STEUBENVILLE, Ohio – Jefferson County commissioners agreed at a Monday meeting to convey the former Eastern Gateway Community College classroom building to Youngstown State University, a commissioner said.

“Step one of the agreement: EGCC turns over the building to Jefferson County as soon as the deed’s taken care of, which will be soon,” said Tony Morelli, Jefferson County commissioners chairman. “And then we voted – ‘we’ is Jefferson County – to do our part, and we signed the agreement that once we received the building, we would convey it over to YSU.”

After his State of the University address Monday morning, YSU President Bill Johnson said the university hopes to start programs at the Steubenville campus this spring. The university previously started a criminal justice program at a different Jefferson County location. That program, as well as welding, would start at the former Eastern Gateway campus. YSU last year secured authorization from the Higher Learning Commission, its accreditation body, to operate in Jefferson County.

Eastern Gateway, which was based in Steubenville and had a downtown Youngstown campus, closed in 2024 due to financial and accreditation challenges.

The Eastern Gateway Community College Governance Authority, led by Ohio Budget and Management Director Kimberly Murnieks, was appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine to oversee the winding down of the former college. 

Last month the governance authority authorized Murnieks to execute the agreements needed to formalize a tentative agreement with Jefferson commissioners to resolve litigation. The county last July filed a motion asking a judge to activate a clause in a 1967 contract that would return the remaining college building to Jefferson County. The county had deeded the building to Eastern Gateway’s forerunner but included a reverter clause that if the building ceased being used for educational purposes, it would return to the county. 

The reverter clause would remain if YSU takes over the building, Morelli said. Jefferson County also will retain ownership of part of the land for economic development and retain mineral rights.

Last week, YSU trustees approved a resolution to continue the process of pursuing a campus at the former Eastern Gateway in Steubenville. At that time, Johnson said YSU is working with the state regarding how the satellite campus will be funded. Last year, YSU established more than 50 associate and certificate programs at its main campus to serve former Eastern Gateway students. The most recent state budget includes $2.5 million for YSU to assist with new student enrollment and facility operations transitioning from Eastern Gateway.

Johnson on Monday called that seed money.

“But remember, we’ve already spent a little over $6.5 million, just in the curriculum development and the accreditation process, to put in place all the new programs that we needed to put in place that we didn’t offer when Eastern Gateway announced its closure,” he said.

So the money in the state budget is largely for work YSU has already done.

“So we’ve still got some more work to do with the state on the funding issue,” Johnson said.

Morelli is optimistic YSU will opt to move into the Steubenville campus.

“We want Youngstown State to take it,” he said.