Historic Niles Masonic Lodge to be Redeveloped as Cadence Care Network Headquarters with $750,000 JobsOhio Grant

# What happened The historic Masonic Lodge at 22 W. Church St. in Niles, Ohio, will be renovated into the new headquarters for Cadence Care Network. Lake to River Economic Development secured a $750,000 JobsOhio Vibrant Communities Grant that completes the funding package for the $4.6 million redevelopment.

# Who's involved

• Lake to River Economic Development led the funding effort. Dani Robbins, Lake to River CEO, described the grant as the final investment needed to move the long-planned project forward.
• Cadence Care Network, a nonprofit that provides behavioral health services for children and families, will occupy the building and consolidate multiple offices into a single site.

• Developer and investor Dominic Gatta is managing the redevelopment.

• Local officials weighed in: Gov. Mike DeWine called the project a way to preserve a building on the National Register of Historic Places. Trumbull County Commissioner Tony Bernard and Niles Mayor Steve Mientkiewicz emphasized job creation, daytime activity downtown, and signaling to nearby property owners that investment is sensible.

# What the project will do The redevelopment will transform an underused, century-old lodge into modern office space and community facilities. Key elements:

• New office space and modern facilities to support Cadence Care Network's services.
• Reconfiguration of a large, unused auditorium for office use and community functions.
• Consolidation of Cadence Care Network's multiple offices into one downtown location.
• Expected retention and creation of 180 jobs tied to the move and operations.

Construction is scheduled to be completed in early 2027.

# Why it matters for Niles The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 but had fallen into disrepair and was once considered for demolition. The redevelopment uses combined public and private funding to reuse an existing downtown asset, bring employees and clients into the city center, and boost daytime foot traffic. Local officials see the project as a practical example of coordinated funding across state, county, and local levels.

# Funding and timeline

• Gov. Mike DeWine: "Restoring the Niles Masonic Lodge saves a historic building that has stood for more than a century."
• Dani Robbins, Lake to River CEO: "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."
• J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio president and CEO: "The Masonic Lodge in Niles was once a condemned building being strongly considered for demolition."
• Dominic Gatta, developer and investor: "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."
• Trumbull County Commissioner Tony Bernard noted coordination of resources and the meaningful outcome of retaining and creating 180 jobs.

# Immediate implications The project should increase downtown activity by bringing employees and clients to Church Street, signal an improved investment climate for nearby property owners, and preserve a historic structure while creating usable community space.