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Former Keg & Kraut Redevelopment Stalled: Last year, the city sold the former Keg & Kraut Building in East Wheeling to a developer for $1 under the assumption that it would become a wood-fire pizza restaurant within 18 months. Now, the owner is asking for an indefinite extension to this, blaming East Wheeling's rough perception for the lack of progress. Mayor Elliott shot back at this by blaming them for getting involved if they weren't willing to take a risk to help improve the neighborhood. The developer has put in $80,000 of work so far, and if they show their plans for the property within two weeks, the city will consider an extension. This building is one of the last remaining historic buildings in this block - the block across the street was completely demolished to build a large soccer facility where dozens of Victorian-era buildings once stood. I really hope this project works - it's time for East Wheeling to live up to its potentials and not continue to be torn down. Currently, plans for the pizza restaurant have been replaced with a hip coffeshop called "Mugshots" that would sell lunch items and coffee - personally I think this would be best for the neighborhood. Rendering of the Keg & Kraut Redevelopment: Tiny House Neighborhood on Wheeling Island: Wheeling Island has some heavily blighted areas that have been targeted by tiny house enthusiasts. This group led my Martin Wach hopes to set aside land for over one hundred 8.5 feet by 24 feet houses. The city is still undecided on the plan. Some NIMBY's say it will lower property values, but most studies show the opposite. The mayor is in full support of this as a way to bring development back to the island. There is also a new park coming to the island on the other side of the 10th Street bridge into Downtown. One of the several tiny homes popping up on Wheeling Island: New Brewery Coming to Center Market District: Brew Keepers, a locally owned brewery in Center Market is ready to open up a sit down brewery/restaurant. They have decided to stay in the neighborhood and will be moving into the vacant 2247 Market Street. This will be the district's second brewery and will hopefully be a good addition to the city's most vibrant neighborhood and entertainment district. The white and blue building is where the brewery will occupy: A view of Center Market District: That about concludes the news coming out of Wheeling. Meanwhile though, NIMBY's are still working hard to block the two way traffic conversion for Downtown roads. The mayor on the other hand is still fighting the good fight and trying to prove how it works in every other city and will help slow down traffic and make the pedestrian experience safer. Again, I love Mayor Elliott - he never seems to back down from his ideas and has been promoting smart urban planning principles even when no one else is.

Historic Home Renovation in Center Wheeling: Source: Realtor.com I came across this really great home renovation at 2308 Eoff Street in Center Wheeling, a couple blocks from the Center Market District. (I would put a Street View link here, but Wheeling has almost no coverage somehow....) The house is a historic 1890s rowhouse that was completely renovated to allow for a modern yet historic feel. It is listed at $190,000 The exterior: The interior: It's awesome to see projects like this in Wheeling, especially around Center Market. This area really has amazing potential, and already has a ton of restaurants, cafes, art galleries, and more within walking distance. Flatiron Building Renovations Complete: The Flatiron Building in Downtown has completed its renovations! The Flatiron Deli on the first floor is in its soft-opening phase. It currently just has a limited coffee menu but will soon be a full cafe, wine bar, and bakery with deli items and a small grocery item shop. They have also received a go-ahead for their outdoor seating along Nailers Way and are even setting up a small bike-share style rental kiosk due to the building's proximity to the riverfront bike trail. The Flatiron Building: The apartments are all ready to be rented, but are going quick. They are running between $1,100 - $1,400 a month. I think the apartments turned out to be absolutely beautiful. The apartments in the Flatiron Building: It's super exciting to see yet another successful renovation project in Downtown! Wheeling is really starting to move in the right direction!

So, this isn't exactly Youngstown news, but I decided I'd still post it here because it's close enough and doesn't have it's own thread. Revitalization Efforts in Historic Lisbon, Ohio: Source: Business Journal Daily Lisbon, Ohio is the a village located in Columbiana County, about a half hour south of Youngstown. It is the county seat of Columbiana County. Lisbon is a very unique town - it is located at the edge of the Appalachian foothills and is the second oldest town in Ohio (Founded in 1803). It has some great historic buildings that are very underutilized. If properly revitalized, Lisbon's historic district could be a great destination. Fortunately, the new mayor as well as many locals are looking to help turn the city's Downtown area around and make it vibrant once again. Courthouse Inn Revitalization: Built in 1802, the Courthouse Inn is Ohio's oldest brick building. The inn has seen many famous guests during its early days: Thomas Jefferson signed the first deed for the building; Lewis & Clark stayed here on their way to St. Louis to explore the Louisiana Purchase; Abraham Lincoln stayed here on multiple occasions, and his Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, had offices in the building for 30 years. After being vacant for decades, local developer Renee Lewis completed renovations on the building in mid-2016. There are are around 6 rooms that can be rented for the night, including the Stanton Suite. The first floor has a bar, cafe, and a popular vegetarian restaurant. The outside of the building: The inside of the restaurant: The outdoor patio: More Lisbon Renovations: Renee Lewis has purchased another building at 136 S. Market Street that was set to be demolished. The 1805 building was purchased this year for $10,400. Lewis hopes to renovate the two story building as well as a small one story building next door. She hopes to make the first floor a coffee shop and the second floor space for a law office. Due to the very bad conditions of the building, it is unlikely we will see the project completed anytime soon.

Exactly! People still automatically write off Youngstown (especially local suburbanites), but Downtown is honestly doing amazing for a city this size that fell so hard. It's very walkable, has a good amount of daytime office workers, good restaurants, a good amount of apartments, a thriving nightlife/bar scene, an up and coming arts scene, and more. Once the riverfront park is done, it will be even better. Now we just need a grocery store and maybe some newer buildings. EDIT: To be honest, good old fashioned Youngstown corruption got the ball rolling in Downtown (Look up the NYO Property Group scandals.) But in all honesty... it worked. So I'm not complaining at all!

Ok, so apparently the meeting went well. Almost no one there opposed the North Phelps Street plan. There was one priceless NIMBY quote though.... I mean seriously?! ;D She doesn't want people "looking at her?" That's the best she can come up with? And that's a reason she believes is valid to shoot down the pedestrian mall plan? NIMBY's never fail to confuse me ::) And more good news: The owners of Suzie's Dogs and Drafts intend to open a new German pub style restaurant and bar on North Phelps Street next to Suzie's. This will be awesome and will bring more viability to making N. Phelps an entertainment district. The city will make it's final decision about the street by July, but I don't see any major opposition so it should happen! EDIT: The owner of One Hot Cookie on Phelps Street (not even in the project zone) opposes it because she's tired of having construction and development projects around them...... I guess she doesn't see that making Downtown better through development projects actually does benefit them? Again, I don't understand NIMBY's.

Phelps Street Pedestrian Mall News: City officials are holding a meeting tonight (May 23rd) for public input on the proposal to close North Phelps Street in Downtown to create a pedestrian plaza inspired by Cleveland's East Fourth Street. The hope is that it will help attract more pedestrian traffic from YSU's campus into Downtown's entertainment district and then further down Phelps Street to the new amphitheater and riverfront park being built. Fortunately, I think this will end up happening. The mayor has announced that he is in support of it and the businesses on the street are enthusiastic. The only real issues with it I can find are people saying it will "increase loitering" or create a "hangout for beggars and criminals." - Typical anti-development attitudes from suburbanites who haven't been Downtown since the 80s. So without a solid reason to oppose it, it should go forward! I'd like to really thank the Planning Commission for pushing the pedestrian plaza idea since it was nearly dead in favor of just having a streetscaping project instead. The city has identified four vacant spots on the street and three potential storefronts in a building next to Wick Tower. A major component to the plan would be spaces for food trucks to park. With all these new developments planned for this side of Downtown, I think it is time for the city to consider building a new parking garage. Here's a very basic plan for the plaza - honestly this plan confuses me, but here it is anyways: The Kitchen Post Now Open in Downtown: A popular local restaurant, The Kitchen Post, has closed it's Struthers location in favor of moving Downtown into Erie Terminal Place (Interestingly, they will be across the street from the proposed Phelps St. Pedestrian Plaza). I'm glad that they are opening here - it is a very prominent space that was previously vacant. Now with them, One Hot Cookie next to them, and the restaurants and developments on Phelps Street, this will be a great walkable part of Downtown in the coming years. They are open for business but will have strange hours until the end of May. Erie Terminal Place: The Kitchen Post is very well know and is one of the few "hip" restaurants in town. They are best known for their simple yet creative dishes and brunch selections. In particular, they are known for Taco Tuesdays, Ramen Thursdays, chicken & waffles, and more. They also serve craft beer from two local breweries: Noble Creature Cask House and Birdfish Brewery. Inside the Kitchen Post: New Golden String Radio Studio: Iron String Life Enhancement (ISLE) is a local group that helps people that have disabilities. One of their programs, Golden String Radio (online radio), is moving to a new building on South Phelps Street in Downtown. The building will house the recording studio as well as space for Purple Cat Records - another branch of their program. This will have more recording studios for musicians such as the Purple Cat Band and will feature a record store. The building will also feature an art gallery from local artists and classrooms for art and music lessons. ISLE hopes to attract musicians with disabilities from across the country to this new studio. The new ISLE Music Building on South Phelps Street: I can't find any photos of the inside, but it is a pretty impressive space. It's definitely a good use for this old building. ISLE is working to renovate another group of buildings in Downtown and will be relocating their administrative offices to there. The Fifth Avenue Buildings that will be renovated: Silver's Building For Sale: The Silvers Vogue Shop building is up for sale in Downtown. It is a historic building on a very prominent corner (West Federal & Phelps). The first floor tenant, Silver's Vogue Shop will remain open and has been an important Downtown shop for decades - but the building could really use some TLC. I'd love to see some apartments go in upstairs and a new storefront on the side of the building - or at the very least, I'd like to see the boards come off the windows! So if anyone has the money, please fix up this building ;D The exterior of the building from last year: Also, I'm working on a website that will be a hub for info on Youngstown development news, neighborhood info, and anything else related to revitalizing the city into a healthy urban area. Stay tuned!

I have a lot of news out of Youngstown today.... Downtown's DoubleTree Hotel Now Open! The new DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Downtown opened yesterday in the historic Stambaugh Building. The building had been mainly empty and in a state of disrepair for years until it was purchased by NYO Property Group. They had been working for years to turn the building into a hotel. The entrance of the Stambaugh Building: The first floor has four retail spaces, the lobby is on the second floor. The first restaurant, Bistro 1907 will open on May 23rd. It will be an upscale Parisian bistro inspired restaurant owned by a reputable local chef. Another restaurant, YOSTERIA, will eventually open. It will be an upscale Tuscan restaurant. It is currently running a test kitchen out of Downtown's B&O Station. The third business will be Branch Street Roasters - an award winning Boardman based coffee shop. The fourth business will be a bank. The lobby of the hotel: The top floor is a large ballroom and conference center. There are future plans for a rooftop bar and pool. The hotel is already nearly booked in its first week and will have its grand opening on May 30. One of the hotel rooms: Inside Bistro 1907 on the first floor: The Enclave Project Drops Retail Plans: There's some bad news coming out of the YSU neighborhood - The Enclave project's developers have dropped plans for a retail building along Wick Avenue in favor of building a 4,500 square foot student health center for YSU. I'm a bit dissapointed that there will no longer be any retail there - it could have been a good way to slowly link YSU's campus with Downtown via Wick Avenue. Nonetheless, the project is going strong and the apartment portion is nearing completion. It looks great to see some density on that corner. The apartments are almost fully reserved. The health center taking shape with the apartment portion in the background: A drone photo of The Enclave from this week: Phelps Street Pedestrian Plaza: The City will be holding a meeting on May 23rd to receive public opinion on closing North Phelps Street to traffic in order to make it into a pedestrian plaza similar to Cleveland's East 4th Street. I'm really happy that the city is going this route, especially since this option didn't seem to popular. It could still be blocked, but I haven't heard any significant NIMBY opposition, and the restaurants on the street seem to be in support. The non-pedestrian plaza proposal rendering: Wick Tower (on corner of Federal and North Phelps), owned by NYO Property Group, has been trying to attract a business to the first floor without success. A restaurant was supposed to be opened last fall, but as usual in Youngstown, the owner got indicted and is getting his assets seized. NYO has this listing on Loopnet and area using the future pedestrian plaza as a selling point. Another planned development for North Phelps Street was the relocation and expansion of Circle Deli & Hookah Bar into a new building - but the owner, Adi Othman, was deported. I'm not sure if his kids still plan on expanding the business to Phelps Street. Wick Tower's first floor retail space with North Phelps Street construction to the left: Coffee Shop Relocation & New Smoothie Bar in Downtown And one more random piece of news: Joe Maxx Coffee Company (A nationwide chain based in Youngstown) was forced out of their space at the Realty Building by NYO Property Group. This is possibly due to NYO bringing in Branch Street Roasters across the street... but NYO already has a new tenant secured, The Smoothie Bar on Central Square. The good news is, Joe Maxx decided to stay in Downtown and have reopened in the Youngstown Business Incubator Campus on the west end of Downtown! It'll be great to have a coffee shop down there.

The hotel is actually open today. I'm going to be making a detailed post about it when I get a chance.

Leonardos' Coffeehouse (Steubenville): Steubenville's Nelson Family purchased a large historic building in Downtown Steubenville and has been working to revitalize it. The first floor has three retail spaces - one is the Steubenville Popcorn Company, the second is Drosselmyer's Nutcracker Shop (Due to Steubenville being known for their annual Nutcracker Village), and the third that just opened is Leonardo Coffeehouse and Renaissance Roasters. The upstairs floors will be developed into apartments as far as I know, but sadly there's not too much info on this project online. This is one of the only photos of the building I can find.... The coffee shop is to the right of the Popcorn Shop, so it is blocked by a building in this photo: This is the second coffee shop to open recently in Steubenville - before this year, Tim Hortons was the only coffee shop in town. Needless to say, this is a great addition to Downtown and will hopefully lead to some type of comeback. Fourth Street definitely has a lot of potential and historic buildings that could be utilized. The inside of Leonardo's Coffeehouse: Downtown Weirton Gateway Proposal: I know Weirton isn't in Ohio, but it is a part of the Ohio Valley and is very connected to Steubenville, so I will include its development news in this thread from now on. The Brooke-Hancock Jefferson Planning Commission asked WVU architecture students to present ideas for Downtown Weirton improvements. One plan was a pedestrian plaza and food truck space at the "gateway" of Downtown Weirton. Before and After: New Lifestyle Center Coming to Wheeling: More big news is coming out of Weirton! The city is starting to enter an upswing, most likely due to its proximity to Pittsburgh. The city received a $2.5 million grant to develop the 73 acre Three Springs Business Park. The first phase will be a lifestyle center style development. It will be centered around a roundabout and anchored by a convention center. The development will have 20 storefronts available and will hopefully bring 600 jobs. The developers hope to bring a modern shopping center to the Ohio Valley for people that do not want to go to Pittsburgh - this is likely a reaction to the near death of the Fort Steuben Mall across the river in Steubenville. A basic plan for the new lifestyle center: The development obviously isn't anything too special design-wise, but for the Ohio Valley, it is a pretty big deal. I'm not sure if Weirton has the retail demand to fill up this whole development though.

Flatiron Building Renovations Nearing Completion: Source: The Intelligencer The Flatiron Building in Downtown has been undergoing an extensive renovation by Wheeling resident Kevin Duffin. The first floor will house "The Flatiron" which will act as a deli, bakery, and cafe. The restaurant will have a large outdoor seating area along Nailers Way. The building was purchased for $105,000 and has had extensive renovations not only to the interior, but to the windows and exterior facade. The exterior as of May 2018: The second floor houses one large apartment. Floors 3-5 will have two apartments each. A look inside one of the apartment units: NIMBY Opposition to 2-Way Downtown Traffic Grows: Source: The Intelligencer Mayor Glenn Elliott has been leading a proposal to transform the one way Main and Market Streets in Downtown into 2 way roads. He believes this will slow down traffic and help businesses and residents. That being said, a 500 signature proposal opposing the change has been complied. The complaint is that elderly residents already have a hard time crossing the road and will now have to look both ways (::)) - Even the Planning Commissioner has said Elliott's 2 way traffic proposal has "no value whatsoever." A $45,000 study is in the works, but it is looking increasingly likely that the NIMBYs will win. Mayor Elliott has really been fighting on behalf of smart urban planning, but unfortunately the city isn't too receptive of it. A meeting will be held this coming Wednesday to discuss the results of the traffic study. While some councilmen seem open to the proposals, most are either against it or indifferent. Downtown developers meanwhile, such as the ones spending $20 million on the Wheeling Pitt Steel Building strongly support the proposal. A NIMBY collecting signatures on the side of one of the one-way Downtown streets:

It's frankly disgusting how much NIMBYs opposed this. At least now they get a new chicken farm on the property instead. Yay.

Read more here: http://www.wtrf.com/community/fresh-food-coming-to-the-heart-of-downtown-wheeling/1137727506 That's cool that it went forward! I know it was sort of up in the air as to if it would happen or not. This will do wonders for Downtown.

Wellsburg Bridge Begins Construction: After two decades of planning, a new bridge between Wellsburg, WV and Brilliant, OH has broken ground. The $131 million project will be managed by Flatiron Construction and will be completed in mid-2021. In addition to the three lanes of vehicle travel, there will be at least one lane reserved for walking and biking use. This will allow the bridge to connect to the Brooke Pioneer Trail, which links Wellsburg with Wheeling. A rendering of the bridge: Construction will begin on the Ohio side of the river first. West Virginia is responsible for 65% of the funding and Ohio for 35%. I personally don't see why this bridge is necessary, especially since it will not cut down travel time between Steubenville and Wheeling. But, I hope it helps give some life to Wellsburg and Brilliant. Another rendering of the bridge:

I'm actually really embarrassed that I had no idea this project was happening. That being said, it seems really damn pointless to me. The towns between Wheeling and Steubenville just seem way to small to justify this bridge. Plus, it won't even cut down travel time from Steubenville to Wheeling because WV-2 is not a freeway. But it'll be a cool project nonetheless - and maybe it could breathe some life into Brilliant because that town is really really suffering. I'll make a detailed post about this bridge project soon.

Random Downtown Youngstown Proposals: Today I will cover a few interesting proposals for Downtown - keep in mind, none of these are actually being actively developed. They are just proposals. State Theater Redevelopment Proposal: State Theater was a historic theater located on Federal Street in Downtown. When it was demolished, the city agreed to keep it's front facade preserved. Strollo Architects (who redeveloped the adjacent Wells Building) are looking for potential uses for the State Theater and vacant land next to it. Their goal is to find a tenant to build here so it does not become surface parking. The 4M Company, a Youngstown architectural firm has made a proposal for the site. Unfortunately there are no plans to implement it. The State Theater: The 4M Company's Proposed Redevelopment: Re-Vision Youngstown Proposals: Re-Vision Youngstown was a project that asked Kent State University students to show of their visions for Downtown Youngstown. None of these proposals are planned to be utilized, but here are some of the interesting ones. I kept some well made proposals out because they are simply too unrealistic. Phelps & Boardman proposal: Current Street View Image South Phelps Street Rebuild: This proposal was to rebuild South Phelps Street as a pedestrian-only street. North Phelps is currently being turned into a pedestrian only plaza. Current Street View Image Silver's Vogue Shop Building Redevelopment: This building, which has housed Silver's Vogue Shop for decades, is for sale. It is on a very prominent corner in Downtown, and hopefully it gets redeveloped. Here is a proposal for it: Current Street View Image Gallagher Building Proposals: The Gallagher Building is a historic building on the corner of Hazel & Commerce that is in bad shape at the moment. The previous developer failed to develop it, and the "new" developer is in a lot of legal trouble. Unfortunately the future of the building is very uncertain. But, here are some proposals for it. Music Pavillion Proposal: "Collaboration Center" Proposal: "Business Collaboration Center" Proposal:

TIGER Grant for Downtown Road Improvements Denied: Pretty bad news came this week for Youngstown. The city had been working on a proposal called "SMAR2T" which would improve the infrastructure in the central area of the city. It called for rebuilding several roads from 4 lanes into 2 lanes with bike lanes and landscaping. It also called for things such as a bike share program. The denial of the proposal leaves Downtown in an uncertain position. North Phelps Street likely will no longer receive the major face-lift proposed for it. The bike lane between Mill Creek Park and Downtown may also not be completed anymore. The good news is that the city still has $3 million for the Fifth Avenue rebuilding plan - they will reduce the 4-6 lane road to 2 lanes with landscaping and bike lanes. This will help link Downtown, YSU, and hopefully Mill Creek Park. The project is set to begin in 2020. A rendering of the proposed Fifth Avenue improvements: Wayfinding Signs Coming to Downtown This Spring: The city recently signed a $40,000 contract with Ellet Neon Signs of Akron to supply a network of wayfinding signs to the city. They will primarily be located in Downtown but will also be located in other places such as: Mill Creek Park, Wick Park, and I-680 exits. I'm glad they are finally getting around to this - it's been over three years in the making. Major signs will have a "City of You" theme to them. But here's an example of a typical wayfinding sign: Town Center at Firestone Farms: Website: Firestone Farms Firestone Farms is a large suburban development centered around a golf course in Columbiana, which originally was the farm of Harvey Firestone, founder of Firestone Tires. Columbiana is a small town located 25 minutes south of Youngstown. It is seeing a lot of growth, especially in its Downtown. But, the Town Center at Firestone Farms is a "lifestyle center" that is so far only in phase one. Though it has struggled to attract large retail chains, it has successfully filled all of its storefronts and is doing fairly well considering it is located in a very rural area. A rendering of the development: Some notable businesses here include Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt, Stone Fruit Coffee Company, and Homestead Kitchen. It is also home to several boutique stores and a high end eyewear retailer called "Wink." The property is home to many offices, most notably, Salem Regional Medical Center. Stone Fruit Coffee Company - A popular local coffee shop chain: Phase 2 will be coming soon, which will add a second large building. This will be interesting to see - the first floor will remain retail, but all 2nd floor space will be devoted to luxury apartments, which is something the area lacks at the moment. Across the street (OH-14), there are future plans for the "Marketplace at Firestone Farms" which will add a hotel, grocer, and a Harvey Firestone Museum in a historic barn. Homestead Kitchen & Cocktail Bar - a farm to table restaurant opening soon in Firestone Farms: The Town Center at Firestone Farms Phase One: Main Street Columbiana News: Luckily, the Firestone Farms development isn't taking business away from Columbiana's historic and walkable Main Street, which is thriving with arts, crafts, breweries, cafes, ect. It is becoming the "hipster" center of the Youngstown area. There was a mini-panic recently when Generations Coffee House, a well known anchor of Main Street announced it was closing - but thankfully, a local family purchased it and is keeping it open and adding lunch and breakfast options. A photo I took of Main Street during the summer: A local couple recently purchased a vacant lot on Main Street and plan to turn it into an outdoor eatery for their food truck "No Swine Left Behind." They plan to landscape and fence in the property as well as adding in public outdoor seating.

Mayor Elliott Challenges Status Quo in 2nd State of the City Address: Source: The Intelligencer Mayor Glenn Elliot recently gave his second State of the City address. Elliot says that he hopes to make Wheeling a place with similar amenities to New York and San Francisco - he wants to challenge the status quo for West Virginia. Elliot outlined a plan for $45 million worth of development coming to the northern section of Downtown in the next few years. This includes the $20 million restoration of the former Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel building, a $10 million parking garage, and a $15 million public safety building. The garage will hold around 550 vehicles, 100 of which will serve the future residents of the Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Building. Elliot stated that he wants the building to look as little like a parking garage as possible and hopes to include first floor retail. Site of the proposed parking garage: The mayor says that the Friendly City is moving forward and seeing development all over. He cites the ongoing renovations to the Gerraro Building in Downtown, the growing craft beer scene in Center Market District, and the opening of the Health Plan Headquarters which brought hundreds of workers to Downtown. The Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Building which will be converted into 100+ apartment units: In the spirit of making Wheeling into a more progressive city, Elliot calls for “taking off our drivers’ gloves and putting on our pedestrians’ shoes.” Elliot has been a major force pushing for converting Main and Market Streets into two way roads, allowing for a better pedestrian experience. He realizes that Downtown needs to increase its walkability in order to be a successful urban area. “Walkability matters. Cities across the country are converting one-way streets back to their original two-way configuration; almost none are doing the opposite,” Elliott said. “The implication is clear: you want people to drive to your downtown, not through your downtown.” The Health Plan Headquarters, which brought hundreds of jobs to Downtown this year:

Market Street Lofts (East Liverpool): A controversial new apartment development is almost complete in Downtown East Liverpool. Developed by the Miller Valentine Group, the project will bring 45 affordable housing units to Downtown. Originally, the project was supposed to have market-rate apartments, but I don't think that's the case anymore which is a bit of a shame. I could imagine that some younger people in East Liverpool may have been interested in renting an apartment here. Anyways, the controversial part is that in order to build the apartments, several historic buildings had to be demolished. Even though they were in bad shape, it's a shame to see them demolished - especially when there is a ton of surface parking around Downtown. East Liverpool really had a lot of beautiful historic buildings but most are gone because they usually don't have much regard for keeping them around. Amenities will include a fitness room, technology room, and a community room. Overall, I'm happy to see something modern come to Downtown East Liverpool. Market Street Lofts will open in early April and have an open house on March 22. The buildings that were demolished: A rendering of Market Street Lofts: Recent photos of Market Street Lofts: Honestly, I wish other valley towns did things like this. For example, Steubenville could really reinvent their downtown if they could get some quality apartment developments like this in addition to some renovations on historic buildings.

South Wheeling Applies for Historic District Status: Source: The Intelligencer South Wheeling is a large neighborhood located south of I-470 along the Ohio River. City officials and residents are hoping to get the neighborhood recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. (Wheeling currently has 11 recognized historic districts). Only a small portion of the neighborhood would become a historic district under this proposal. The area is bordered by 35th, 39th, Jacob, and Water Streets. Eoff Street in particular is noted for its large stock of Victorian-era housing. Hopefully this leads to more investment in South Wheeling. It is definitely one of the less cared for neighborhoods in the city - though there has been a fair amount of affordable housing apartment developments and some are market rate. Unfortunately, Wheeling doesn't have street view (crazy, right?) so here's a few meh-quality photos I found of South Wheeling: A street in South Wheeling: The Cooey-Bentz Co. Building: A bar in South Wheeling:

Yet nearly two entire city blocks have been demo'd in the past two years. The former Ernie's Esquire and the Chinese restaurant across the street; I'll believe it when I see it. That was before he took office IIRC. The current mayor is incredibly forward thinking compared to older ones. He is always out there trying to promote redevelopment whereas most previous mayors seemed content with the status quo.

Hey guys! I'm going to be updating this thread from now on. Also, remember to check out my Skyscraper Page Forums Wheeling development thread. Successful Redevelopment in Centre Market Historic District: For the first Wheeling post on UrbanOhio, I will cover Center Market Historic District's renaissance. Centre Market, which was struggling for many years, has seen a huge surge in retail and restaurants in the last decade. While many 'classic' businesses such as Coleman's Fish Market remain in the market, many new shops have helped rebrand the market and make it more vibrant. It is now a destination for people all over the Ohio Valley, and is gaining popularity as a neighborhood to live in due to its walkability to the attractions in both Centre Market and nearby Downtown. The most recent redevelopment project was Vochelli Pizza, which opened in late 2016. It had been located in Downtown, but the owners decided to move it to Centre Market. They renovated a previously vacant historic building and added both indoor and outdoor seating. The west side of the market is primarily businesses while the east side is primarily historic homes mixed with retail space. This has led to several renovations of historic homes and several building have added unique loft apartments. The neighborhood has become the unofficial center for the arts in the Wheeling area. The building with the purple garage has been converted into a very interesting private residence this year. Click here to see more info and photos of it. Inside Valley Cheese in the main markethouse building: Recently, plans have been made to allow local artists to have an even bigger role in the market. This includes murals, painting crosswalks, and painting parking meters. The market's footprint has expanded into the 2100 block of Market Street - there are several recently renovated storefronts here that are currently vacant. In the future, the Center Market District hopes to gain more "destination" retail as well as house and apartment renovations. A resident of the Center Market District painting a parking meter: Boutique shops along Lane B with apartments on the second floor: Looking down Lane B: Centre Cup Coffee, a popular cafe on the corner of Market and 22nd Streets: An aerial view of the Center Market District looking south:

I completely agree. Wellsville is unfortunately pretty run-down at the moment, just like most towns in the area. But it definitely has the potential to make itself better. Wellsville has some awesome historic buildings along Main Street - unfortunately, Main Street is just so vacant and un-cared for. If more work goes into the area, Main Street could be a great historic district. Every time I drive through Wheeling I'm in awe at how much potential there is. North Wheeling has so many amazing Victorian era buildings. Sadly, I don't think there's much of a demand for a large entertainment district there. The part of wheeling I love the most is Center Market - it's such a cool historic and walkable neighborhood with several unique shops and restaurants. 100% agree. It is such a mystery to me why it isn't an official historic district. Check out this street view of Mill Row - as you can see it is several blocks of completely preserved mill housing.

It's very alive indeed! You can get it in East Liverpool, Steubenville, Wheeling, ect. I'm not sure how far south it goes. The most famous Ohio Valley Pizza shops are DiCarlo's and Giannamore's. But around the valley, you will find a couple valley style pizza shops in each small town. Toronto itself has 4 Valley style pizzeria's: DiCarlo's, Iggy's, Mama G's, and Gem City Pizza - a chain based out of Toronto that even has a Myrtle Beach location.

Current / Recent Development Projects: Toronto Community Garden: Downtown Toronto, Ohio has been neglected for many years, but recent efforts have brought in new businesses, murals, streetscape projects, and a community garden. The garden is located in a vacant lot where a building was recently torn down, on the corner of Clark and N. Fourth Streets. The garden includes several types of plants, a picnic area, and several murals and art installations designed by locals artists and students. It was completed in 2016 by the Toronto Coalition For Revitalization. New Toronto High School: The old Toronto High School was in bad shape and was torn down in favor of building a new one on Dennis Way. The new school was completed in 2016 and features a junior high wing and high school wing. The old high school: (It is now torn down and a parking lot for the football stadium) Toronto Bikeway: The Toronto Coalition for Revitalization has set up an extensive bikeway across the city complete with bikelanes. This has greatly helped the biking infastructure in the city. In addition to connecting most of the neighborhoods to important locations within the city, the bikeway goes along the scenic and historic River Avenue which is meant to attract visiting cyclists. Rusty Bull Taco Company: This is by far my favorite recent development in Toronto. An old single-unit car wash on Franklin Street was converted into a very lively taco restaurant. The old car wash doors open up during warm days to make the restaurant open-air. It is also known for its live music events. This is the type of development that cities like Toronto really need more of. The building pre-renovations: The Rusty Bull Taco Company: Mama G's Pizza New Location: Mama G's is an Ohio Valley Style pizza shop that has been in Toronto since 2006. In 2017, it moved to a new location in a historic building on North Fourth Street. It is yet another new business that is helping to revitalize Downtown.

Photo Tour: The main welcome sign off of the Franklin Street exit: The historic "Mill Row" along Madison Avenue - 3 blocks of completely preserved mill housing: The main drag in Downtown Toronto - North Fourth Street: The Ohio River from the Driftwood Marina: One of the many elegant historic homes in North River Avenue Historic District: The facade of the now demolished football stadium - a new stadium with a similar style has since been built in the same location: Another look at Downtown Toronto - sadly Downtown isn't very well maintained compared to the rest of the city's neighborhoods which are in great shape compared to most Appalachian Ohio towns: And of course, the famous Ohio Valley Style Pizza which originated in Toronto and Steubenville ;D: