Local building to receive boost from state tax program

STEUBENVILLE -- More than 100 years old, a building occupied for many years by a local florist and more recently by a grocery store selling many locally produced goods could undergo major renovations thanks to a state tax incentive.

Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development, visited the Steubenville Grocery Box at 173 N. Fourth St. on Thursday to announce it and 53 other historic buildings have been declared eligible for a total of $67.5 million in tax credits as part of the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program.

Awarded for 46 projects in 16 communities, some involving multiple structures, the credits are expected to leverage about $732 million in private investments, said Mihalik.

Mihalik said the owners of Ed McCauslen’s Florist were good stewards of the building, ensuring it remained standing for nearly 150 years.

And Greg Demary, its current owner, and Marc Barnes, owner of the grocery that opened there recently, announced plans to use a 35 percent state tax credit, as well as a 20 percent federal tax credit, to pursue an estimated $400,000 in improvements to the structure, which now houses the Steubenville Grocery Box.

"Whatever we don't have in tax liability will be refunded by the state," said Demary, who said their goals range from replacing one of three roofs over areas of the building and repairing the two others to restoring the second floor for residential occupancy.

He noted there also are plans to update the kitchen to allow local food vendors whose product is sold at the store to prepare it there.

Barnes said since moving into the building, he and his wife have worked hard on the building, removing layers of floor covering to expose its original tile, but they have lacked the funds for an extensive restoration.

He acknowledged the efforts of Pam and Harry Thomas, the floral shop's last owners, to maintain the building before closing the multi-generation family business and expressed gratitude to state agencies for their recent assistance.

"I think you from the bottom of my heart," he told his visitors, who included representatives of Ohio History Connection's State Historic Preservation Office who offered to guide the owners of historic building through future rehabilitation projects.

Mihalik said the State Historic Preservation Office determines if a property qualifies as a historic building and that rehabilitation plans comply with federal guidelines.

She said historic buildings can play a vital role in economic development by attracting residents and visitors with their often beautiful and unique architecture and design.

Mihalik said such restorations help to preserve a community's history while supporting economic growth.

"We have so many great historic spaces in communities throughout the state that are ready for renovation," she said.

Mariangela Pfister, deputy state historic preservation officer, said the tax incentive program championed by Gov. Mike DeWine "allows an iconic building like Carew Tower in Cincinnati, former schools in Arlington Heights and Berea, a former church in Dayton, The Edna, a building significant to the African American community in Columbus, and many others, to have a new life."

The Thompson Block in East Liverpool also was among the many projects identified as tax credit recipients.

Mayor Jerry Barilla said he can recall when Downtown Steubenville was a bustling place, a situation diminished by various factors, but in recent years he's seen a "rebirth" there through the efforts of people like the Demarys, the Barnes and the Nelsons, who founded the Nutcracker Village and also opened new businesses on North Fourth Street.

"Because they are taking a chance here in Steubenville with their persistence and vision, it's reached a point where we're now upward," he said.