Downtown Steubenville’s Historic Districts: What’s Here, What’s Next, and Why It’s Important
Downtown Steubenville already has two National Register historic districts, and the City is working toward adding a new district centered around the Sycamore-area core, including the Sycamore Youth Center building, with a decision expected soon in the listing process. That may sound like “preservation talk,” but for property owners and investors it’s also about one very practical thing: making more building rehabs eligible for historic tax credits—which can help projects finally pencil out.
The two downtown historic districts we already have
Steubenville’s existing downtown historic districts help protect the character of our core blocks—and they also create a clearer pathway for owners who want to pursue rehabilitation financing tools. The City’s Historic Preservation Plan / Historic Development Plan explains the purpose of the districts, priorities, and how preservation connects to reinvestment (see the plan here as a PDF: Steubenville Historic Preservation Plan).
The proposed Sycamore-area district: why it’s a big deal
In early 2025, the City announced it had received an Ohio History Connection grant to prepare a new National Register historic district nomination focused around the Sycamore area and the Sycamore Youth Center building (WTOV9 coverage here). If approved, a new district could mean more buildings downtown become “credit-ready”—in other words, more properties could potentially qualify for tax credits when owners do substantial rehab work. Property owners in the proposed historic district were recently notified that the State of Ohio has recommended approval, and now it’s at the final step for federal approval.
How historic districts connect to tax credits
Historic designation isn’t a grant by itself, but it can open doors.
At a simple level, historic tax credits work like a percentage back on taxes for qualified rehabilitation costs. For projects that receive them, the credit can reduce the project’s tax liability dollar-for-dollar, effectively lowering the net cost of the rehab.
Federal historic tax credits (often used for income-producing properties like apartments over storefronts, mixed-use buildings, and some commercial projects) can cover a meaningful share of qualified rehabilitation costs. A good plain-English overview is here: Heritage Ohio – Historic Tax Credits.
Ohio’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit is competitive statewide, but it’s one of the most important tools for older-building rehabs here. Ohio also publishes an application guide that helps explain how the program works (Ohio HTC Application Guide).
Why Steubenville has an advantage: the enhanced 35% Ohio credit
Steubenville is eligible for the enhanced 35% Ohio historic tax credit (instead of 25%). That extra 10% matters—especially in markets where construction costs, code requirements, and older-building surprises can be hard to absorb. The enhanced credit is set out in Ohio law (see Ohio Revised Code 149.311).
It’s not theoretical: Steubenville is already winning awards
This tool is already working locally. Steubenville has had three projects awarded through the Ohio program in recent rounds, and local reporting has highlighted how these credits are helping move major downtown rehabs forward.
A 2024 story discusses how tax credits are promoting building rehabilitation in Steubenville, including two awarded projects (Herald-Star: Tax credits promoting historic building rehab in Steubenville).
Coverage of the Grocery Box project also noted how historic preservation tax credits supported that effort (WTOV9 report).
What DSBA wants you to know
If you own (or are considering buying) a building downtown, historic districts can be more than a point of pride. They can be part of the financing stack that makes rehabs possible—especially when paired with the 35% Ohio credit and the federal program where applicable.
And if the Sycamore-area district is approved—centered around the Sycamore Youth Center building—it could expand the set of buildings that can take advantage of these programs, bringing more reinvestment into the blocks that need it most.
