YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown State University Board of Trustees has unanimously adopted a resolution to accept the title for real estate and personal property in Steubenville that belonged to Eastern Gateway Community College.

In its 7-0 vote during a special meeting Thursday afternoon in Tod Hall, the board authorized the university to accept nearly 13 acres of property from the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners that will include a single building that housed EGCC, as well as adjacent parking lots.

The vote Thursday comes nearly two months after EGCC transferred to Jefferson County officials about 75 acres, on which the building and parking lots sit.

The agreement also will further YSU’s commitment to preserve strong educational pathways and offerings to the Steubenville area, which also includes nearby counties across the Ohio River in West Virginia, YSU President Bill Johnson said in his report..

“Today’s resolution is about access to a full spectrum of educational choices for the people previously served by EGCC. It’s about stability, responsibility and opportunity,” Johnson said in a statement released Thursday. “When EGCC closed its doors, thousands of students and families were left with uncertainty about their educational future. YSU stepped in because this region deserves a reliable partner — one that keeps its promises and delivers results. We’re not just inheriting a building, we’re investing in a future.”

The board of trustees’ action is the result of a settlement and transfer agreement the university, EGCC and Jefferson County officials signed in September, and after EGCC ended formal instruction last year. Also as part of the resolution, YSU has been provided with an option to accept a bill of sale from EGCC to transfer the title to certain personal property that had been used at the former EGCC site.

The process to open a YSU campus in Steubenville got underway about two years ago when Gov. Mike DeWine asked university officials to fill the void that resulted from EGCC’s closure. Since then, YSU has received an estimated $3.6 million in start-up funds from the state, some of which will be used to upgrade the electrical and other systems in the building, which has been vacant for about two years, Johnson said, noting that some asbestos removal also is in the mix.

YSU is planning an open house in January at the Steubenville site to gather feedback and, soon after, will accept applications for enrollment, Johnson said, adding that if all goes as planned, classes likely will begin next summer. He was unable, though, to provide a specific date for the gathering.

“By securing this campus space, we’re ensuring that local students continue to have access to strong career-enhancing programs, supportive services and a university that believes in their community,” Johnson said, adding, “YSU is here to provide continuity, credibility and a pathway forward.”

In addition, YSU conducted a marketing analysis that looked at what likely will be viable educational options for the Steubenville region, he continued.

The move did not come without certain risks, however. EGCC’s closure created a trust gap between many students who took classes at the Steubenville campus and higher education in general. Also, certain legal challenges arose that were beyond YSU’s control, Johnson noted.

YSU also will be working to restore the lost trust, and many of the area’s students likely will be sold on what YSU will offer, he explained.

Additionally, university officials intend to develop relationships with school districts in and around Steubenville in efforts to attract a greater pool of high school students to YSU’s campus, as well as to get the word out that “we will soon be open for business,” Johnson said.

YSU will hire staff in accordance to what programs seem most viable and as enrollment dictates, he added.

The resolution also paves the way for YSU to fill an educational vacuum that extends beyond the Mahoning Valley.

“This is not business as usual, but about (also) raising the YSU brand,” Johnson said.