Belmont County officials took action last week to get the ball rolling on the renovation of the old sheriff’s residence, located in the front part of the former Belmont County Jail.

The issue has been a source of debate for over a decade now. Some people want to see it renovated. Some want to see it razed. While the debate has come in waves over the years, the building has sat vacant, with minimal maintenance put into the aging structure while time continues to pass.

This historic structure sits in the heart of St. Clairsville, which in recent years has come to boast one of the most attractive downtown areas in the Ohio Valley. The city and property owners in the historic business district have invested a lot of money into beautifying the town. A lot of grant money has been secured to help renovate facades of buildings that house businesses, as well as the city-owned Clarendon Hotel.

Private dollars have also been invested into the effort, as has work by volunteers and city crews. Many of the buildings “uptown” along Main Street are 100 years old or older, yet pretty much all of them look fantastic, thanks to the care taken by those who have pride in their town.

The city has also won awards and recognition for its beautification efforts. St. Clairsville has been named a Tree City USA for a number of years, and recently took honors in the America In Bloom competition, landing the city a spot in an international competition alongside the most beautiful towns in the world.

Yet, at the heart of the city in the shadow of the courthouse on Main Street stands the old sheriff’s residence and former jail – vacant and deteriorating. Each improvement that has been made to the downtown has just made this structure look more like an eyesore.

Few people would miss the building if it was to be torn down. Yet, the county would have to pay the hefty bill to raze and remove the structure. The county has had funding through the Ohio Department of Transportation on hand for years to renovate the building, but has not had funds for a local match until now. The Belmont County Tourism Council has once again stepped to the plate to help provide $150,000 in matching funds over the next three years for the renovation. The old sheriff’s residence will be refurbished and transformed into a satellite tourism office.

Under the circumstances, this is the right thing to do. We applaud those who are taking the initiative to finally do something with this building, because any kind of action has simply been long overdue.