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From Business First of Columbus, 4/2/07: In brief Fashion merchants lead wave of Gateway's newest tenants Business First of Columbus - March 30, 2007 Places for shoppers to drop their cash at South Campus Gateway in Columbus are multiplying. Seven more retailers, a meeting and reception facility and an office tenant will take places at the $150 million development, which opened in 2005. "Most of the tenants are unique to the market," said Gateway Marketing Director Jerry Johnson. Read the full article here: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/04/02/story7.html

From the 2/15/07 Lantern: Le Luxe shoe store helps fill in Gateway Caitlin Wirt Issue date: 2/15/07 Section: Arts In January, Le Luxe shoe store opened in the South Campus Gateway, nestled next to Y Boutique and across from the Drexel Gateway Theater. The shoe store is the newest addition to the complex, and the Gateway hasn't hosted a grand opening in a few months. Simply by the number of vacancies that still exist, it appears that the complex might be experiencing a bit of trouble attracting store tenants to open in the area. Read the full article here: www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2007/02/15/Arts/Le.Luxe.Shoe.Store.Helps.Fill.In.Gateway-2722437.shtml]http://media.www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2007/02/15/Arts/Le.Luxe.Shoe.Store.Helps.Fill.In.Gateway-2722437.shtml

From the 2/6/07 Lantern: North campus residents say area bars a disturbance Heather Taylor and John Cropper Issue date: 2/6/07 Section: Campus Friction between north campus residents and area bar owners continues to escalate following a complaint by the University Area Commission against four campus bars. Miani's, Ledo's Lounge, The Nuthouse and The Little Bar were all cited in the objection filed by the UAC in October. Read the full article here: www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2007/02/06/Campus/North.Campus.Residents.Say.Area.Bars.A.Disturbance-2700326.shtml]http://media.www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2007/02/06/Campus/North.Campus.Residents.Say.Area.Bars.A.Disturbance-2700326.shtml

From the 4/3/07 Port Clinton News Herald: Jobs safe at Lear By LESLIE BIXLER Staff writer Fremont Lear employees can breathe easy about having job security at the local plant because as of Sunday, the Fremont plant officially merged with International Automotive Components Group North America Inc. Local employees were told in December about the possibility of merging with IAC North America or closing. ... http://www.portclintonnewsherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070403/NEWS01/70403001/1002/rss01

From the 4/2/07 Sandusky Register: Huron still waits on Lear buyer By WAYNE BAKER | Monday April 02 2007, 5:34am HURON Trying to track down billionaire financier Wilbur Ross is not easy. The soon-to-be owner of Lear's Huron plant is traveling abroad doing what he does best: buying businesses. ... http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2007/04/02/front/230046.txt

From the 3/24/07 Sandusky Register: Huron hopes for stability from sale of Lear plant By WAYNE BAKER | Saturday March 24 2007, 4:17am HURON Huron city officials are not panicking about the sale of the local Lear plant to New York-based international financier Wilbur L. Ross. In fact, they hope it will provide more stability and opportunities for the future. Ross, 68, is chairman of the International Automotive Components Group LLC, a new joint venture among W.L. Ross & Co. LLC, New York; Franklin Mutual Advisors LLC, a subsidiary of Franklin Resources Inc., San Mateo, Calif.; and Lear. ... http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2007/03/24/front/220669.txt

From the 3/22/07 Sandusky Register: Lear buyer sought cuts in Pennsylvania By WAYNE BAKER | Thursday March 22 2007, 5:57am HURON If Lear employees want to know what they will be asked to do under the new ownership of New York-based international financier Wilbur L. Ross, they need to look only one state away. Lear Corp. workers in Carlisle, Pa., are also owned by the billionaire nicknamed the "Bankruptcy King." ... http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2007/03/22/local_news/218333.txt

From the 2/5/07 Dayton Business Journal: Shareholder offers $2.4B to acquire Lear Dayton Business Journal - February 5, 2007 Billionaire and top shareholder Carl Icahn has made a $2.4 billion bid to buy all outstanding shares of auto-parts maker Lear Corp, the company announced Monday. Lear, which has 300 workers at a plant in Sidney, said Icahn's management company, American Real Estate Partners LP, has made the offer to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares for $36 per share in cash. ... http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2007/02/05/daily2.html

From the 4/27/07 Blade: Fallen Timbers signs five more retailers Five more retailers will join the $125 million Shops at Fallen Timbers mall project off U.S. 24 in Maumee, including a sought-after White House/Black Market women’s apparel shop. The apparel store is new to the Toledo area and is owned by Chico’s of Fort Myers, Fla. It has filed site plans with the city building inspection office. Also filing are Claire’s, Hallmark, Pac-Sun, After Hours Formalwear, and Showcase Cinemas 14, which is owned by National Amusements Inc. The filings bring to 18 the number of retailers committed to going into the project west of I-475/U.S. 23. The million-square-foot development with a village-like setting is to open in September. The developer is General Growth Properties Inc. of Chicago. http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070427/BUSINESS03/70427005/-1/RSS04

From the 3/15/07 Blade: 5 clothing stores file plans for Fallen Timbers Five clothing retailers have filed store site plans to join the $125 million Shops at Fallen Timbers mall project off U.S. 24 west of I-475/U.S. 23, according to Maumee city building inspection officials. Victoria’s Secret, Wet Seal, Charlotte Russe, Limited Too, and the Children’s Place will join nine stores that previously gave commitments in the million-square-foot project designed with a village-like setting. The mall, being developed by General Growth Properties Inc. of Chicago, is scheduled to open in October. Four of the five new retailers have stores in the Toledo market at Westfield Franklin Park. Victoria’s Secret also has a store at the Southwyck Shopping Center. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070315/BUSINESS10/70315012

From the 5/1/07 Dispatch: For now, smoking lamp dark at VFW Tuesday, May 1, 2007 3:33 AM By Kevin Mayhood and James Nash THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH For at least the next two weeks, the statewide ban on smoking in public will be enforced in private clubs, a Franklin County judge ruled yesterday. "This won't be the end of it; both sides of the fence are passionate about it," said Robert Funk, adjutant/quartermaster of the Ohio chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The smoking ban had been altered after some VFW leaders complained that veterans shouldn't be prohibited from smoking in their private clubs. The state Health Department drafted an exemption that would allow smoking in private clubs if the employees also are members. Read more: [email protected] [email protected] http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/05/01/smoke.ART_ART_05-01-07_A1_2S6I6LH.html From the 5/1/07 Lorain Morning Journal: Private clubs no longer exempt from smoking ban MATT SUMAN, Morning Journal Writer 05/01/2007 LORAIN -- Beginning Thursday, enforcement of the statewide smoking ban will begin and lighting up in the wrong place could cost a person or building owner. A new court ruling also means no exemption for private club members, at least for the next few weeks. Yesterday, the Ohio Licensed Beverage Association won a temporary restraining order against a provision of the new law that would have allowed private club members to smoke at the members-only club, according to The Associated Press. Judge David Cain of Franklin County Court of Common Pleas issued the order yesterday and scheduled a hearing for May 14. http://www.morningjournal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18282693&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46371&rfi=6 From the 5/1/07 (OU) Post: Officials snuff out smoking Violators will now be fined Elyse Ball / Staff Writer / [email protected] Many Uptown businesses have been smoke-free since Ohio’s smoking ban went into effect in December, but starting Thursday, those business owners who fail to enforce the ban could be subject to state fines. Although the Ohio Department of Health anticipates an initial onslaught of complaints, the number of complaints is expected to drop off as businesses and employees become more comfortable with the ban, said Mandy Burkett, chief of the department’s indoor environment section. ODH sent out summaries of the new smoking ban to more than 280,000 Ohio businesses, she said. Following a warning letter for an initial violation, businesses repeatedly cited for failing to enforce the ban could face up to a $2,500 fine. Read more: http://thepost.baker.ohiou.edu/articles/2007/05/01/news/19607.html

From the 5/1/07 Enquirer: Schools may outgrow funding Mason, Lakota say aid in state plan static as enrollment booms BY MICHAEL D. CLARK | [email protected] MASON - Two of Greater Cincinnati's biggest school systems are among a half-dozen fast-growing districts statewide that claim they would be shortchanged by the latest budget proposal for Ohio schools. Mason and Lakota officials say they stand to lose millions because the state education budget plan being discussed by lawmakers does not include money to cover the nearly 1,000 new students, combined, that the two districts enroll each year. Booming districts like theirs - and a handful of others among Ohio's 613 school systems - are being penalized for being rated "excellent" and attracting more and more students, they say, while most districts with stable or declining enrollments are earmarked for more state funding. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070501/NEWS0102/705010400/

From the 5/1/07 Blade: Judge asked to delay Dana contract decision A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge in Manhattan was asked yesterday to delay his decision on Dana Corp.’s request to nullify contracts with its labor unions. Attorneys for the unions and the Toledo auto parts maker jointly submitted a letter asking Judge Burton Lifland to delay his decision for a month while the two sides negotiate. ---- More at: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070501/BUSINESS03/70501006/-1/BUSINESS

From the 4/7/07 Dispatch: OSU's plans under review Consultants hired to ease donors' concerns over medical center projects Saturday, April 07, 2007 Suzanne Hoholik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Ohio State University is spending $772,500 to calm cancer hospital donors worried about changes in its $780 million medical center expansion project. The university hired two consulting firms -- Deloitte & Touche in Detroit and Hammes Co. of Brookfield, Wis. -- to review the project before construction begins on the largest expansion in university history. It includes a new cancer hospital, expanding the medical center and heart hospital, new parking areas and additional faculty offices. The project is scheduled to be finished in 2011. Full article at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/contentbe/dispatch/2007/04/07/20070407-B1-00.html

From Business First of Columbus, 3/5/07: OSU trustees want second opinion for medical center plan Business First of Columbus - March 2, 2007 by Jeff Bell Business First Ohio State University is looking for an outsider's examination of the $780 million plan to expand OSU Medical Center. University trustees were expected to approve March 2 the hiring of an outside consultant to review and validate a medical center plan that has come under increasing scrutiny in recent months. "We're not comfortable moving to the next step of detailed design until we have a consultant on board and know where we are," said William Shkurti, OSU's senior vice president for business and finance. Trustees, OSU President Karen Holbrook, medical center administrators and Shkurti's staff have agreed an outside review is necessary, he said. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/03/05/story2.html

From Business First of Columbus, 2/5/07: OSU Med Center thinks cash shift can keep $780M expansion rolling Business First of Columbus - February 2, 2007 by Jeff Bell Business First Ohio State University Medical Center may have found a cure for an ailment plaguing its $780 million expansion. Faced with fundraising realities that don't jibe with proposed construction and financing schedules, medical center officials have identified another revenue source they hope will pass muster with OSU trustees. The idea, to be presented to trustees Feb. 2, calls for $100 million that normally would be spent on new programs and hiring of medical faculty members to be committed to the expansion program over four years. The $100 million was to have come from private donations, but medical officials have conceded not enough will be pledged in time to advance their ambitious construction schedule. The building projects, which are supposed to be completed by the end of 2011, would include a cancer hospital, outpatient and diagnostic treatment center and a critical-care patient tower. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/02/05/story4.html

Link contains photos. From the 5/1/07 Enquirer: Delta's new dawn Airline flying solo, but local impact continues THE ENQUIRER When Delta Air Lines and its Erlanger-based subsidiary Comair left bankruptcy Monday, they emerged with fewer employees, lower labor and pension costs and fewer domestic routes (but more international ones). Here's a look at how the changes at Delta and Comair affected four key areas. TRAVEL: FLIGHTS DOWN, FARES UP - Since Delta and Comair entered bankruptcy, the airlines have cut their flight schedule from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport by roughly 26 percent. Fares here have risen sharply, with CVG reclaiming its position as one of the most expensive airports to fly to or from, according to government statistics. EMPLOYEES: MANY GONE - Before bankruptcy, Delta had 53,000 employees operating 4,835 daily flights on 522 jets. Today, it has 47,000 employees operating 4,488 daily flights on 440 jets. Comair had 7,050 employees on Sept. 14, 2005, when both airlines entered bankruptcy. It operated 1,160 daily flights on 174 jets. Today, Comair has 6,600 employees, who operate 724 daily flights on 130 jets. ECONOMY: CUTS HURT - Cost cutting saved $3 billion at Delta and $90 million at Comair. When the cuts included jobs or wages, the impact on the economy was heavy. For example, pay cuts imposed at Delta the year before the airline went into bankruptcy took about $90 million out of the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky economy. THE FUTURE: SPINOFF IDEAS - Delta officials say they'll start examining whether to sell or spin off Comair, a move that could potentially affect the Erlanger-based carrier's office employees. The parent airline says it has no plans to make major additional cuts to flights or employees at CVG. An acquisition of Delta seems unlikely, now that it has emerged from bankruptcy and creditors have less power. More at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070501/BIZ01/705010348/1076/rss01

Link contains a photo. From the 5/1/07 Dispatch: Reynoldsburg housing arrangement Mexicans here to work face scrutiny by city, neighbors Tuesday, May 1, 2007 3:33 AM By Stephanie Czekalinski and Jim Woods THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH They paid about $910 each, were tested for drugs and checked for a criminal past. Then they endured a 42-hour bus ride from Monterrey to Columbus. All for landscaping jobs that pay $8.60 an hour. It's an opportunity the Mexican men welcome. They are here legally under a federal program that provides short-term visas to semiskilled and unskilled workers. They will return home by year's end, after completing their jobs with Five Seasons Landscaping. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/05/01/reymex.ART_ART_05-01-07_A1_2S6I6LF.html

^ HARHARHRARHARRR... :-D From the 5/1/07 Newark Advocate: Utility proposes serving Ohio 161 corridor Commissioners, trustees listen to Southwest Licking By KENT MALLETT Advocate Reporter NEWARK -- The Southwest Licking Community Water & Sewer District can serve the Ohio 161 corridor in Jersey and St. Albans townships, but it needs a big development as a catalyst to reduce future costs. Southwest Licking district officials proposed a preliminary plan to the Licking County commissioners Monday as a way for townships to control growth, comply with environmental standards and increase property values. Don Rector, general manager of Southwest Licking, estimated the cost at $7 million to $10 million to provide water and sewer service to the three major need areas along Ohio 161 -- Mink Street/Harrison Road, Ohio 310, and Ohio 37/York Road. "We're looking for a catalyst, a big development to defray cost," Rector said. "It doesn't really matter to the district if it's residential or commercial. It's up to the local folks to have zoning in place to get the kind of development they desire." Full story at http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070501/NEWS01/705010313/1002/rss01

From the 5/1/07 DDN: Delphi has $373M loss in 3 months Staff Reports Tuesday, May 01, 2007 DETROIT — Delphi posted an operating loss of $11 million in March and $373 million in the first three months of 2007, the struggling auto parts maker said Monday. The former parts-making operation of General Motors lost $828 million in the fourth quarter of 2006 and lost $5.5 billion for all of last year. Net sales for the Jan. 1-March 31 period came to $4.09 billion, with sales to GM and its affiliates accounting for about 55 percent of Delphi's business. Expenses totaled $4.46 billion, Delphi said in a filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. ... http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/business/2007/05/01/ddn050107delphi.html

Board readies plan for bid St. Mary's Evening Leader, 4/30/07 New Knoxville Schools has moved into the bidding phase of the construction project as the board of education met in special session Monday, approving a resolution that approves the construction specifications that will be advertised for bidders. The construction documents include an updated estimate of construction costs for the project as required by the Ohio School Facilities Commission. It also contains a separate analysis of locally funded initiative items included in the project. Bids will be opened on May 30. Construction is scheduled to begin on June 22. In related business, on April 26, the school received two bids for the removal of asbestos and other hazardous material. Two bidders, Quality Environment Services of Fowlerville, Mich. bid a base bid of $28,430. Midwest Environmental Control, Inc., of Toledo submitted a base bid of $18,800. The school's abatement consultant, Brumbaugh-Herrick, Inc. of Toledo, reviewed the bids and after determining all the specifications were met, recommended Midwest Environment Controls for the abatement project.

From the 4/30/07 Dayton Business Journal: Moss Creek development resumes after delay Dayton Business Journal - April 27, 2007 by Yvonne Teems DBJ Staff Reporter After several years of setbacks and snags, a giant Trotwood residential development is moving forward. Moss Creek is a proposed 636-acre residential community anchored by Moss Creek Golf Club on Westbrook Road that aims to bring almost 1,400 housing units to Trotwood. But in the decade since the project's announcement, only the golf course and 40 homes have been built. Developer Jim Davis blames the golf course's financial woes and development shortfalls for knocking the wind out of the project. Now more homes may be coming. Trotwood's planning commission in May will consider plans for 158 new homes on 75 acres west of Moss Creek Golf Club. The homes are to range in price from $200,000 to $450,000 and in size from 1,500 square feet to more than 2,000 square feet. MORE: http://dayton.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2007/04/30/story5.html Canal restoration project costs keep on piling up Celina Daily Standard, 4/27/07 Preliminary plans for a lockkeeper's house on the west side of Lock One have made the first cut in a state grant application process, but some local officials feel too much has been spent on Miami-Erie Canal improvements thus far. The original canal project involving restoration of Lock One began with $280,000 in grant dollars and $70,000 in matching money from the New Bremen Historic Association. The village so far has contributed $776,000 to the project, which paid for restoration work, removal of silt and bank repairs south of Plum Street. Bids are still out for landscaping. The price tag for the entire restoration project, including grants, has surpassed $1 million. The proposed construction of a three-story lockkeeper's house also has gone up, from an original estimate of $450,000 to the latest price tag set at $600,000.

Site plan Circle Development, with the aid of Architects Plus, submitted a final development plan for the Madison Circle project (PD-45) to the City Planning Commission at their April 6 meeting, but the deal could stall without financing for public roads. The developer is seeking TIF money from the City to finance new public roads on the site. Madison Circle Drive would extend southward from Madison Rd to a roundabout, which would then lead to a right-turn only outlet onto Red Bank. Red Dog Place would extend from the roundabout to connect with the Ohio Medical Instrument building on the southern end of Charlemar Dr. Charlemar, a residential street, would be closed off into a cul-de-sac. The City is currently doing a funding review to see if the money might be available. The new development plan has two fewer office buildings than the conceptual plan. Details on the office buildings sketchy, though they will likely be two to three stories each with footprints around 12,000 square feet. Sample office building Up to three restaurant and/or retail uses have also been proposed but no tenants have been announced. Under the guidelines of the development plan, the restaurants will be the types which offer table service (think TGI Friday's). One of the retail uses mentioned is a full-service pharmacy. Sample restaurant Two office buildings remain on the site. One 4,859 square-foot building along Madison has been renovated and has one tenant, and the 13,480 square-foot office building nearby is the new home of the American Heart Association. The senior living facility will be developed and operated by CareSpring Health Care Management. The IndianSpring Health Care Facility, which will be located along Madison Rd, will be a three-story, 133,851 square-foot building. Its top two floors will consist of a 140-bed nursing facility. The lower level will be the home of support operations as well as services available to the community at large. Rendering of the IndianSpring Health Care Facility On the western part of the site, the Barrington of Oakley (not in Oakley) will be 130,000 square feet on four levels, containing 100 assisted living apartments, a dining room, and exercise/rec areas. Rendering of the Barrington of Oakley The upscale Red Dog Pet Resort, at 28,125 square feet, will be developed on the southwest part of the site. The total number of square feet has been raised from 426,000 to 492,000. There will be 924 parking spaces, all on surface lots. Forty-nine precent of the 30-acre site will be open space or landscaped area. The senior living projects, the pet spa and Madison Circle Dr are part of Phase I, to be started when money for the road comes through. Phase II, tentatively scheduled for late this year, would consist of one restaurant and the Red Dog Place road project. Phase III would consist of the office buildings and one restaurant/retail. This is scheduled for Summer 2008. Buildout would occur in late 2009/early 2010 with the completion of the final restaurant/retail. Circle Development projects that the project will draw 250 residents and 500 daily employees, as well as daily retail and restaurant patrons, the the former site of the Oakley Drive-In. WINDOWS LIVE BIRD'S EYE VIEW

From the 5/1/07 Eastern Hills Journal: * PHOTO: These two and five additional units on Miami Road in Mariemont may be demolished in favor of high-end, tudor style condominiums if a deal with Greiwe Development Group meets final approval this summer. Photo by Jereme Simmons New condos slated for 3900 block of Miami Road BY JEREME SIMMONS | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER MARIEMONT- The developer best known for his work in starting the Flying Pigs phenomena, Rick Greiwe, is poised to transform the 3900 block of Miami Road in Mariemont by building a series of Tudor style condominiums. The Mariemont Planning Commission recommended accepting Greiwe Development Group's proposal to raze seven existing apartment buildings with a total of 28 rental units, to be replaced by 30 condominiums. The next step will be a formal proposal to the village council in its entirety. "Everyone seems to be in agreement," Mariemont Mayor Dan Policastro said. "We don't just want anything built there. We want to build something the village can be proud of. Rick is a class developer." Formal architectural plans are now being drawn up and a final proposal between Building Commissioner Dennis Malone and Greiwe should be ready by July. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20070501/NEWS01/705010304/ St. Anthony may have buyer Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/28/07 St. Anthony of Padua Church has a suitor. The 100-year-old Bellevue church has been vacant since merging with nearby Sacred Heart Church in 2002 to form Divine Mercy Parish. Divine Mercy, which owns the building, won't say who it is, but signs indicate the church may become a banquet center. The city's planning commission this week unanimously recommended changing the zoning of the property at 320 Poplar St. from residential to neighborhood commercial. The commission also recommended adding a banquet center to the list of possible businesses that can open in a neighborhood commercial zone. The changes were requested by Divine Mercy. Village, Knothole discuss future of ball fields Community Journal Clermont, 4/27/07 Shortly after New Richmond's council put its ball fields up for sale, representatives from council and the New Richmond Knothole Baseball Association met to discuss the future of the fields. At council's March meeting, Humphries read a statement objecting to selling the fields and calling for discussion among interested parties. Carr said they discussed the cost of building a ball field, among other topics. Council mentioned moving fields to a new location, though no space was set. Both Dunbar and Durrette said the meeting was positive. Dunbar said such talk is part of knothole's commitment to a "collective solution." District dealing with asbestos at high school Fort Thomas Recorder, 4/27/07 Fort Thomas School District officials say they are going to great lengths to ensure the safe removal of asbestos found at Highlands High School during renovations. The district has hired LVI Services, experts in asbestos removal, to safely remove any asbestos found at the school. "Any building that age will probably have asbestos in it," said Superintendent Larry Stinson. "We are aware of it and are going beyond the guidelines and regulations for removing it." Jerry Wissman, director of operations for the district, said the removal has been going on throughout the renovation project. "No one knew it was going to be there, but as soon as they discovered it LVI came in," Wissman said. Hamilton board awards $550K turf field bid Hamilton JournalNews, 4/26/07 A new synthetic all-weather turf field should be installed at Hamilton High School's Schwarm Stadium in time for the 2007 football and soccer seasons. Hamilton City School District board members Wednesday night approved a bid of $549,969 for the project from the Motz Group, Inc. District officials had estimated the cost at approximately $500,000 to $550,000. A private committee was formed last spring to raise funds for the new field. To date, $320,000 has been collected in pledges and cash. Most high schools have the synthetic turf, said Board Member George Jonson. "You can use it 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he said. "There is no mud, no ruts and there is a minimal amount of maintenance required." Promenade Plaza getting a facelift Hilltop Press, 4/18/07 The city's focus on redevelopment projects continues with the likelihood of a new Walgreen's moving to Promenade Plaza. The plan for Prominade, at the corner of Kemper and Winton roads, calls for the redevelopment of the northwest portion, the demolition of two buildings and the construction of a new Walgreen's store. A public hearing on the project has been postponed several times. Community Development Director Chris Anderson said developers plan to present a final development plan at the May 7 council meeting. He said they're still working on revisions to plans requested by the city, though the delay is no cause for concern. "All indications are that this is a project they intend to pursue," Anderson said. One of the buildings being torn down is the Wild Birds store, which has already relocated to the interior of the plaza. The Subway building will also be demolished and the business will move to the former Sound Systems building next to Jiffy Lube on Kemper Road.

From the 5/1/07 Youngstown Vindicator: Home Savings renovates headquarters Next for Home Savings is replacing all the windows in its 10-story building. By DON SHILLING VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR YOUNGSTOWN — Home Savings and Loan Co. had a simple reason for spending $350,000 to spruce up its downtown headquarters. "This is our home," said Doug McKay, chief executive and chairman. Home Savings and city officials gathered Monday to celebrate the company's investment to improve the façade and lobby that is just inside the door of its 88-year-old headquarters. http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/300404409158392.php