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Tech, educational center proposed for Jefferson County

EXPANSION SITE — The Jefferson County commissioners approved a deal Thursday to sell nearly 2 acres of property at the county Industrial Park to the Jefferson County Educational Service Center for the construction of a new 10,000-square-foot office building. -- Dave Gossett

EXPANSION SITE -- The Jefferson County commissioners approved a deal Thursday to sell nearly 2 acres of property at the county Industrial Park to the Jefferson County Educational Service Center for the construction of a new 10,000-square-foot office building. -- Dave Gossett

EXPANSION SITE — The Jefferson County commissioners approved a deal Thursday to sell nearly 2 acres of property at the county Industrial Park to the Jefferson County Educational Service Center for the construction of a new 10,000-square-foot office building. — Dave Gossett

STEUBENVILLE –The Jefferson County commissioners approved the sale of property adjacent to the Industrial Park in Wintersville to the Jefferson County Educational Service Center for the construction of the K-20 Ohio Appalachian Technology and Education Center.

That OK for the sale of the 1.77 acres at a cost of $38,500 is the final step in a lengthy process that included a unanimous vote last week by the Jefferson County Port Authority board of directors who agreed to act as a legal conduit in the deal between the county commissioners and the ESC.

“We have maintained the industrial park as a quality environment for investment and the ESC facility is the first office building developed there which is a nice addition to the park. It is a great job creator for the area. We applaud the ESC for their aggressive program. This is great for the local economy and for education in our area,” said Port Authority Executive Director Evan Scurti.

The ESC governing board agreed Tuesday to pay $38,500 for the 1.77 acres on the south side of county Road 43 for a planned two-story, 10,000-square-foot building that will be home to the Virtual Learning Academy as well as the Jefferson Health Plan offices.

“This is a win-win and a home run for our county. It will mean job retention and job creation and they will build a beautiful building in the Jefferson County Industrial Park. We are excited to have them coming there,” said Commissioner Tom Gentile.

“We certainly appreciate the fact they chose to locate the new facility at the industrial park. It is going to be a great addition. It is fantastic news,” noted Commissioner Thomas Graham.

“We are very excited to be able to work with the ESC on this project. There is a lot of growth in the ESC and it seems like an exciting project. While it doesn’t fit the classic description of what we think is at the industrial park, I think it will compliment the site and spur potential growth. I have found the ESC to be a very professional group and very successful in our county,” Commissioner David Maple added.

According to ESC Chief Executive Officer George Ash, environmental studies and other analysis will be conducted on the land within 120 days, “and actual construction should be completed over the next two years.”

“The center will serve as a centralized hub for 21st century skills and will focus on curriculum development, instruction, online learning, assessments, technology, collaboration and communication along with professional growth,” said Ash.

The proposed project became a reality earlier this year when the ESC formed a collaboration with Eastern Gateway Community College and received $250,000 when the General Assembly approved $250,000 for the construction of the building as part of the state’s capital budget.

“We have been talking about this idea for some time but it gained momentum when the funding was made available. We looked at several sites in the county before we started meeting with the county commissioners and the Jefferson County Port Authority. This is an exciting project because we will be able to expand our ESC services as well as the Jefferson Health Plan. I hope people will be proud of this positive step for Jefferson County and the future expansion of the ESC into areas that haven’t been touched yet. It will be a great step forward because it is the first office building at the industrial park.

“Hopefully this project will open up opportunities for further business development. We could not make this happen without the support of the community,” stated ESC Board President Larry George.

“The Jefferson Health Plan has been granted permission by the state to expand nationwide. We needed a state-of-the-art office facility and needed to move beyond our current facilities on Sunset Boulevard,” said George.

“When I first started on the ESC board 30 years ago, our budget was next to nothing. We now have the Jefferson Health Plan that has been a financial resource for the ESC. We have been able to grow our current campus in Steubenville and expand to the new office building in Wintersville,” added George.

“I think this is great. The project brings together what has been in the works for several weeks. And the focus remains about education and our students. We have talked about this plan for some time but now it feels like we are moving at warp speed. The board and staff have worked on this and it is coming to fruition. It is important to note our current facilities in Steubenville will remain,” stated ESC Board Vice President Ken Simeral.

“I give a lot of credit for making all of this happen to state Sen. Lou Gentile, D-Steubenville, and state Rep. Jack Cera, D-Bellaire, for working hard to make the state funding available. We also received backing from the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association, Buckeye Hills-Hocking Valley Regional Development District, Eastgate Regional Council of Governments and the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission,” noted George.

“I worked with Republican and Democrat lawmakers to make sure funding for the Ohio Appalachian Technology and Education Center was included with the state capital budget. Bringing state dollars back to this district is an important investment in our community that will create jobs and spur economic growth,” commented Gentile.

“This is a good project because it will expand the online educational opportunities that enhance life and career skills. I am glad to have been able to help move this endeavor forward and congratulate everyone involved for their commitment to enriching the lives of others through such important ventures,” added Cera.

“This facility will offer great flexibility for the college and the ESC to offer new programs in various areas of technology. The planned recording studio at the building opens up engaging learning opportunities for students while allowing EGCC and ESC to use the facilities to develop electronic materials for curriculum and marketing,” said EGCC President Jimmie Bruce.

(Gossett can be contacted at dgossett@heraldstaronline.com.)

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