AGREEMENT EYED — The Jefferson County Commissioners Monday said they are hopeful a tentative agreement among them and officials with Eastern Gateway Community College and Youngstown State University will lead to the university offering courses at the former college campus and a portion of the property being used for economic development. -- Warren Scott

STEUBENVILLE — The Jefferson County Commissioners Monday said they are hopeful a tentative agreement among them and officials with Eastern Gateway Community College and Youngstown State University will result in the former college campus being used again for education as well as new business.

The commissioners made the announcement following an executive session with Assistant Jefferson County Prosecutor Shawn Blake, while agreeing to hire Vince Dowdle and Associates of Bloomingdale to survey the campus property not occupied by the college’s main building, land that could be used for economic development.

They noted that pending approval by EGCC and YSU officials and the commissioners themselves, the agreement would include the provisions that all mineral rights would be retained by the county and ownership of the college grounds would revert to the county, should it no longer be used for education.

Commissioner Eric Timmons said the board intends to put on hold legal action through which the panel asserted the reverter clause has remained in effect since the county donated the property to the former Jefferson Technical Institute in 1967.

Jefferson County Common Pleas Judge Michelle Miller in December ruled the commissioners “hold an enforceable reversionary interest” in the property, but a Sept. 8 hearing had been set in the matter.

“What we have is a tentative agreement, subject to the approval of the three boards. If this goes all the way through, as I personally hope it does, it’s a great thing for Jefferson County,” said Commissioner Tony Morelli, the board’s president.

Morelli said the move came following a six-hour meeting with representatives of Youngstown State University and he hopes the agreement can be finalized this fall.

Ed Florak — local resident and former president of Jefferson Community College, a predecessor to EGCC — asked the commissioners whether YSU officials had presented a five-year plan for the campus and whether EGCC property could be considered for a robotics manufacturer.

Morelli said it would be premature to comment on such issues, but YSU leaders have indicated they hope to fill the void left with EGCC’s closing on Oct. 31.

Asked whether the unoccupied EGCC property may be sold to a developer or other business, Commissioner Jake Kleineke said, “We’re not interested in selling the property to anybody.”

He said the commission instead could lease it, adding, “The citizens of Jefferson County will retain the property.”

Asked whether interest has been expressed in the property, Morelli said, “We’ve had multiple developers contact us.”

Kleineke noted its proximity to the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and John Scott Highway, one of the most heavily traveled areas of the county.

Morelli said, “I’m excited that we have a state university that’s willing to move into that building, fix it and it’s not going to cost the county anything.”

“We want to see education remain there,” Timmons said.

“The school itself was a big employer,” said Kleineke, who noted it offered courses in nursing and various technical fields.

The commissioners acknowledged the involvement of Blake and former county Commissioner Dave Maple in reaching its current stage.

“Shawn Blake has worked his tail off from Day 1 — a lot of time, a lot of phone calls,” said Morelli.

Timmons said Maple “did a lot in the beginning stage of this.”