NILES, Ohio – The historic Masonic Lodge building at 22 W. Church St. will be revitalized with assistance from a $750,000 JobsOhio Vibrant Communities Grant secured by Lake to River Economic Development.
The $4.6 million redevelopment will transform the underused structure into the new headquarters for Cadence Care Network, a nonprofit organization that provides behavioral health services for children and families.
“Restoring the Niles Masonic Lodge saves a historic building that has stood for more than a century,” Gov. Mike DeWine said in a news release. “Although it fell into a state of disrepair, this building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006, demonstrating the site’s significance to this area. Preserving this building will also preserve an important part of Niles’ past.”
The funding from JobsOhio’s Vibrant Communities Grant Program marks the final investment needed to bring the long-planned project to life, helping to retain and create 180 jobs in downtown Niles and consolidate Cadence Care Network’s multiple offices into one location. Construction is expected to be completed in early 2027.
“The Vibrant Communities program is built around a community’s collective goals, and Lake to River’s part was activating the JobsOhio funding to advance those priorities,” said Dani Robbins, Lake to River CEO. “It means jobs retained and created in Niles and a single, modern home for Cadence Care Network’s services inside the Masonic Lodge.”
JobsOhio Vibrant Communities Grants are meant to help revitalize downtowns and main streets through targeted investments in distressed, small and medium-size cities across Ohio, the release states.
“The Masonic Lodge in Niles was once a condemned building being strongly considered for demolition,” said J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio president and CEO. “With strong partnership at the state and local level, the lodge will fill the historic building with an anchor tenant and a multipurpose space that will attract more jobs downtown.”
The redevelopment will include significant renovations throughout the building, adding new office space and modern facilities to support Cadence Care Network’s services. The project also includes a complete overhaul of a large, unused auditorium, which will be reconfigured for office use and community functions.
“This project is about more than renovating a building. It’s about taking a piece of Niles history that could have been lost and giving it a purpose again,” said Dominic Gatta, developer and investor. “I’ve believed in this building and in downtown Niles from the beginning. Seeing Cadence Care Network make it their home, bringing jobs, people and activity back into this part of the city is exactly the kind of outcome we hoped this investment could create.”
The effort is the result of collaborative funding and community support. In addition to the JobsOhio grant, the project has secured state and federal historic tax credits, Appalachian Community Grant Program funding through Eastgate Regional Council of Governments and local investment from the Niles Community Improvement Corp.
“This project brought state, county and local resources together to downtown Niles, and that kind of coordination is good for Trumbull County. Retaining and creating 180 jobs in Niles is a meaningful outcome for the county,” Trumbull County Commissioner Tony Bernard said.
“When Cadence Care Network moves its people into one building on Church Street, that is foot traffic and daytime activity where it has been quiet for years, and it tells every property owner nearby that investing here makes sense now,” Niles Mayor Steve Mientkiewicz said.