight years to determine the

most popular commercial relocation destinations. The

article stated, “The consensus of millions of business

executives was to choose these locations.”

p i t t s b u r g h

c o l u m b u s

e a s y a c c e s s

l o c a t i o nw h e e l i n g

l o c a t i o n i n f o r m a t i o n

Within a 50- to 100-mile radius, the area is rich in a

work force with world-class, high-tech backgrounds

and management skills. All nestled in an area that

offers a wonderful mixture of small town and major

market “quality of life” advantages.

Source: Deloitte Consulting

Shared Services Capability Assessment (2006)

The RED Partnership area is easily accessible:

•I-70passesthroughWheeling,WV

•I-79-30minutesviaI-70

•I-77-40minutesviaI-70

•PittsburghInternationalAirport-55minutes

Metro Wheeling is within a 500-mile radius of:

•Over67%ofthenation’spopulation

•60%ofthenation’smanufacturingemployment

•48%ofthenation’seffectivebuyingpower

Near Large Populations:

•50miles/1hour-1.8millionpeople

•100miles/2hours-6.4millionpeople

•150miles/3hours-12.7millionpeople

•200miles/4hours-20millionpeople

Advantages of I-70 Corridor between

Pittsburgh and Columbus:

•I-70-TheNation’sEast-WestRoute

•55,000vehiclespassMainStreet/

Downtown I-70 exit daily

•153,622vehiclestravelthroughtheWheeling

area per day

Relative Distance:

City Miles*Pittsburgh 55

Columbus 123

Cleveland 177

Washington,D.C. 300

Indianapolis 315

Detroit 330

Louisville 340

Philadelphia 350

Toronto 400

NewYork 425

Chicago 460

*Mileagebasedoninterstatetravel

b u s i n e s s a n d c o s t

e n v i r o n m e n t• Lowstructuraloperatingcosts(competitivelabor,

real estate, and utility costs) compared to the

U.S. average and major metropolitan centers

• High-qualityworkforce

• Employeeloyalty(lowturnover),workethic,and

dedication to the company

• Demonstratedabilitytosuccessfullysupporta

multi-functionalSharedServicesCenter(Orrick,

Herrington&SutcliffeLLP,WilliamsLea)

• Reliableandrobustutilityinfrastructure

• Responsivenessanddemonstratedabilityto

structure real estate transactions

• Responsivenessandwillingnessofthepublic

sector to support projects

• Streamlinedpermittingprocess

• Lownaturaldisasterrisks



R E D v a l u e

Part of the I-70 Corridor between Pittsburgh and

Columbus,theREDregioniscomprisedofOhio,

Marshall and Wetzel counties in the northern tip of

West Virginia–an attractive location for companies and

entrepreneurs searching for premier value.

Overall,Wheelinghasrelativelylowstructural

operating costs.

Companies considering Wheeling as a location

for operations could expect cost savings of

approximately:

• 10%-15%relativetothenationalaverage,and

• 25%-30%relativetomajorurbancenters

(i.e.SanFrancisco,NewYork)



R E D v a l u e

l o w e r c o s t o f

d o i n g b u s i n e s s

l o w e r c o s t

Office Space Lease Rates* City Current Rate (2nd quarter 2007)

SanFrancisco $38.31/sq.ft.

NY-Downtown $46.06/sq.ft.

NY-Midtown $69.44/sq.ft.

Washington,D.C. $45.67/sq.ft.

NorthernVA $30.09/sq.ft.

LosAngeles $32.16/sq.ft.

SiliconValley $32.16/sq.ft.

Columbus,OH-downtown $18.26/sq.ft.

Columbus,OH-suburban $17.05/sq.ft.

Cleveland,OH-downtown $16.54/sq.ft.

Cleveland,OH-Suburban $16.71/sq.ft.

Pittsburgh,PA $21.48/sq.ft.

Wheeling,WV $13.25/sq.ft.1

*CB Richard Ellis Market Reports 20071Class A & Class B Space–RED research





Employment Retention

Turnover and unemployment rates indicate

an ability to sustain an operation in

the market. The majority of employers

interviewed cite particularly low employee

turnover rates as well as a strong quality

of work ethic.

Employee Retention and Turnover of

Financial Services and Office Employers

OrganizationType AnnualTurnover

CorporateBackOffice <5%

SharedServicesCenter <3%

Bank 10%-15%

IT/TechSupport 5%-10%

Source: Deloitte Consulting Shared Services Capability Assessment (2006)

Shared Services Capability Assessment

By Deloitte Consulting LLP (2006)

Study Objective:

The objectives of the Deloitte investigation were to

understand and report on the merits of the Wheeling,

West Virginia, economic area as a location for shared

services/transactionprocessingoperations.

Study Results:

WheelingAreaBackOfficeOperations

• DuetorecentsuccesswithOrrickandWilliamsLea,

Wheeling has demonstrated an ability to attract

shared services operations.

• Abilitytosupporttransactionalprocessesthat

comprise the majority of a Shared Service Center.

• Broadcapabilitytoscalethetransactional

processes that characterize a Shared Service Center.

• Absenceofoneroustaxesforaservicecenter

operation.

• High-qualityworkforce.

• Reliableutilityinfrastructure.

Major Financial Services and Office Employers

Type1 WesBanco Bank2Orrick SharedSVC3WilliamsLea DocumentSVC4 United Bank Bank 5 Chase Bank 6 Progressive Bank7 Sky Bank Bank8MainStreet Bank9 Wachovia Securities10WheelingPitt Corp.Office

Major Call Center Employers

Type1 Teletech Call Center2WesBanco CorporateHQ3 Blue Cross Customer SVC4 Datatrac Customer SVC5Orrick SharedSVC6 Verizon Customer SVC7 Santco Medical Billing8WilliamsLea DocumentSVC9HealthPlan CustomerSVC10 Epixtar Marketing

Major IT/Technical Employers

Type1 Wheeling Island Gaming2 Orrick SharedServices3NTTC FedTechTransfer4HGOTech Network5WVHTC IPManagement6OLETC LawEnforcementTech7Touchstone Lab8Stratuswave Broadband9Fibernet Broadband10 CET Education

s h a r e d s e r v i c e s p r o g r a m s

i n n o v a t i v e

l o c a l & s t a t e

i n c e n t i v e sEligible companies that locate to the

Wheeling region have access to a variety

of economic assistance programs. These

initiatives range from tax reduction,

specialfinancingprograms,andworkforce

development training.

R E D w o r k s f o r y o u

RED Programs

Regional Economic Development Partnership has a staff

whichwillcoordinateyourprojectfinancing.Currentloan

programswespecificallyadministerare:

SBA504LoanProgram:

•Upto$2millionperproject

($4millionformanufacturing)

•SBAwillfinanceupto40%ofthetotalproject

•Secondpositionbehindotherlender

•Take-outfinancing

•Availablestatewide

RevolvingLoanFund(RLF):

•ServingOhioandMarshallcounties

•Upto$165,000perloan

•Sharedfirstlienposition

•$35,000perjobcreated

State of West Virginia Programs

New and expanding businesses can learn about any of

theinnovativefinancialincentiveprogramslistedhereby

contactingtheWestVirginiaDevelopmentOfficeat

www.wvdo.org or www.wvopenforbusiness.com.

•Directloanprograms

•Indirectloanprograms

•Industrialrevenuebonds

•Leveragedtechnologyloaninsuranceprogram

•WestVirginiaInfrastructureandJobs

Development Council

•WestVirginiaSmallBusinessDevelopment

Center loans

•Smallbusinessdevelopmentloans

•Taxincrementfinancing

“The quality of the work force in the greater

Wheeling area is equal or superior to other U.S.

cities where we hire professionals. We found in

Wheeling and surrounding areas a high-caliber,

well-educated work force with solid skill sets. We

wereabletofillallofourpositionswithqualified

enthusiasticpeople.”-Orrick

“The bounty of natural beauty along with many

cultural activities surrounding us, make it easy to

attract and keep PhDs and scientists in our area.”

-ElizabethN.Kraftician,CEO,TouchstoneResearch

Laboratory.

R E D i s r e a d y

r e l i a b l e

w o r k f o r c e

R E D i s e d u c a t i o n

e d u c a t i o n & t r a i n i n g

“Eighty-six percent of West Virginia Northern Community

College’s students live in the region after graduation.”

-Dr.MartinOlshinsky,President,WVNCC.

“OurpartnershipwithWVNCCallowedustoestablish

and implement custom training programs during a short

period of time.” - Bob Marshall, President and General

Manager, Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center

Notable colleges and universities on the I-70 Corridor

between Pittsburgh and Columbus:

Art Institute of Pittsburgh

Carnegie Mellon University

Duquesne University

Point Park University

University of Pittsburgh

West Virginia University

FranciscanUniversityofSteubenville

WheelingJesuitUniversity

Bethany College

WestLibertyStateCollege

Waynesburg College

OhioUniversityEasternCollege

West Virginia Northern Community College

Belmont Technical College

JeffersonCommunityCollege

“PeopleintheOhioValleyworkhardand

Wheeling has proven to be a great place

torecruittalent.Wehavetheabilitytofind

skill sets whether they are legal, IT, creative,

orfinancial.”-WilliamsLea

TheGovernor’sGuaranteedWorkForceProgram

administers training funds to new and existing

industries to help them develop their work forces.

RED and West Virginia help design the best

possible solution for every employer, coordinating

all available state and federal training resources.

We facilitate a detailed analysis of labor

availability. Using employer-based criteria,

companies can obtain:

• Freerecruitment

• Currentandfuturestaffingneedsassessment

• Candidatescreening

RED and West Virginia also work with the local

community colleges and universities to assist

businesses in meeting their work force needs.

RED has organized a consortium of these

educational institutions in respect to work

force development. The group is working to

address current and future work force demands

for the region.

e d u c a t i o n & t r a i n i n g

s u c c e s s s t o r y

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP

Global Operations Center (GOC)

Wheeling, WV

CostSavings:Over$5millionperyear.

Partnership: Cooperation between all parties allowed this

80,000-sq.-ft.manufacturingbuildingtoberehabilitated

intoClassAofficespacewithinsixmonths.

Opened:2002

Employees: Nearly 200

Overview:$13millionprojectfortheGlobalOperations

CenterforOrrick,Herrington&Sutcliffe,LLP,an

internationallawfirm.Redevelopeda100-year-old

industrialbuildingof88,000squarefeetintomodern

officesandstate-of-the-arttechnologycenter.The

GOCservesastheHelpDesk,accountsreceivable,

andhumanresourcedepartmentsforallOrrick’s

officesworldwide.

Orrickperformedanationwidesearchfortheirfacility

location and chose Wheeling. The project team consisted

of many local partners who pulled together to get this

$13millionprojectaccomplishedinunderayear(from

making the decision through construction to opening

their doors). The Regional Economic Development

Partnership was the conduit to making this project

a reality.

“AtOrrick,wenowhavetheabilitytoconnecteveryone

globally 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through

the technology in Wheeling. That technology is reliable

because of the people here. With the lower costs,

advancedtechnology,andloyalskilledworkers,Orrick

issavingover$5millionperyear,andcustomer

satisfaction is at its highest.” - Ralph Baxter, President

andCEOofOrrick,Herrington&Sutcliffe,LLP

Excerpts From an Article By Zusha Elinson

The Recorder 05-25-2007

-WhenOrrick,Herrington&Sutcliffeannouncedit

would move scores of support staff to a small

industrial town in West Virginia, lawyers inside and

out were skeptical of the quality of work and the

return on investment.

Fiveyearslater,the980-lawyerfirmsaysithassaved

morethan$20millionthankstotheGlobal

OperationsCenterinWheeling,WestVirginia–all

without diminishing its services.

“Any time you have every level of government, every

level of economic development authority helping you

establish yourself as a viable corporate entity, it can’t

get much easier,” said Will Turani, director of the

centerinWheeling,stressingthatOrrick’spresencehas

brought jobs to the region and encouraged other

businesses to open similar facilities in the area.

-“Ithasestablishedgreaterefficiencyandprocess

excellencethanwecould’veexpected,”saidfirm

chairmanandCEORalphBaxter,Jr.“It’sbeena

substantial contribution to the economics.”

In large part, that’s because of the low cost of real

estateandwagesinWestVirginia.Occupancycostsare

$1,700perpersoninWheeling,accordingtothefirm,

asopposedto$8,550inSanFranciscoornearlytwice

that in midtown Manhattan, according to a study by

DTZResearch.Theaveragesalaryisabout$45,000at

thecenter,whichthefirmestimatesisabout30

percent less than it would be paying in most major

metropolitan areas.



Williams Lea

Corporate Information Solutions

Wheeling, WV

Legal outsourcing company opens office in Wheeling,

West Virginia, By Tim Huber Of The Associated Press

- WheelingallowsWilliamsLeatoenjoylowerrealestate

and labor costs than big cities.

- BritishoutsourcingfirmWilliamsLeaisbettingthat

corporate clients will want to keep more sensitive jobs

such as transcribing depositions and processing legal

documents a little closer to home. ‘’Wheeling is an

essential piece of what we’re trying to accomplish,’’ said

DavePennino,thefirm’sdirectorofmarketing.

- ‘‘ForWheeling,WilliamsLeaholdsthepromiseof

economic development in its downtown,’’ said Don Rigby,

executive director of the Regional Economic Development

Partnership.Thenonprofitorganizationrebuiltandowns

boththeWheelingStampingandStone&Thomas

buildings.

- ‘‘These types of organizations are now a target market for

the state,’’ Rigby said. ‘‘There are several areas in the

state where this makes sense.’’

- WilliamsLeahassignedadealwithWestVirginia

Northern Community College to offer courses aimed at

preparing students for careers in business law and legal

document handling.

- Rigby and Pennino say Wheeling has advantages that

companies notice once they take a closer look. The area

offers a pool of hardworking people interested in better-

than-averagepayandgoodbenefits.

Cabela’s Retail and Distribution Centers

Cabela’s“World’sForemostOutfitter”tookaclose

look at the RED region and liked what they saw.

OhioCountywassuccessfulinenticingCabela’sto

locate a 540,000-sq.-ft. distribution center, as well

as a retail store of over 175,000 square feet which

opened August 2004. Currently, the distribution

center has expanded to 1.6 million square feet. In

all there are estimated to be 1,200 full-time jobs

at the two facilities and an expected 4 million

visitors a year.

r e g i o n a l s u c c e s s

r e g i o n a l s u c c e s s e s

The Highlands Retail and Development Complex

The RED region is growing fast. Wheeling joined

an exclusive club when it became home to the

10thCabela’sOutdoorOutfittersstore.Thisunique

shoppingexperienceisthefocalpointoftheOhio

Valley’snewestattraction,TheHighlands.Sincethe

construction of the anchor store, the surrounding

Highlandsareahasblossomedintoaretail/

recreation destination which is unmatched in a

50+ mile radius. Shopping, dining, lodging, movies

and theme park excitement will meet the needs of

every visitor.

Books-A-Million,J.C.Penney,Kohl’s,Target,Olive

Garden and many more stores make up this rapidly

expanding shopping destination.

AT&T ‘Troubleshooter’ Call Center in Wheeling

AT&Tseesclearadvantagestolocatinginthe

RED region. In August 2007 they announced plans

to open an in-bound call center in Wheeling.

The company expects to hire a minimum of 200

tostaffthenewfacilityinthenewHighlands

development complex. The call center will provide

troubleshooting assistance to wireless customers

across the country and is scheduled to begin in

Wheelinginthesecondorthirdquarterof2008.

TheOhioCountyDevelopmentAuthoritywill

constructanewbuildingcalledtheLifestyleCenter

and will lease 45,000 square feet on the second

floortoAT&T.Totalinvestmentfortheprojectis

approximately$8million.

Warren Distribution

• January2006,purchasedthe250,000-sq.-ft.

former Marx Toy Building in Glen Dale.

• Creatingaminimumof75jobs.

• Investingover$13million.

Established in 1922, Warren Distribution, Inc.,

basedinOmaha,Neb.,manufacturesautomotive

and agricultural lubricants and functional fluids

and sells a variety of lubricants, chemicals and

auto accessories. Warren’s customers for the

private label lubricants and fluids include major oil

companies, farm store chains, mass merchandisers

and convenience store chains. Customers for

house brand lubricants and related products and

for its distributed merchandise consist of smaller

distributors, jobber stores, independent auto

part retailers, grocery and drug chains, candy

and tobacco distributors, and some oil

distributors.

Millennium Centre Technology Park

There is over 79,000 square

feetofhigh-techofficeandlight

manufacturing space in this park.

TouchstoneResearchLaboratory,

the major tenant, is an award-

winning supplier of materials testing,

industrial problem solving, and outsourced

R&Dservicestocommercialandgovernment

customers.Overthepasttwodecades,Touchstone

has developed for numerous clients, a host of

technologies which account for sales totaling

hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

A few of their projects are:

CFOAM®-Aversatilenext-generationstructural

material made from coal in a cost-effective

proprietary process, which is inexpensive,

lightweight,fire-resistant,andimpactabsorbing.

MetPreg™-MetPreg™isauniqueFiberReinforced

Aluminum(FRA)material,atruemetalmatrix

composite(MMC),thatmakesuseofalltraditional

composite processing techniques.

NxSEM™ - The next step in MEMS-scale testing

and assembly.

CertainTeed (Formerly BPB)


• Providingcloseto100good-paying

jobsdirectly.

• Willcreateanestimated100indirect

jobs(trucking,etc.).

Manufactureswallandceilingsystemsforusein

residentialandcommercialbuildingsandmarkets

themunderthebrandsProRoc®GypsumBoard,

GlasRoc®High-PerformanceSheathing,Profin®

JointCompounds,Celotex®MineralCeiling

Systems,Capaul®High-PerformanceCeilings&

WallSystems,andGyptone®DesignerGypsum

CeilingSystems.Worldleaderinthesupplyof

gypsumwallboardandplasters,andamajor

supplierofinsulation,ceilingtilesandrelated

productsforinternallinings,servinggrowing

marketsforbuildingsystemsinover50

countries.

TeleTech

TeletechinMoundsville,West

Virginia.TheRegionalEconomic

DevelopmentPartnership(RED)

developedandownsthe58,000-

sq.-ft.,state-of-the-art,high-tech,

customerservicecenter,which

provides500jobsforthelocalarea.RED

coordinatedthefinancing/incentivepackage

withtheWestVirginiaDevelopmentOffice,the

WestVirginiaEconomicDevelopmentAuthority,

theMarshallCountyCommission,thecityof

Moundsville,andaconsortiumoflocalbanks.

Warren Distribution

• January2006,purchasedthe250,000-sq.-ft.

formerMarxToyBuildinginGlenDale.

• Creatingaminimumof75jobs.


Establishedin1922,WarrenDistribution,Inc.,

basedinOmaha,Neb.,manufacturesautomotive

andagriculturallubricantsandfunctionalfluids

andsellsavarietyoflubricants,chemicalsand

autoaccessories.Warren’scustomersforthe

privatelabellubricantsandfluidsincludemajoroil

companies,farmstorechains,massmerchandisers

andconveniencestorechains.Customersfor

housebrandlubricantsandrelatedproductsand

foritsdistributedmerchandiseconsistofsmaller

distributors,jobberstores,independentautopart

retailers,groceryanddrugchains,candyand

tobaccodistributors,andsomeoildistributors.

Millennium Centre Technology Park

Thereisover79,000squarefeet

ofhigh-techofficeandlight

manufacturingspaceinthispark.

TouchstoneResearchLaboratory,the

majortenant,isanaward-winning

supplierofmaterialstesting,industrial

problemsolving,andoutsourcedR&D

servicestocommercialandgovernment

customers.Overthepasttwodecades,

Touchstonehasdevelopedfornumerousclients,

ahostoftechnologieswhichaccountforsales

totalinghundredsofmillionsofdollarsannually.

Afewoftheirprojectsare:

CFOAM®-Aversatilenext-generationstructural

materialmadefromcoalinacost-effective

proprietaryprocess,whichisinexpensive,

lightweight,fire-resistant,andimpactabsorbing.

MetPreg™-MetPreg™isauniqueFiberReinforced

Aluminum(FRA)material,atruemetalmatrix

composite(MMC),thatmakesuseofalltraditional

compositeprocessingtechniques.

NxSEM™-ThenextstepinMEMS-scaletesting

andassembly.

R E D i sq u a l i t y o f l i f e

l i v a b i l i t y

Life in the RED Region

The RED region offers a quality of living equal to

many larger cities at a fraction of the cost. In fact,

it’s possible to have the advantages of both small-

town and big-city amenities.

Within a 50-mile radius, the area is abundant in

distinguished educational institutions, world-class

medical facilities, and ethnic and cultural diversity.

Ourlowcostoflivingandshortcommutescombine

to create one of the most livable areas in America.

When you add the natural beauty and wonder,

breathtaking vistas in both urban and rural

communities, an abundance of nightlife, cultural

districts, sports and recreation, you can see why the

RED area is such a desirable place to live and work.

Affordable Cost of Living

•ForbesMagazinerecentlyrankedthePittsburgh

area as one of the top ten most affordable real

estate markets in the USA

•Wheelingistraditionallyevenlowerthanthe

adjacent Pittsburgh market

•AccordingtoTheACCRACostofLivingIndex,

the West Virginia region is a very affordable place

to live compared with major metropolitan areas

throughout the United States

•Newandexistinghousingpricedbelow

national average

•Lowpropertytaxes

•ThePlacesRatedAlmanacrecentlyrankedthe

Wheeling MSA as one of the most affordable cost

of living metro areas

Recreation

OglebayResortandConferenceCenterfeaturesthree

championship golf courses designed by the likes of

ArnoldPalmerandRobertTrentJones.

Infact,thetri-stateareaishometosomeofthefinest

coursesintheworld,includingPittsburgh’sOakmont

CountryClub,homeoftherecentU.S.Open.

Right in the heart of RED area is Wheeling Island’s

greyhound racing and casino action. Mountaineer Park,

less than an hour drive, offers some of the

finestthoroughbredracingontheEastCoast,plus

casino action.

If you’re the outdoor type, West Virginia whitewater

rafting and rugged outdoor lifestyle are just a few

hours south. Ski resorts in Pennsylvania and West

Virginia are popular and easy to get to.

Entertainment and Culture

Remember, you can get to lots of places via

convenient interstate access. Columbus has a major

zoo, museums and science center.

The same can be said for the internationally renowned

PittsburghSymphony,thePittsburghBallet,Heinz

Hall,theCarnegieandAndyWarholmuseums.The

Pittsburgh Zoo, water parks and historic Kennywood

amusement park are all less than one hour away.

Wheeling also offers its own symphony and world-

classresort,OglebayPark,withhundredsofnatural

acres, a children’s zoo and skiing.

Sports

Intoprofessionalsports?You’rejust55minutesaway

fromMajorLeagueBaseball’smostbeautifulballpark,

PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Sidney

CrosbyandtheNHL’smostexplosiveyoungteam,the

Penguins,andthefive-timeSuperBowlchampion

SteelerswiththebrandnewHeinzFieldarewithina

short drive time.

Wheeling also is home to championship professional

hockey,andyoucancatchtheFrontierLeague

finalists,WashingtonWildThingsminorleague

baseball, 20 minutes away.

Major college teams within a 200-mile radius include

OhioState,Pitt,PennStateandWVU.

q u a l i t y o f l i f e

Dining

Inthemoodforyourfavoritechainrestaurant?Or

maybeacozyfinefoodestablishmentormicro

pubandeatery?Fromthelocalethnicrestaurants

to nationally recognized establishments in the

Wheeling/Pittsburgharea,youareclosetojust

about any kind of dining experience you desire.

Shopping

Forshoppingyoucanchoosefromsmalltown

stores, large malls, small malls, fabulous shopping

districts like the amazing Easton Towne Center

in Columbus, Robinson Towne Centre and the

Pittsburgh Strip District...all within easy driving time

and distance.

YoucouldevenvisitCabela’s“World’sForemost

Outfitter”inthenewHighlandsshoppingvillagein

Wheeling.

Ease of Transportation

The area is located directly on the I-70 Corridor

between Pittsburgh and Columbus–a modern

four-lane interstate highway that allows for easy

commute to anywhere in the tri-state area, including

easy access to Pittsburgh and Columbus.

The Greater Pittsburgh International Airport is just

a 55 minute drive. Even better, the drive is without

heavytraffic!

q u a l i t y o f l i f e

Cost of Living

Cost of living indicators like grocery, housing,

transportation,healthcareandgoods&servicesare

all below any large market. That means you’ll pay less

for all cost of living items than most places, including

real estate. Whether you are looking for an apartment,

condo or a country estate, the area delivers a lot

more home for your money.

Housing

The community’s housing options range from elegant

Victorian homes found throughout the city and

suburbs to the stately mansions located on National

Road. Contemporary developments, resort-type

housingnearOglebay,aswellasultramoderncondos

and secluded country estates are all part of the area’s

unique housing spectrum. In addition, a large number

ofapartmentsandpart-time/extended-stayhousingis

also available.

Low Crime Rate

• OneofAmerica’ssafestareas,accordingto

national crime statistics.

• Ranksassecondlowestinthecountry.

(FBI Uniform Crime Statistics)

q u a l i t y

Wheeling Housing Information

AverageSalePrice $109,737

AverageListPrice $116,264

AverageDaysonMarket 118

RatioofListtoSalesPrice 94.39%

# Residential Units Sold in 2006 415

Priceof3-4BedroomHouse

$50,000-$1,195,000

Priceof5BedroomHouse

$100,000-$480,000

Source: Wheeling Board of Realtors, 2006

Combined Cost of Living Indexes

Metro Area All Items

West Virginia Average 96.7

Detroit 104.1

Chicago 111.9

Denver 100.4

LA(LongBeach) 158.2

NY(Manhattan) 201.2

Phoenix 103.8

SanFrancisco 170.6

Seattle 116.3

United States 100.0

Source: ACCRA Cost of Living Index.

Health Care

•OhioValleyMedicalCenter

•State-of-the-artcancercenter

•WheelingHospitalrankedinthetopten

percentile in cardiac care

Award-Winning Public and Private Schools

•SixschoolsdesignatedNationalSchoolsofExcellence

•Twenty-fiveschoolsdesignatedWVSchools

of Excellence

•Lowteacher/studentratio

•Technologicallyadvancedclassrooms

•Fullrangeofgiftedprograms

•Completeprogramsformentaland/or

physical disabilities

Higher Education

•Over50collegesanduniversitieswithintwo-hourdrive

Downtown and Wheeling Heritage Port

•HeritagePortfestivalsandconcertsattract

350,000 people annually

•DockingporttoDeltaQueenSteamboatswith

175 to 425 passengers

•WheelingCivicCenterattracts485,000peopleannually

Oglebay Resort and Conference Center

•3millionvisitorsannually

•Threechampionshipgolfcourses

•Conferencefacilities

•AnnualWinterFestivalofLights-600,000visitors

•Museums

•Zoo

•Planetarium

•Parkrecreation:swimming,miniaturegolf,fishing,

playground

Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center

•Over2millionvisitorsannually

•150roomhotel–liveentertainment

•Fullcasinoincludingslots,pokerandtablegames

•2,500gamingmachines

•Majorexpansionsplanned

•95%ofvisitorsfromoutofstate

The Highlands and Cabela’s

•Cabela’s175,000-sq.-ft.retailstoreopenedin2004

•Wildlifedisplays,aquariums,educationand

entertainment

•Attracts4millionvisitorsannually

•Overalldevelopmentisover1,000acres

World-Class Golfing Opportunities

20-mile radius 19 golf courses

30-mileradius 38golfcourses

50-mileradius 84golfcourses

w e a r e R E D

P.O.Box1029,Wheeling,WV26003P:304.232.7722F:304.232.7727

www.redp.org

redp - regional economic development partnership

Documents

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