The lot at 101 W. Main St. in Barnesville and three adjacent properties are currently vacant, but plans to build a $3.5 million office building there were announced Tuesday. (Photo provided)

A local developer working with village, county and state agencies, announced plans Tuesday to construct an estimated $3.5 million office building in downtown Barnesville.

According to a news release, JEFBA LLC, in collaboration with JobsOhio, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, the Belmont County Port Authority and the village of Barnesville announced the plan, which is expected to create 15 new jobs. The new 10,000-square-foot building will fill a gap in the community for much-needed office space to bolster community development and revitalization.

The structure will be located in the heart of the Historic District of Downtown Barnesville on a site where four vacant buildings were previously demolished.

“I’d like to thank JobsOhio for their support in helping to bring this project to life. With the high costs involved, their grant made it possible for us to move forward,” said T.J. Jefferis, CEO of Jefferis Real Estate. “This new building will not only improve our downtown area, but it will also create new jobs and lasting benefits to our community.”

Barnesville Village Council President Tony Johnson said the project has “been a long time coming.” He said the site at the corner of Main and Chestnut streets involved some buildings the village had acquired, initially with the intent of adding parking to the area. Once Jefferis acquired the fourth structure, the village was able to work with him to develop an alternate plan.

“It was always part of the plan to tear those buildings down,” Johnson said. “… Part of our plan the whole time was to repurpose that somehow.

“T.J.’s done a lot of work in the community. We’ve worked with him on the industrial parks. It was fairly simple to decide to work with a guy like that who’s willing to put that kind of investment into the community.”

Johnson said he believes the new two-story building will mimic the surrounding architecture, including the headquarters of Ohio Hills Health Centers, which occupies the former Bradfield Building that was built between 1888 and 1891, according to information found on the OHHC website. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Barnesville Historic District and was constructed in the Romanesque Revival style to house the First National Bank of Barnesville, according to the register.

“It’s going to look like a building that has always been there,” Johnson said, noting that village leaders are “pleased and excited.”

He acknowledged that the village went through some “tough times” regarding the properties that are involved. He said some people did not want the village to tear the buildings down because of their historic nature. However, he said they were all in bad shape with collapsed roofs and water in basements.

“In Barnesville, our slogan is ‘Where History Meets Progress,'” Johnsons continued. “Sometimes those are the things we have to do to make history meet progress.”

Belmont County Commissioner J.P. Dutton agreed that the project is great news for Barnesville.

“It’s a really tremendous project,” he said. “We are really thankful for the hard work of the port authority – they have worked on this project for some time with leaders from the village, partners at the state level, JobsOhio and Ohio Southeast. It’s another example of a good team effort.”

He said he is excited to see this economic development effort come to Barnesville, noting he believes the new building could become a “cornerstone project” in the downtown.

“The new, two-story building in Barnesville will complement the community’s historic architecture while creating future investment opportunities,” Gov. Mike DeWine said in the release. “The facility will bring new life to this once-vacant property and be highly attractive to new businesses.”

AMfg Labs, which announced an expansion of its Belmont County operations in 2024, will be the anchor tenant for the complex, occupying at least 4,000 square feet of office space. The building plans map out office space for up to 60 new full-time employees.

“The construction of this new facility brings critical office space in the center of Barnesville that has already attracted a cutting-edge advanced manufacturing solutions company,” JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef commented. “By establishing capacity for more investment and tenants, the building will spark the creation of more jobs and vitality within the heart of the community.”

The release states the structure is designed with flexibility in mind to make it accommodating for new businesses and to allow multiple businesses to occupy the structure.

“This new foundation building is a major investment in the heart of Barnesville and a testament to the Jefferis family’s deep-rooted commitment to the community,” Larry Merry, executive director of the Belmont County Port Authority, said. “T.J., his wife Tammy and their children are playing a leading role in bringing this project to life, continuing the family’s long tradition of shaping Belmont County’s future. From the industrial parks and the local businesses that T.J. and his brother John have established, the Jefferis family has been instrumental in driving economic growth in Barnesville. This $3.5 million project will further energize downtown Barnesville, and we’re proud to partner with OhioSE and JobsOhio to support it.”

The JobsOhio Vibrant Community Program offers competitive grants for development projects that help transform areas within a distressed community. Eligible projects include mixed-use projects, real estate development projects, and operated shared spaces that meet the JobsOhio project criteria. The precise amount of the grant for this project has not yet been released.

“This project is exactly what the Vibrant Community Program was created to support,” said Matt Abbott, president and CEO of OhioSE. “It blends the community’s redevelopment plan with local investment to bring much-needed services and capacity to the downtown. The JobsOhio support filled the gap to make this project a reality. We know this transformational project will have a positive impact on the Barnesville community and spur additional investment.”