The City of Steubenville was once one of the largest cities in Ohio as it was anchored by the steel, coal, glass, pottery, and textile industries that were fed by the Ohio River. As a result of these industries the downtown core of the city was filled with flourishing businesses and buildings or great architectural style.
When the industries collapsed so did the historic core of the city. However, in recent years there has been a resurgence within the community being driven by Franciscan University of Steubenville and grassroots efforts such as the Nutcracker Village and First Fridays. The downtown has been overlooked for generations and a streetscape design from over 30 years ago has laid upon the shelves.
Through the Appalachian Community Grant and the HEART of Appalachian Ohio Project the streetscape design will be implemented and will bring transformational change to the city that will spur economic growth. The improvement to the aesthetics of the city will be a much-needed boost to the pride and sense of place of place that is found within the city and its people.
The Floto Building
The HEART of Appalachian Ohio Project will transform the circa 1878 Floto Building from a
structure on a demolition list to a vibrant building that promotes the entrepreneurial spirit of
Appalachian Ohio.
The building will be transformed into a modern venue that will serve as a business incubator on the first and third floors and house meeting spaces on the
second floor.
The first floor will serve as a public market that will provide fresh and locally grown produce and meats, as well as have a commercial kitchen that will allow local vendors to utilize to help incubate their business and provide local foods to the nearby restaurants and coffee shops.
Meeting rooms will be made available to host work conferences, meetings, or small gatherings.
The Great American Rail-Trail
As part of the HEART of Appalachian Ohio Project and the Steubenville Streetscape
activity the development of protected bicycle trails will be added to the downtown region. These trails will serve as part of the main trunk of the national Great American Rail-Trail.
The Great American Rail-Trail is a signature project of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, the nation’s largest trails organization—with a grassroots community more than 1 million strong—dedicated to connecting people and communities through a nationwide network of public trails, many from former rail lines. The “Great American” is the most ambitious project in its TrailNationTM portfolio—the organization’s initiative to encourage the rapid replication of regional trail networks across the country.
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