Stop the development of a Dollar General in the Grant School parking lot on Fourth Street
The Issue
The past several years have seen big changes happening in the downtown. What was once a dead street after 6pm is now a place of activity with new businesses open late into the night and families bringing their kids without fear of walking through a crime ridden area. New regular events such as the First Fridays Festival and the Steubenville Nutcracker Village bring thousands of locals and travelers to the downtown. Although we have come a long way, there is still much work to be done and the city government has a large perhaps under appreciated ability to either help or hinder its future development.
One of these potential developments on the city’s radar is the sale of the old Grant School parking lot on Fourth Street and the construction of a Dollar General in its place. A development of this kind would subtract from the historic value of the downtown, offer no new commerce opportunities, and drain what little money the community has left. Any need for these dollar type stores is already fulfilled by two already existing dollar stores, one on Market Street, and one on Seventh Street. This type of store would compete with local growing entities such as the downtown Farmers Market and the Steubenville Grocery Box.
The sale of this property has not been properly advertised by the city. If more people were aware of this option to develop, we might see more interested groups come forward and collaborations happen with the city to develop it in a way that would truly benefit the downtown. Anything from an open air covered parking area that could host future farmers markets, flea markets, and other events such as the one in downtown Washington PA, to a full convention center and hotel, something the downtown does not offer, could all be discussed.
As this topic has gained more tread recently, we may have to act sooner rather than later. We should be prepared to bring this issue to the city council at their next meeting on Tuesday August 20th, and continue to make it a pressing issue until it is voted on by the council.
91
The Issue
The past several years have seen big changes happening in the downtown. What was once a dead street after 6pm is now a place of activity with new businesses open late into the night and families bringing their kids without fear of walking through a crime ridden area. New regular events such as the First Fridays Festival and the Steubenville Nutcracker Village bring thousands of locals and travelers to the downtown. Although we have come a long way, there is still much work to be done and the city government has a large perhaps under appreciated ability to either help or hinder its future development.
One of these potential developments on the city’s radar is the sale of the old Grant School parking lot on Fourth Street and the construction of a Dollar General in its place. A development of this kind would subtract from the historic value of the downtown, offer no new commerce opportunities, and drain what little money the community has left. Any need for these dollar type stores is already fulfilled by two already existing dollar stores, one on Market Street, and one on Seventh Street. This type of store would compete with local growing entities such as the downtown Farmers Market and the Steubenville Grocery Box.
The sale of this property has not been properly advertised by the city. If more people were aware of this option to develop, we might see more interested groups come forward and collaborations happen with the city to develop it in a way that would truly benefit the downtown. Anything from an open air covered parking area that could host future farmers markets, flea markets, and other events such as the one in downtown Washington PA, to a full convention center and hotel, something the downtown does not offer, could all be discussed.
As this topic has gained more tread recently, we may have to act sooner rather than later. We should be prepared to bring this issue to the city council at their next meeting on Tuesday August 20th, and continue to make it a pressing issue until it is voted on by the council.
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Petition created on August 14, 2024