NEWS9 Special Assignment: Tearing down to build up

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — Revitalization is taking place in parts of downtown Steubenville, but a major roadblock has been the number of empty and dilapidated buildings dotting the landscape.

"The buildings are part of the fabric of our history,” business owner Mark Nelson said.

“A lot of historic buildings here," said City Manager Jim Mavromatis. "A lot of them, unfortunately, have started to deteriorate because there's no upkeep.”

Those deteriorating buildings are a roadblock to revitalization.

But, the best way to deal with the problem is not so cut and dry as fixing the existing buildings or knocking them down and start from scratch.

Both have been done. Many of the parking lots downtown are in the footprint of old buildings.

But, Mavromatis says he generally prefers to keep what's there.

“I would go more to the revitalization part. But, then, again, you'll have to look at all of these buildings. Probably, the best thing is to demolish. It's far simpler then building something new. “

Cost is a big factor in either option.

Some owners just don't have the money to get buildings up to code. They deteriorate, and that's when the city steps in.

It’s a long process, but they’ll put a lien against the property.

One success story Mavromatis points to is that of Nelson, who owns five buildings downtown and is putting businesses in each.

His newest, the Steubenville Popcorn Company, resides in a building built in the 1870s.

"The bones of the building are strong. A lot of times it's really cheaper to invest in an old building and fix it up than it is to build a new one,” Nelson said.

Nelson says the key to restoring Steubenville lies in the refurbishing and rebuilding of the structures.

“My opinion, everything needs to be done to either bring them back into use or fill in between the buildings that are missing with new buildings that will enable new business to come in,” he said.

The ultimate answer may lie somewhere in the middle. Use Wheeling for example. A brand new building will house The Health Plan and hundreds of jobs. The promise of jobs allowed the city to take adjacent structures off the demolition list.

Ultimately, the best course of action is determined on a case-by-case basis. But, it's clear the future of Steubenville's downtown relies on the people who live there.

"It takes vision,” Mavromatis said. “It does take money in some cases.”

“With our proximity to Pittsburgh, with the building of oil and gas going on, I think it's a ripe time to reinvest in our community. If we don't reinvest, no one's going to reinvest.”