BIG BOOST –Commissioners say a $7,000 per acre signing bonus for the mineral rights to the former Eastern Gateway campus will pump a half-million into Jefferson County's coffers. They were joined at Thursday's meeting by Theodora Timmons, 6-year-old daughter of Commissioner Eric Timmons, on Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work day.

STEUBENVILLE — Jefferson County commissioners say their decision to exercise a long-forgotten reverter clause to regain control of the former Eastern Gateway campus at the heart of town is still paying dividends.

Commissioners on Thursday leased the oil and gas rights to the 75-acre taxpayer-owned property to Ascent — a deal that brings with it a nearly $525,000 signing bonus, plus the potential for another $1 million in royalties down the road.

“It took some time,” Commissioner Jake Kleineke said. “It may seem like a windfall, but we have all these townships and villages that need recreation projects … a month or two ago we were in a position where I was talking to some trustees and told them they’d better reel it back because we didn’t have the budget this year and weren’t going to be able to do what we normally do, (but) things are rolling right now.”

Back in the 1960s, the parcel had been conveyed to a community foundation for a higher learning center with a proviso in the deed that, should it ever cease to be used for educational purposes, it would revert to Jefferson County. In 2024, after the now-defunct Eastern Gateway Community College announced it would cease operations, a Jefferson County judge ruled the reverter clause was still in effect and, months later, the former Eastern Gateway board returned the property to the county. Commissioners later transferred the building to Youngstown State University, retaining the rest of the site for development purposes.

Commissioner Tony Morelli pointed out the signing bonus — $524,643 — amounted to $7,000 per acre, “with a 20 percent gross once the site is in production, so … the county should realize about $1 million more.”

“This transaction shows another benefit the residents will get due to the good work of the commissioners with the guidance of Assistant Prosecutor Shawn Blake,” he added. “These monies are a shot in the arm as we move forward to develop the property.”

Now that YSU-Steubenville is firmly established in the building, commissioners have turned their attention to bringing businesses and jobs to the community — the gas lease is just the icing on the cake.

“We knew this day was coming,” Morelli said. “We didn’t just get lucky, we planned to be ready when Ascent came knocking on the door.”

Commissioner Eric Timmons pointed out that just last week they had been asked to give the Friendship Park board a full $100,000 to help fund updates, including campsites.

“I was at the park the other night, it looks great,” he said. “But we do have limited recreation funds this year, so I would (like to see us) take the $100,000 from the oil and gas money … in the spirit of making sure everybody else gets a piece of that rec money.”

Morelli agreed, pointing out that would “leave more money in the recreation pot” to be distributed to townships, villages and cities in the form of recreation grants.

“It will be more money that we can spread into the municipalities and townships,” he said.

Timmons said they would still have “nearly a million dollars” after giving the money to the park board.

“It’s giving back to the community,” he said, “because, you know, the park needs to be fixed up and everybody needs to use it more in the south.”

Commissioners also signed off on a request for proposals from broadband providers to extend service to underserved businesses and residents throughout the county.

Morelli said the program “is unique.”

“Typically, projects go after a certain area and if you’re not in the area there was little chance, if any, of getting service,” he said. “This process is different: Residents with no service or who are underserved are identified and the ISP can then go after customers that weren’t feasible, so it’s more attractive. Many times they can just add on to areas they already covered but it never made good business sense (to go after).”

Commissioners also were told public hearings on the proposed Market Street bridge replacement will be held May 18 at the Follansbee Community House and May 19 at the BHJ office.