STEUBENVILLE — Jefferson County Land Bank Director Tabatha Glover says it feels good to be building houses instead of demolishing them.

The Land Bank cut the ribbon Friday morning on its latest project, an all-new three-bedroom ranch at 612 Logan St., Steubenville.

“Since 2016 we’ve demolished 302 structures throughout Jefferson County,” Glover said. “So when we saw this opportunity come available through Welcome Home Ohio, it was a great opportunity for us to start building to replace some of those houses we had to demolish. I don’t think we’ll reach that number that we demolished, but one house at a time.”

Welcome Home Ohio provides grants to land banks and other qualified agencies or nonprofits interested in revitalizing neighborhoods by renovating or constructing affordable, single-family housing for income-eligible buyers.

Glover said WHO awarded the Land Bank $660,556 in fiscal year 2024, enough for three new homes in Jefferson County. Working with Davis Homes, the Logan Street property is the first of the three they’re building this year.

With it under their belt, Glover said they’re hoping to get funding for six more new constructions in the new funding cycle and twice as many the year after that.

She described it as a “collaborative effort” with heavy involvement from city and county leaders as well as state agencies, including the Ohio Office of Development, the Ohio Land Bank Board, the prosecutor’s office and the city of Steubenville.

“We hope to continue that collaboration with the next two houses,” she said.

Glover said construction will begin soon on the other two houses to be built this year — 823 N. Fifth St., Steubenville, and 801 N. Fourth St., Toronto.

Once constructed, the homes will be available for sale as affordable housing to individuals who are at 80% or below the area median income and meet other program requirements.

“There’s really a lot more to do,” Land Bank Board President and Jefferson County Treasurer Brian Scarpone said, applauding the work that was done to transform what had been an overgrown vacant lot into a brand new family home.

“It’s really coming together,” he said. “It’s a starting point … but there’s a lot more to do. You have an empty lot here, overgrown with weeds and everything, and you have the government working together from the state level, the county level, the city level, the township level. We’re all coming together with state and federal agencies and the private sector to start facilitating some economic development and growth.”

Scarpone said it’s “a starting point … but there’s a lot more to do.”

Former Treasurer Ray Agresta, who Scarpone said “started this,” said he’s impressed at what they were able to achieve.

“We were all skeptical at first, but we saw the value … for Jefferson County and in contributing to the rebirth of the North End,” he said.

Commissioner Jake Kleineke, a member of the Land Bank board, said he loves being part of the move toward building houses rather than demolishing them.

“We have a house here that’s finally finished,” he said. “We have a good plan in place, I think. You know we have two more we’re going to do this year and our plan is to do six next year and, hopefully, 12 the year after that.

“Hopefully this is a step toward young people wanting to purchase homes in our area and stay here and contribute to our society,” Kleineke added.

Steubenville Mayor Ralph Petrella said the project “represents collaboration … between the city, the county and private investors.”

“It’s amazing to see how things like this can develop over time to help our community,” he said. “This is really, really important to the North End. It’s a new build, which hasn’t been done here in a long time. And we just want to recognize everybody who has been a part of it and who has continued to take us forward.”

U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio, said it’s “a beautiful place.”

“When you have an urban area like Steubenville, or if you have a Youngstown or even an Akron or Canton, you want to start in the inner core of the city, which is right here,” he said. “So when you buy this house … you have a church a block away and you have Steubenville Big Red maybe two blocks away. This will be a cornerstone for the neighborhood coming back, and we can get these other houses rebuilt or fixed up or leveled, and young adults of Steubenville will know they have a place and can actually live here and have a good job and a good life.”

Eligible buyers must be at 80% or below the area median income and meet other program requirements, Glover said. That essentially means a family of four “can earn up to $68,150 to be eligible to purchase this house,” she said.

Because it was built in a Community Reinvestment Area, it comes with a 15-year tax abatement — meaning the buyer will pay taxes on the land itself but not on the house for the first 15 years of homeownership. There’s also a long-term deed restriction, and buyer counseling is required.