WHEELING — Several parking spaces at The Health Plan’s new Wheeling headquarters filled up Wednesday as about 60 employees worked their first day inside the estimated $16 million facility.

“It was a pretty smooth transition as far as I could tell,” Wendy Hodorowski, the company’s marketing director, said as she neared the end of her first day in the new 53,000-square-foot building in the 1100 block of Main and Market streets. “Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration picked up our equipment in St. Clairsville, and they had it set up here for us in the morning.”

Workers from Colaianni Construction continue putting the finishing touches on the four-story structure and surrounding grounds. Hodorowski said tours of the facility will not be available until early 2018.

By the end of January, the company expects about 350 employees to be working in the new building. They will join about 75 employees at the former Horne’s building at 11th and Main streets, totaling 425 full-time workers in the block.

“It is still a work in progress. Our goal is to have everyone in by the end of January,” she said.

Normal business hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The office will not be open to those planning to make payments on bills, she said. Instead, there will be a “lock box” into which customers can deposit payments.

To help transport workers from parking facilities, a 24-passenger trolley will loop from 10th Street to 22nd Street during peak times when the workers are coming and going. The Ohio Valley Regional Transportation Authority will spend $60,000 for the trolley to begin its run in January.

“I’m sure some will take advantage of that,” Hodorowski said of the trolley. The Health Plan’s structure occupies an area that once thrived with retail activity. Gradually, due to changing shopping patterns, the businesses vacated their buildings.

City council voted to use tax increment financing to purchase and demolish most of the 1100 block buildings. In December 2015, city leaders joined officials with The Health Plan to announce the company would relocate its corporate office from St. Clairsville to downtown Wheeling. The health care provider paid nothing for the vacant Wheeling land.

“The additional workers who will be coming downtown every day to work provide our local businesses and restaurants with an opportunity to pick up additional customers,” Wheeling Vice Mayor Chad Thalman said. “The city is prepared for the influx of an additional 400 workers who will be coming downtown every day.”

“The Health Plan’s opening is important for what it says about Wheeling. It says that we are a city that is on the rise and that is open for business,” Mayor Glenn Elliott added.

After The Health Plan vacates its two buildings near St. Clairsville, Belmont County officials plan to create a consolidated court system on the campus. County commissioners recently agreed to pay $3.3 million for the structures.