New College Square Begins to Take Shape Downtown
Demolition has begun near the College of St. Joseph the Worker, marking an important step toward the College’s new town square vision in the heart of downtown Steubenville.
This is an exciting moment for downtown. At Steubenville’s most recent Economic Development Committee meeting, the College shared its plans to redevelop the former Viking Poker Social Club site (211 N 4th St) into a courtyard that will be available to both its students and the broader Steubenville community. The same article notes that the College has offered to pay for related downtown pedestrian improvements, including bump-outs, extensions, trees, and maintenance. Shortly after this meeting, WTOV reported that the College got to work by tearing down this outdated, non-historic building to get work started on the square.
That combination is significant: a space that is part of the College’s growing downtown campus, and intentionally open to the public. For the Downtown Steubenville Business Association, this is significant because downtown economic development depends on people. Restaurants need foot traffic. Shops need customers. Building owners need tenants. Students need places to gather. Families and visitors need spaces that feel safe, beautiful, and alive.
Strong Towns Steubenville has done helpful work explaining the College’s presentation, the proposed pedestrian improvements, and why safer, more welcoming streets matter for the whole community. We encourage anyone interested in this project to read their full post here:
https://strongtownssteubenville.substack.com/p/51926-economic-development-committee
DSBA and Strong Towns Steubenville are different organizations with different missions. DSBA is focused on downtown economic development, while Strong Towns Steubenville looks more broadly at community issues from an engaged-citizen perspective. We often collaborate, and we sometimes disagree, as good friends do. And on this point, we share a common hope: that downtown Steubenville can become safer, stronger, more beautiful, and more full of life.
The College of St. Joseph the Worker’s town square vision is a meaningful step in that direction. We are grateful to see the work beginning and look forward to what it can mean for students, businesses, residents, and the future of downtown Steubenville.
We also encourage residents to subscribe to Strong Towns Steubenville for thoughtful local coverage and commentary:
