WVNCC officially unveils new improvements to Wheeling Campus

WVNCC officially opens two new parking lots and unveils new improvements to Wheeling Campus

West Virginia Northern Community College (WVNCC) officially opened two new parking lots, with a third one set to open soon, and unveiled their latest improvements to their Wheeling Campus. The new and improved new parking areas include 107 parking spots, new campus signage, green spaces, a rain garden and landscaping. The updated lots are located behind the B&O Building and adjacent to the college’s Advanced Technology Center. The renovated visitor’s lot in front of the B&O Building will reopen later this summer.

“The improvements to our campus and these parking lots are a welcome sight,” commented WVNCC President, Dr. Daniel Mosser.  “This is the latest in a myriad of improvements we have made to our college. These enhancements greatly benefit our students and are another example of our role in the revitalization of downtown Wheeling.”

The areas unveiled today include four large monument signs with the WVNCC logo clearly marking the area of downtown Wheeling that comprises of the college campus. The parking lots behind the college’s historic B&O Building incorporates a large greenspace for people to enjoy, right next to Wheeling Creek. The greenspace includes stone seats that were once the foundation stones of the B&O railroad deck that were used for the original railroad. The stones were donated by the City of Wheeling to be used as part of the project. The greenspace and parking areas will tie seamlessly into the Wheeling Street Scape project as well as the Wheeling Creek Corridor project.

 “The college is excited to celebrate our recent campus expansion and enhancements,” said WVNCC Board of Governors Chair, Dave Artman. “Sufficient and safe parking plays a vital role in the success of our students. I would like to commend all the college partners including our WVNCC Foundation, local government officials, architects, engineers, and construction managers for making this a reality.”

The lots behind the B&O Building also include a rain garden which satisfies the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) and the City of Wheeling’s Municipal Storm Sewer Separation System Requirements. The first one-inch runoff in the project area will be treated and filtered through a WVDEP approved storm water best management practice before re-entering the downstream watershed. This filtration will help to slow the rate of storm runoff, filter contaminates from nearby impervious surfaces, and cool the temperature of the water before being released back into the Little Wheeling Creek. In addition to satisfying the requirements and being aesthetically pleasing, this system serves as a low-impact stormwater management approach to conventional stormwater infrastructure systems.