Business Info

STEUBENVILLE - Bayberry Properties is bringing back the residential character of the North End and parts of LaBelle View one house at a time. Scott Dressel, owner of Bayberry, and his partner, Vance J. Posey, specialize in offering fine residential and commercial rentals; rental apartments, homes and garages; as well as historic architectural preservation of Victorian- era property.

Bayberry has quietly gone about its work for several years, and the difference its work has made is visible. Currently, Dressel is working hard to complete the conversion of a mid-1850s duplex at 428 Clinton St. into four modern one-bedroom luxury apartments, complete with fully equipped kitchens and laundry facilities as well as all-new bathrooms and heating and air conditioning units. One of the apartments has a small office room in it. The building's interior was gutted by Dressel, down to the bare walls. New wiring, plumbing and lighting, new drywall and carpet, as well as kitchen and bath fixtures have been installed. One apartment is being maintained with its original hardwood floors. Three apartments have access to a patio or porch or a deck. Leases are $400 to $450 a month, plus utilities.

Some city residents might balk at such an investment, but Dressel says he's not in it to get rich but to restore the homes and the neighborhoods. "People don't know about the best-kept secret in Steubenville," he said. Dressel said those he's sold homes to or others who are restoring homes in the North End share the feeling. "People do not understand. It's quiet. There's no traffic, no crime," he said. Dressel grew up in Minnesota and came to the area in 1989, getting involved in the restoration of several properties in Wheeling. He moved to Steubenville in 1995 and began buying properties, eventually becoming a member, and now chairman, of the Steubenville Historic Landmarks Commission. He was involved in the North End Streetscape planning with retired urban projects director Virginia Kopras and current director Chris Petrossi, himself a North Fourth Street resident.

Dressel had lived on Belleview Boulevard but now he and his family live at 506 N. Fourth St., where the old blacksmith shop behind the home has been cleaned up also. Dressel had worked at PNC Bank in Pittsburgh for 10 years, but he's quit that job to concentrate full-time on the rental properties and home restorations. He says he knows he's not going to get rich, but, "It's worth doing. The history needs to be taken care of." He said that Steubenville is the first place heading to the nation's interior from the East Coast that affordable Victorian properties that are restorable can be found. He said there are a few Queen Anne Victorians available in the North End for between $20,000 and $60,000 that can be made into expensive homes for an investment in restoration of about $150,000 or so. "Homes like this in Pittsburgh are ridiculous" in cost, he said. "People do not understand the benefits of these homes." In addition to having a true mansion instead of a more modern McMansion, Dressel said the location in the North End is good, with a quick walk downtown or a few minutes to drive to the Hollywood Plaza or the Fort Steuben Mall. He said fine dining is a few blocks away at Froehlich's Classic Corner at Fifth and Washington streets. He said there are plans in the works for a coffee shop on Market Street and a new bakery in the Fort Steuben Hotel building.

He said the goal is to preserve heritage. "We too easily throw away what is old," he said. "But if it wasn't for this area being here, Steubenville would look like everywhere else. It would just be suburban sprawl, similar to every other place that has shopping centers and malls. "This is only here," he said of the architectural character of the North End and the hilltop neighborhoods. Who wants to live in these homes? People from everywhere, he said. There are couples from New Jersey and California who have bought or rented properties as well as people from Maryland or Pittsburgh. The people have jobs in Pittsburgh or Wheeling or Newell or other areas around the Tri-State Area, he said.

The renters and buyers tend to be young professionals and families, he said. Bayberry takes care to avoid the pitfalls of renting properties to people who will not take pride in their residences. First, Bayberry conducts background checks and will not accept tenants with recent criminal records or those who have ties to narcotics dealing. Second, Bayberry's screening requires the tenant to have a verifiable source of income. And the care and quality in restoration and rental shows, Dressel said. During the past year, with investment from his company and others, both local and from out of the area, as well as the work of the Journeys of Service Helping Upper Appalachia program, many properties along North Fifth Street have been repaired, cleaned and painted, he said.

The 428 Clinton St. property, he said as workmen installed carpeting in the upstairs apartments, was built in the 1850s, with additions in the 1870s, the 1890s and the 1920s. He has remodeled and restored and modernized to provide apartments with the usual modern luxury amenities. Each apartment has its own individual high-efficiency furnace and air conditioner. The basement has been cleaned and repaired and is home to individual washer and dryer units for each apartment. The kitchens will have refrigerators, stoves and dishwashers in addition to modern cabinetry.

He said tenants often need to learn that the landlord needs to earn a rent that pays for the mortgage, the insurance and the upkeep and maintenance of the property. It's not often a good sign to pay a very low rent. He inspects his properties once a months for the first six months after renting them to a tenant, and then once a year thereafter if no problems are found. "Tenants should understand that it's better to pay enough and to be responsible enough, to keep the property clean," he said. For many renters, it's not just a case of naturally knowing what to do. He said social service agencies and public housing providers could do a better job with tenants to educate them about what it takes to maintain a residence. He also recommended that social service agencies that provide food to people in need should provide laundry soap and home cleaning supplies and personal hygiene products. He said tenants and renters in the city have gotten a bad name, as well as some landlords when the issue of property maintenance can be easy to take care of.

As he finishes 428 Clinton, with one unit already rented, he's already making plans for this year's major project: The remodeling of the interior of 741 N. Fourth St. Bayberry has owned the property for several years and the exterior has been repaired, but the interior work has been on hold. Bayberry also owns properties on LaBelle View and four on Pleasant Heights, he said. For information about restorations and properties for sale or rent from Bayberry, visit www.bayberryproperties.com on the Internet or call (740) 284-0027. The Web site also includes a number of historic property resources and links, as well as information and a timeline about properties Bayberry has restored in the region and a link to Dunn & Bradstreet information about the company. Dressel handles the restorations and property maintenance, legal and tax issues while Posey, the co-owner of Bayberry, is responsible for tenant relations, landscape concepts, design and color selection.

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