COLUMBIANA, Ohio – DeMaiolo Development President Nick DeMaiolo, picked Columbiana to build his home to raise a family, and for his development project, Red Brick Commons.
“I’m in a situation where most of my commercial development projects are in the city of Columbiana,” DeMaiolo says. “I work there. Obviously I live there. My kids go to school there. And so for us it’s a great thing, to play a role in this community’s development … one of the few communities experiencing population growth over the last couple of years in our area.”
He’s constructing the latest phase of the project, two identical 11,000 square foot commercial buildings in Firestone Farms, where eight to 12 tenants will operate.
“We have three letters of intent signed and working on leases with those folks,” DeMaiolo says. “And basically we’re getting calls every day, so we’re trying to fuel those and see who might be a good fit, a good tenant to partner with.”
DeMaiolo’s Red Brick Commons, which spans 16,000 square feet, includes well-known tenants – Sweet Melissa’s, Sabi’s, Sespe Burger, Columbiana Barber Shop, Pulp and Kingdom Tattoo, as well as office space for DeMaiolo Development.
Most of the tenants have been business owners who live and work in the area.
“Those businesses have been open for a couple of years now, and everything seems to be going great,” DeMaiolo says, adding it made sense to continue the Red Brick Commons concept on adjacent property he owns.
DeMaiolo credits Columbiana with having programs that are stimulating both residential growth and commercial development.
A Community Reinvestment Area Tax Abatement Program allows city council to grant 100% tax exemptions on the increased value to revitalize housing or build new housing structures for 15 years.
DeMaiolo likes seeing so many young families moving to Columbiana.
“It’s just exciting to be in our area, where there’s a lot happening, a lot of development, a lot of residential things happening, a lot of new families, a lot of new businesses,” DeMaiolo says. “It’s an exciting time and we’re just happy and fortunate to be a part of it.”
City Manager Lance Willard says DeMaiolo has been working with the Youth Entrepreneur class at Columbiana High School, giving students a chance to give their input about the design of a courtyard between the two new buildings in Red Brick Commons. The students are slated to make a presentation this spring.
“It’s a genius idea,” Willard says, “because where do you think those students are going to work when they get to work age.”
Firestone Farms and Beyond
The area around Firestone Farms has been growing for years and Willard says there are plans for more commercial and residential development.
Even further north along state Route 7 is property available for commercial development.
The Barn at Firestone Farms, across state Route 14 from Firestone Farms, is an event venue and its owners have teamed up with local restaurants for activities, such as a Lenten fish fry.
Smoke Worx Village Table 4.1 recently opened on Route 14, next to Ill Will Brewing.
The city recently annexed an area between Firestone Golf Course and Beaver Lake, for a housing development. Another housing development of duplexes is under construction on Park Ridge behind the Discount Drug Mart, which opened in 2024. Willard says the completed homes are being rented long term by young professionals and people waiting while their own houses are being built. Nearby, another street for housing development should be constructed soon.
Between Discount Drug Mart and the Sparkle Market plaza is more commercial acreage.
“We think that will develop too in the next two to three years,” Willard says, noting electric, water and sewer is in place for both developments in that area.
State Route 14 between the Best Western and Belleria will be widened this summer. Willard noted a traffic study showed 9,000 vehicles a day travel through that area.
Downtown
Tony Marshall plans to open The Columbiana Tap House later this year at 135 S. Main St., creating another downtown gathering place. He is awaiting a liquor license.
Marshall plans to offer 30 self-serve taps of craft beers, wines and non-alcoholic beverages, such as sodas. A radio-frequency identification wristband will allow patrons to activate any of the 30 offerings and pay differently per ounce based on the beverage. Children’s wristbands will restrict them to kid-friendly choices.
Marshall says The Columbiana Tap House plans to offer many drink options from northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania that will vary often.
“The thought is, you come there with the family – you come with the dog, you come with the kids,” Marshall says. “You have a beer or wine and the kids are able to participate too.”
With indoor and outdoor seating on Main Street available, patrons may be able to take advantage of the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (Dora), which Willard says will need to be expanded to include The Tap Room.
“Columbiana has done such a good job in building up that downtown space over the last few years,” Marshall says, adding this will be an opportunity to leverage the Dora. “They put all that time and effort to build this Dora space where you can move from business to business with beverages and really nobody is doing that.”
Marshall sees an opportunity for people to come enjoy a drink and then carry it with them as they visit antique shops and other businesses downtown.
He says Willard; Bryce Miner, the deputy city administrator/deputy zoning officer; and Mayor Rick Noel, were “business friendly” and encouraged him to consider a business idea that complemented the offerings already there.
Guests of The Tap House will be able to patronize other restaurants and food trucks parked at the Garden of Eatin’ mural on South Main Street.
“With Columbiana’s tax abatement, it’s just blowing up as far as new construction and the people moving in there,” says Marshall. “It’s all that demographic that fits us perfectly. It’s that 25- to 45-year-old family that’s right in our wheelhouse and these folks need something to do.”
Several projects are in the works downtown, according to Willard. The former Isaly’s building is being rehabilitated by the family that has owned it since the mid-1970s. An elevator will make the second floor usable as well.
Working with the county, Willard says the city was able to find grant money to clean up a former gas station at the corner of East Park and Elm Street. An entrepreneur, Kelly Whalen, intends to seek planning commission approval for a sandwich shop in the location.
“I’m excited about it,” Whalen says. “I like the location, just right there by the Circle and I like the traffic through there.”
Whalen has friends who own businesses in the industrial park and believes a place where you can step to the counter and buy a sandwich or some hot food near Birdfish Brewery, the Firestone Park and Heartland Christian will be welcome.
“It’s close to a lot of the people I know and I like the Columbiana/East Fairfield community,” says Whalen, a Calcutta native. “It’s a nice, nice area.”
When the city purchased the former Columbiana Buick Oldsmobile Cadillac location on South Main Street for its new city hall, it came with ample parking lots. One lot is 450 feet in frontage and could be developed, as well as an additional lot across the street where a Dodge dealership stood. They could create 30 or more parcels out of the properties on both the east and west sides of Main Street, Willard says.
A development committee of council is looking at the possibilities, working with consultants.
“Think about if you could wave a magic wand and put whatever you want in there,” Willard says. “We’re going to have to get the right developer, who has the same vision of what we’re doing. You can really have a huge impact on this whole downtown area, something to complement it – something that is going to bring vibrancy to our downtown and make our downtown even stronger than it already is.”
Part of what makes downtown strong includes the Market on Main events. Willard credits the organizers Zhenya Motry, the owner of Columbiana Vintage, and Taylor Harvey, the owner of Magnolia and Co. Vintage, with bringing the events to
downtown.
“It’s just helping all the other businesses,” Willard says, “and it’s helping Columbiana get more people coming in and partaking.”
Pictured at top: The latest phase of the Red Brick Commons development is two 11,000-square-foot commercial spaces that are already being leased.
