Youngstown Building in Uptown with Notorious Mob Past Burns Down

https://www.wfmj.com/story/42375494/building-burns-in-youngstown-neighborhood-with-notorious-mob-past

 

Another building in the Uptown is gone... It's only going to be a matter of time before they're all gone! The building was pretty nice and had some significant history as it was tied to the Italian Mafia. It's a shame, I was planning to take a picture of the building a couple weeks ago but never did, now it's just a pile of rubble! 

 

Also, if you want to know more about this neighborhood and it's mafia ties, check out the article I wrote about Uptown a few weeks ago! It summarizes basically all of the neighborhood's history

Edited July 18, 20204 yr by Dblcut3

Good article. 

Home Savings Sign Removal Spurs Calls for Sign Museum under Market Street Bridge

https://businessjournaldaily.com/home-savings-sign-removal-spurs-call-for-a-sign-museum/

 

An interesting new proposal from various groups is calling for a "vintage Youngstown sign museum" under Market Street Bridge, which would include iconic signs which have been taken down such as the Uptown Theater sign, Home Savings sign, the original Arby's location sign, ect. I think it's an interesting idea to save some iconic Youngstown area signs, but frankly I'm not sure it will happen. I also wish the city would look into the skate park proposal for the new riverfront park area as well, I think that would be a cool attraction for Downtown, especially since the area has a grand total of zero public skate parks. 

 

Edited July 24, 20204 yr by Dblcut3

Plans to Move Historic Welsh Church Runs into Problems Due to Underground Steam Line

https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/plan-to-move-historic-youngstown-church-runs-into-problem-with-discovery-of-underground-steam-line/

 

In an all too predictable development to this story, the Welsh Church still cannot be moved around the block, this time due to the discovery of a steam line that runs underneath the proposed site. City council seems very divided on whether or not to preserve the church. I absolutely hate the Youngstown Diocese, they love tearing down old buildings whenever they can - Like they'll literally just acquire properties and demolish them just for being on the same block as their churches or schools. I'm very surprised this church hasn't seen a wrecking ball already. The Diocese is eager to redevelop the lot, which is ridiculous. They could easily keep the church where it is and build the new building next to it on the surface lot. Plus, they're plans are vague and for all I know, they just want another surface lot next to the church. Now a new site has to be found, which probably won't happen, especially after the plans to move it to Wick Park fell through when someone on the board got angry about putting a building in the park.

 

So, the "Campus Lofts" on the corner of Rayen and Wick is almost done, and it's hideous! I'm glad to see development and density on that corner of course, but the project looks like something I could've come up with myself in Sketchup. It's a big dissapointment since Strollo Architects usually does a great job, especially with the much better designed "Enclave" development across the street. And yes, this building does actually have the super dated looking "LOFTS" letters coming off the side, which are an eyesore you can see all the way down Wick Avenue. It doesn't look hideous, but from afar it definitely looks like it's not new and maybe even a bit retro. Point is, this building is so horribly designed it makes me want to become an architect to prevent generic buildings like this from being made ? But the inside is great, and I'm excited to see more students moving closer to Downtown and a nearly completed streetwall on Wick - this whole block looks completely different than it did a few years ago and is a testament to how far the university has come recently. 

 

Down the street, the latest phase of "University Edge" has been completed. It sits on the corner of Rayen and Fifth next to the new Campus Bookstore. It's a very nice brick design, and it now means Fifth has a full streetwall on that block. The streetscaping work on Fifth has also begun, but I didn't get pictures of that. They currently have the block between Commerce and Rayen closed, and it seems they plan to do this project in phases block by block.

 

 

Lastly, the proposed bike lanes between Mill Creek Park and Downtown, which would connect to Fifth Avenue, is having some slight issues due to the city having budget issues and there being an increase in cost for the project. But it appears the project should still go through city council without issue.

Edited August 3, 20204 yr by Dblcut3

Foster "Adult" Theater Could be Turning into Concert Venue

https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/former-adult-entertainment-building-in-youngstown-could-be-turning-into-concert-venue/

 

Well this one was unexpected. A local businessman who opened a new restaurant in an old building on South Avenue in the South Side wants to turn the old Foster Theater into a concert venue. Foster Theater was built as a neighborhood theater in the 30s for the "Fosterville" neighborhood along Glenwood Avenue. Ever since the 70s however, the Foster has been used as an "adult theater" and believe it or not, it was one of only a handful of adult theaters still open in the United States. I believe it finally shut down due to COVID though. Honestly, the theater has a bad reputation and is in a pretty unsafe neighborhood, so I'm not sure how well it would do. However, if done right, it could definitely work out. The inside of the building is also in better shape than you'd think. I wish him well, but frankly I doubt anything will come of this. But imagine how great it would be to have a renovated Foster Theater and a renovated Uptown Theater! However, I'm skeptical about the Uptown.... the new owner took down the iconic sign and has seemingly done nothing since and has no solid plan for it. The Uptown is much more important and iconic in the community, so I think it would do better business-wise than the Foster would - however, who knows if the Uptown will ever get renovated or not. 

 

Here's some pictures of the theater - also, believe it or not, part of the neon sign actually still works but the owners typically don't turn it on anymore. However, you can kinda see it in this google street view image.

 

 

Edited August 6, 20204 yr by Dblcut3

Robinson-Shuba Statue Coming to Wean (Amphitheater) Park:

https://businessjournaldaily.com/robinson-shuba-statue-will-include-seating-area/

 

A new addition to Wean Park is coming soon. A statue commemorating the famous handshake 1946 handshake between Jackie Robinson and Youngstown-native George Shuba will be placed in the park above the "YOUNGSTOWN" sign and between Market St. Bridge and the Covelli Center. The memorial will be dedicated on April 18, 2021 on the 75th anniversary of the handsake, which was the first televised handshake between a black and white major league baseball player. The site will feature seating for visitors or groups of students coming to learn about the statue. The site will feature views of the Youngstown skyline in the background.

On 8/2/2020 at 12:05 AM, Dblcut3 said:

Plans to Move Historic Welsh Church Runs into Problems Due to Underground Steam Line

https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/plan-to-move-historic-youngstown-church-runs-into-problem-with-discovery-of-underground-steam-line/

 

In an all too predictable development to this story, the Welsh Church still cannot be moved around the block, this time due to the discovery of a steam line that runs underneath the proposed site. City council seems very divided on whether or not to preserve the church. I absolutely hate the Youngstown Diocese, they love tearing down old buildings whenever they can - Like they'll literally just acquire properties and demolish them just for being on the same block as their churches or schools. I'm very surprised this church hasn't seen a wrecking ball already. The Diocese is eager to redevelop the lot, which is ridiculous. They could easily keep the church where it is and build the new building next to it on the surface lot. Plus, they're plans are vague and for all I know, they just want another surface lot next to the church. Now a new site has to be found, which probably won't happen, especially after the plans to move it to Wick Park fell through when someone on the board got angry about putting a building in the park.

 

That's very sad...it's a beautiful building. It seems like churches and schools are among the most difficult buildings to adapt to new use. Schools sometimes can be remodeled to apartments, but if a church doesn't serve an institutional purpose, or if it's small enough to be turned into a home, I think they are very hard to reuse. There are far too many stunning churches in Toledo (where I live) that I'm sure will be demolished for lack of demand for space here. 

After $2.5M Renovation, Golden Star Theaters in Austintown Ready to Open

By Guy D’Astolfo

AUSTINTOWN, Ohio – The region’s movie theaters will reopen this month and among them will be the new Golden Star Theaters multiplex in Austintown.

The 10-screen multiplex, which has undergone a $2.5 million renovation, will show its first movie on Aug. 28.

 

https://afterhoursyoungstown.com/news/after-2-5m-renovation-golden-star-theaters-in-austintown-ready-to-open/

City Seeks Emergency Demolition of Anthonys-On-The-River Building

https://businessjournaldaily.com/city-seeks-emergency-demolition-of-former-anthonys-on-the-river/

 

Sadly, the historic building which used to hold Anthony's On The River is being demolished. It's located on the corner of Mahoning and Oak Hill next to the B&O Station. There's been plans by the current property owners to redevelop the large riverfront property into new townhouses or mixed used buildings. I don't think that is going forward though ever since COVID. But either way, this building won't be a part of the project now.

 

 

 

Work Begins on Legal Arts Building

https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/developers-working-on-old-legal-arts-building-hope-to-make-it-into-a-restaurant/

 

Work has begun on the Legal Arts Building in Downtown which has been vacant since 2005. The new developers will redo the facade and the attached parking garage. They are also looking to open a restaurant in the first floor of the building.

 

Edited August 22, 20204 yr by Dblcut3

A shame about Anthony's.  That area along the river is interesting, but it's lost almost all it's historic buildings now.

 

I love the Legal Arts Center.  It's such a funky and unique take on midcentury modernism.  One of my favorite buildings in Youngstown.

4 hours ago, X said:

A shame about Anthony's.  That area along the river is interesting, but it's lost almost all it's historic buildings now.

 

I love the Legal Arts Center.  It's such a funky and unique take on midcentury modernism.  One of my favorite buildings in Youngstown.

With only minor changes, the Legal Arts Building could look pretty modern even. I would love to see them do something with that rooftop patio space above the fourth floor!

Millions in Downtown Projects Underway, in Pipeline

Monday, August 24, 2020 George Nelson

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – GreenHeart Companies LLC’s owner and president said he hopes to have the parking deck in downtown’s Legal Arts Centre building operational by the end of October as a first step in the long-term rehabilitation of the property.

The work now underway at the 101 Market St. building is among several redevelopment and infrastructure projects either active or in the works in the downtown area, including the $31 million rehabilitation of Fifth Avenue and other downtown streets and renovations at Oh Wow! The Roger & Gloria Jones Children’s center for Science & Technology and a Youngstown Business Incubator building.

https://businessjournaldaily.com/millions-in-downtown-development-projects-underway-or-in-pipeline/

Gringos Will Bring Taste of Oaxaca to Downtown

By Guy D’Astolfo
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – An elaborate painting of a grinning Mexican sugar skull greets visitors to Gringos restaurant and bar.

The latest addition to downtown’s restaurant and nightlife scene, it will also be the first new entity on the Phelps Street pedestrian mall, which will open next month.

 

https://afterhoursyoungstown.com/on-the-menu/gringos-will-bring-taste-of-oaxaca-to-downtown/

Council Defeats Measure to Pay for Anthony's Demolition

https://businessjournaldaily.com/council-defeats-measure-to-pay-for-anthonys-demolition/

 

Unsurprisingly, the demolition of Anthony's on the River has raised a lot of suspicion. I was confused why it was demolished so hastily when it was not even in that bad of shape. Well, the demolition company ended up tearing it down a day before the council was supposed to vote on whether or not they should do it. This angered Julius Oliver in the City Council who alleged something shady was going on because of the lack of transparency and how quickly they tore it down. He managed to get enough council votes to defeat the measure for the city to pay for the emergency demolition. The burden now falls upon the owner of the property, Two Bridges LLC, who has conveniently wanted to redevelop the lot with new buildings for a few years now. If you ask me, this was definitely something shady, and I figured that as soon as they announced the intent to demolish it - By Youngstown standards, this building wasn't even that bad.

 

 

 

Planet Fitness, Golf Range, and Restaurants coming to Southern Park Mall

https://businessjournaldaily.com/golf-range-planet-fitness-to-open-at-southern-park-mall/

 

Part of the revitalization of the former Sears space will now include an indoor golf range with an attached restaurant. There will also be a new Planet Fitness nearby, likely relocating from their Boardman Plaza location. There will also be more restaurant spaces that are yet to be filled facing "DeBartolo Commons," which is the planned outdoor green space. Lastly, the PNC Bank Branch on the mall property by Market Street will be renovated.

 

Speedway Coming to 224 in Boardman:

https://businessjournaldaily.com/parcels-for-new-boardman-speedway-sell-for-1-47m/

 

A new speedway is coming to Boardman on the corner of 224 and West Boulevard. It will require the demolition of the now-vacant former-Antone's building in adition to the adjacent plaza which included the well known Plaza Donuts as well as the Kabob House, both of which seem to have not made it through the COVID pandemic. Obviously this isn't too exciting on a development and is pretty standard for 224 - but it certainly represents a trend of building gas stations on the road! Last year, GetGo was built near the mall and by Route 11 - this year Sheetz built a new location by the mall, and now Meijers wants a gas station on the corner of 224 and Lockwood. 

 

1 hour ago, Dblcut3 said:

Speedway Coming to 224 in Boardman:

https://businessjournaldaily.com/parcels-for-new-boardman-speedway-sell-for-1-47m/

 

A new speedway is coming to Boardman on the corner of 224 and West Boulevard. It will require the demolition of the now-vacant former-Antone's building in adition to the adjacent plaza which included the well known Plaza Donuts as well as the Kabob House, both of which seem to have not made it through the COVID pandemic. Obviously this isn't too exciting on a development and is pretty standard for 224 - but it certainly represents a trend of building gas stations on the road! Last year, GetGo was built near the mall and by Route 11 - this year Sheetz built a new location by the mall, and now Meijers wants a gas station on the corner of 224 and Lockwood. 

 

 

They are closing Kabob House?  That's a shame.  We have  a lot of really good Mediterranean options in the Youngstown area, but Kabob House is one of my favorites as I live nearby in the Newport Historic district and would get this on my way home from work.

I thought I read in another Business Journal article they were moving to a new location.

Speaking of the Meijer gas station.  I think Boardman Township denied their zoning change from residential at Tippecanoe and Lockwood.  That intersection is already a cluster.

7 hours ago, MissinOhio said:

 

They are closing Kabob House?  That's a shame.  We have  a lot of really good Mediterranean options in the Youngstown area, but Kabob House is one of my favorites as I live nearby in the Newport Historic district and would get this on my way home from work.

I thought I read in another Business Journal article they were moving to a new location.

If you haven't already, try Sauceeino. I'm sure you have since it's in Newport Historic District area, but it's super good and healthy Lebanese cuisine. The owners are great people as well. There's also the Ohio Baklava Company where Family Video was, and it's really good Turkish style baklava. But yes, Youngstown has a surprisingly good array of Mediterranean food!

Edited September 1, 20204 yr by Dblcut3

On 8/31/2020 at 1:48 PM, MissinOhio said:

Speaking of the Meijer gas station.  I think Boardman Township denied their zoning change from residential at Tippecanoe and Lockwood.  That intersection is already a cluster.

If it's the one I'm thinking of it was posted in this thread. It was more because they wanted an entrance on a residential street or something of that nature.

WRPA Ok's Deal for Dunkin Donuts at South Side Bank Site:

https://businessjournaldaily.com/wrpa-approves-deal-for-dunkin-donuts-at-bank-site/

 

A Dunkin Donuts could be coming to this site on the corner of Market and Midlothian, across the street from Popeyes and the original Handels Ice Cream. Unfortunately, that means tearing down this unique building, which I definitely think could have been reused into a restaurant or something. However, it will bring more business to this intersection, which is important towards making sure the decline north of Midlothian does not spread south of the street. The developers are also going to build a 1200 sq. ft. building on the site but have not announced the tenants yet. The Port Authority claims the building needed $1 million in renovations, which is why they didn't restore it. That's hard to believe, as it was occupied as recently as last year.

 

Overall, the North end of Market Street in Boardman has seen a lot of recent changes. There's a new Carribean restaurant a block away, a historic tudor commercial building which has been being renovated, and a great facelift to a small vacant plaza building, which I hope to post pictures of soon.

On 8/31/2020 at 9:34 PM, Dblcut3 said:

If you haven't already, try Sauceeino. I'm sure you have since it's in Newport Historic District area, but it's super good and healthy Lebanese cuisine. The owners are great people as well. There's also the Ohio Baklava Company where Family Video was, and it's really good Turkish style baklava. But yes, Youngstown has a surprisingly good array of Mediterranean food!

 

Love Sauceeino.  I didn't even know about Ohio Baklava until you mentioned it.  Thank you!  That is such a nondescript intersection I never really paid it any attention. 

On 9/16/2020 at 7:43 AM, yanni_gogolak said:

If it's the one I'm thinking of it was posted in this thread. It was more because they wanted an entrance on a residential street or something of that nature.

 

Yes, I remember a lot of the residents on Tippacanoe did not want the traffic headache with the new entrance and the zoning change as well.

4 minutes ago, MissinOhio said:

 

Yes, I remember a lot of the residents on Tippacanoe did not want the traffic headache with the new entrance and the zoning change as well.

I live pretty close to there, and the consensus among the neighborhood seems to be that they worry it will lead to more commercial development down Lockwood and will erode away the neighborhood slowly. Which I guess is a better concern than most NIMBY causes. But to me, I don't see that happening. I just think that intersection would become an absolute nightmare if they put a gas station there. Plus, people would be trying to get to it from 224 causing an unnecessary amount of traffic flooding that intersection. I wouldn't be mad if it were built, but I also wouldn't care if it wasn't. I know suburban big box developers want huge parking lots (they wanted an even bigger one for this Meijers...) but I still think they could find room in the parking lot out from to put a gas station in if they really wanted to.

October 05, 2020 12:55 PM updated 12 hours ago

Mercy Health to purchase land from Kent State University to develop new health care campus

Lydia Coutré

 

Mercy Health intends to purchase land from Kent State University to develop a new health care campus, potentially including the relocation of St. Joseph Warren Hospital, which is landlocked and unable to expand in its current location in Warren.

During a September meeting, the Kent State board of trustees approved the sale of 62.88 acres adjacent to the Kent State University at Trumbull Campus, according to a news release.

 

https://www.crainscleveland.com/health-care/mercy-health-purchase-land-kent-state-university-develop-new-health-care-campus

Brownfield Redevelopment Proposed for "Wick Six" site on North Side:

https://businessjournaldaily.com/epa-chief-praises-youngstown-brownfield-projects/

 

Youngstown, which has seen great success with its brownfield redevelopments recently (the amphitheater for example), and the city and other regional politicians are now setting their sights on the former "Wick Six" property - This area was once home to the city's 6 major car dealerships along Wick Avenue in the North Side. However, when these vacated, the area became very blighted, and the resulting brownfield causes the adjacent Wick Park neighborhood to fall even more. The focus area includes not only the area along Wick, but the vacant industrial park in the blocks between Wick and Crab Creek.

 

 

I'm not sure what exactly they could do with this area. It's too big for a park, and though the city has toyed with the idea, I just cannot see Crab Creek being cleaned up enough to be used as green space. Perhaps YSU could use it? If Youngstown was a bigger city, this would be such a desirable piece of land. I envision mixed use apartments and retail along Wick, and infill development in the blocks between it and Wick Park. Baldwin Avenue in particular would be a great place for infill residential as it would be a great way to connect this area on Wick Avenue with the business district on Elm Street...But obviously none of that will actually happen ?

 

 

This is the area of the Wick Six brownfield

Saturday, October 10, 2020 Guy D'Astolfo Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on email Share on print

‘The Social’ Wants to Become Downtown’s Bar for Everyone

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The downtown nightlife district will get a new addition this month when The Social opens.

The bar at 122 W. Commerce St. is in the same location that was home to Off the Rail bar, which closed in 2019, and before that, Rust Belt Taphouse.

 

In addition to The Social, another bar and restaurant – Tequila Coyote – will open in coming weeks at the corner of West Federal and North Phelps streets.

 

https://businessjournaldaily.com/the-social-wants-to-become-downtowns-bar-for-everyone/

North Phelps Street Pedestrian Street:

Sadly I haven't been Downtown in a while to get a picture, but here's a slightly outdated update pic from the City of Youngstown's website:

 

Work will be completed within the month I think. Honestly, from what I saw in a quick glance last week, I thought the materials on the road looked a little dated. However, it's not finished yet so I'll reserve my judgement. And even if it does look dated, this project will still be transformational for Youngstown. There's two new Mexican restaurants getting ready to open on this pedestrian street. Sadly, I don't know if Suzie's and Rhinehaus survived COVID, I heard from someone that they shut down. There is also a new bar/nightclub coming in the Erie Terminal Place building (the tall one at the end of the photo above). They plan to install hanging lights over the street which will look great, and restaurants will be able to have way more seating outside now.

 

As for future expansions, there is an indoor food court / shopping mall many people do not know about in the 20 Federal Building on the right side of the pedestrian street. The owners of that building have already begun talking about remodeling the indoor mall by opening up storefronts for their businesses to the new pedestrian street. In other words, we could very well have vibrant retail space on both sides of this street. I'm not sure about plans for South Phelps Street, but I believe there have been plans to do some streetscaping work between Federal and Front. There aren't many businesses along this stretch, but the city wants it to be a part of the overall plan for Phelps Street to be a vibrant connection between YSU's main campus, Downtown, and the new riverfront (amphitheater area).

 

Fifth Avenue Road Diet:

Likewise, Fifth Avenue's road diet is progressing well. It is being converted from a bloated six (six!!) lane road into a two lane road with a very wide multi-use path for bikes and pedestrians. There is also going to be space for the future BRT / Autonomous Transit system linking YSU and Downtown. I am super excited for this plan, and I hope it has the same success as the Wick Avenue road diet had on YSU campus. Fifth has already had great apartment development and bookstore development. This will make those more connected to campus, and hopefully, the beautified street will lead to more of a solid streetwall in the future. They seem to be working on the road in segments, so it looks like the lower part will be completed and reopened before the upper portion is worked on. 

 

 

Overall, I am really excited for Downtown Youngstown's future. These two streets are only the beginning too. Front, Commerce, Rayen, and even Federal will all be getting rebuilt as well as part of this TIGER Grant project. Lastly, the bike lane between Mill Creek Park and Downtown / YSU along Mahoning Ave. should start being built soon.

Edited October 11, 20204 yr by Dblcut3

Youngstown Flea Purchases Former Downtown Factory:

https://businessjournaldaily.com/youngstown-flea-pays-206k-for-former-mill-downtown/

The Youngstown Flea, which is a marketplace for local services and products has purchased this old factory building from 1870. There has been no comment on what they will do with the building, but it is likely that it will be used as a permanent space for the future Youngstown Flea events. The factory is located on the east end of Downtown.

 

 

 

In other news, the work on the Mahoning Avenue bike lanes has begun, but I do not have a picture. Surprisingly, it appears they are doing more than just painting a small bike lane on the shoulder of the road - The road is currently reduced to two lanes with the other two lanes' pavement completely torn up. I have never had luck finding out what the detailed plans are, but I hope that it will be protected bike lanes, and based on the fact that they tore up all the old pavement, I think it might be. The bike lane starts at the B&O Station at the Peanut Bridge and continues to West Avenue. From there, it goes down West Avenue and Tod Avenue until it hits Mill Creek Park. I'm unsure what work they plan on doing to Tod and West, as they are both fairly quiet side streets. At the very least, it would be wise to repave them.

That's a lot of great news!  I really like that factory building, and right on the edge of Downtown- cool location, cool use!

Phelps Street Pedestrian Street Officially Unveiled:

https://www.wfmj.com/story/42845303/city-unveils-youngstowns-new-destination-site-the-phelps-corridor

 

I don't have much time to go over the article, but the North Phelps Street pedestrian street is now officially open. Sadly, the COVID-19 situation and cold weather have prevented any big celebration or really any usage of the street at all. However, it is indeed open. I'm not sure if they added in the arch that's supposed to be at the end of the block (it's not there in the photo below from a few days ago) - Also, the tiny dead end block between Commerce and the public-steps up to YSU Campus has been made into a pedestrian space as well with a terraced area to be used as a stage. In terms of business, it's also a bit dead - Due to COVID, One Hot Cookie, Suzie's Dogs and Drafts, and Rhinehaus are all temporarily closed. The new restaurant Gringo's is open though as is V2 on the corner of Phelps and Federal.

Alright, I'm back with some new pictures! I hope to take some myself this week, but if not, here's some from the news... It looks great! It definitely gives off mini-East Fourth Street vibes!

 

 

I think it looks really good, and I'm excited to see it once there's seating and events outside! Also, there's still plans to open the wall of 20 Federal Place (an indoor mall/food court) to the street - this would be done by adding storefronts for three of the restaurants in the food court, including Subway and the recently popular Emman's Lebanese Restaurant.

Edited October 31, 20204 yr by Dblcut3

So, I want to make a quick update post with both good and bad news. First, the bad news. Like everything in Youngstown, when we take one step forward, we take another step back. While Downtown's projects in terms of infrastructure are going strong and have aesthetically improved the area, our businesses in the greater Downtown area have taken a massive hit from the COVID pandemic. Without offices in Downtown and students on YSU campus, most Downtown businesses remain temporarily closed, and some have permanently closed.

 

The Closures:

 

The first business on the chopping block is Joe Maxx Coffee, which is a chain found in other cities such as Cleveland, that first originated here in Downtown Youngstown. The business was recently evicted it seems due to its inability to pay its rent. This leaves Downtown proper without a coffee shop. The owners understandably just couldn't make a profit with no one working Downtown. The silver lining is that the owner says he believes he will be able to catch up on his payments and hopes to start renting out the space again next summer.

 

 

The next business closure hurts a lot. It's Cultivate Co-Op Cafe, which just announced today its permanent closure due to COVID struggles. The cafe, which is the anchor of the up-and-coming Elm Street business district in Wick Park, has struggled to keep a solid clientele during this pandemic. Because people are no longer commuting Downtown, many businesses in the city have seen an astronomical decrease in business as everyone would rather visit businesses closer to their home suburbs. This closure will leave a huge vacancy on a street that has brought life back to a struggling neighborhood. I believe the adjacent kitchen incubator will stay, as will the coffee shop across the street. But the closure of this restaurant shows that Elm Street may be at risk of falling right back into oblivion despite the amazing efforts to turn the street around. I really am rooting for the remaining businesses on this street and hope a new restaurant will see the value of setting up shop in the Cultivate Cafe space - it's a really nice building with a great interior as well. But yes, this closure hurts a lot.

 

Next, the Smoothie Bar on Central Square has closed due to the pandemic. The space will be occupied by Chase Bank soon, which for some reason is moving to this location and away from its long time location in the high-rise across the street. The owner of the smoothie bar will continue to operate Starting Lineup Barber Shop though. 

 

 

The Good News:

Downtown is basically a gigantic construction zone. The Fifth Avenue road diet project is progressing nicely. This project also include a bike trail adjacent to the road, which will link to the Mill Creek Metroparks Connector, which is a protected bike lane that will run along Mahoning Avenue and Tod Avenue. To make the project possible, Mahoning will be receiving a road diet from 4 lanes to 2 lanes and a center turning lane between Oak Hill Avenue (By the red bridge) and West Avenue. I'm pleasantly surprised to see that this is going to be a two-way protected bike trail along Mahoning and even along the side roads. Knowing Youngstown, I kind of assumed they'd just tack a bike lane logo onto the shoulder and call it a bike trail! This means that by Summer 2021, it will be possible to bike from the Lake Glacier area of Mill Creek Park all the way to YSU by using protected bikelanes. There will also be a future phase which will add protected bike lanes along Front, giving access to the amphitheater and courthouse part of Downtown, and on-street bike lanes along Rayen, giving access to the eastern half of campus.

Additionally, work on YSU's Mahoning Valley Innovation and Commercialization Center has begun on the corner of Fifth and Commerce. They are working on transforming the facade of the building so that it looks more modern. I think it looks great. Next, there are active renovations being done to the Legal Arts Building - I'm not 100% sure, but if I recall correctly, the building will be made into apartments.

 

 

Penguin City Brewing to Invest $3.7 Million in former Republic Steel Warehouse:

https://businessjournaldaily.com/penguin-city-purchases-republic-warehouse-downtown/

 

More great news for Downtown! The local Penguin City Brewing is taking over a former warehouse along Federal Street on the far east end of Downtown. This is now the second old warehouse to be repurposed in Downtown! (Youngstown Flea is revitalizing a late 19th century warehouse across the street into their new market hall) Currently the brewing company operates out of the B&O Station building, but this move will give them far more space for expansion. In addition to being the new home of production for Penguin City, they will also open up a taproom and event center inside the building. 

 

 

In other Downtown news, popular barbeque restaurant Space Kat will be leaving its current location in the back of the Draught House bar. They haven't given an exact location yet, but they said they're new location "won't be too far" from the current one. I'm hoping that means they're staying Downtown.

I love seeing these updates - and it reminds me that many of my articles on Abandoned (my site) will need to be amended for better or worse.

New Boutique Opens Downtown

https://businessjournaldaily.com/bella-amica-casual-boutique-opens-downtown/

 

Despite the many closures and uncertain futures for current Downtown businesses, construction and redevelopment Downtown is marching on, specifically in terms of infrastructure. The bike lanes along Mahoning are coming along nicely, and the Fifth Avenue project is continuing up by Stambaugh Stadium - by this time next year, it should be possible to bike from Mill Creek Park, through Downtown, and to YSU campus all on bike lanes! The university is also renovating an old warehouse on the corner of Commerce and Fifth, which will nicely complement the Fifth Avenue rebuilding project. 

 

 

Anyways, this news surprised me, but it's nice to see for sure! Downtown will finally be getting some retail as Bella Amica Casual Boutique will be having its grand opening on February 3rd. It's currently open, but will be closing soon in order to prepare the store for its grand opening, including some storefront work. The building will be occupying an extremely small space in the building that houses Avalon Pizza on West Federal - where the old Vogue Jewelers was. It appears the new boutique will focus a lot on Youngstown related clothing.

 

Also, popular Downtown BBQ joint, Space Kat, will officially be moving out of its home in the Draught House bar on Federal Street, and will be moving into Noble Creature Cask House, a brewery up the road towards YSU. They will also be changing their name to "Zizzo BBQ" - A bit sad that they won't be on Federal anymore, but it's still within walking distance to all of YSU and Downtown. Plus, both the brewery and BBQ place will benefit from being in the same location. It's also right next to all the new YSU apartments which will help their business.

Thursday, February 18, 2021 George Nelson Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on email Share on print

L’uva Bella Winery Ready to Start $1M Expansion

LOWELLVILLE, Ohio – A soon-to-begin $1 million expansion at L’uva Bella Winery will position it to expand beyond the 5,000 retail locations where its wines are sold now. 

L’uva Bella owners Marisa Sergi and Evan Schumann plan to break ground within the next two weeks on the first part of the two-phase expansion to the winemaking operation, at the same time as a rebranding for the RedHead wine brand is under way.

 

https://businessjournaldaily.com/luva-bella-winery-ready-to-start-1m-expansion/

$34 Million Renovation Proposed for 20 Federal Place

https://businessjournaldaily.com/proposal-to-give-34m-makeover-to-20-federal-unveiled/

 

There's some big news out of Downtown Youngstown today! There is a proposed renovation of 20 Federal Place - This building, which formerly housed Strouss Department Store, is home to an indoor mall & food court area. However, the building is in need of renovations. The building faces the new Phelps Street Gateway pedestrian plaza and sits right in the heart of Downtown. The city hopes to make this the center point of Downtown Youngstown. I will post the photos of the renderings once the city releases the Design Review Committee meeting in which this was discussed. In the meantime, here's some of the plans:

• Convert the indoor mall into a market area with local vendor stalls
• Open up the restaurants in the food court to the Phelps Street pedestrian mall by creating new storefronts
• Tear down an ugly addition to the building on the corner of Commerce & Phelps and turn it into a terraced seating area, which also leads down to the basement level
• Convert the basement level into a restaurant/bar
• Convert upper floors into apartments

 

Here's a view of the building. The narrow road has since been converted into a pedestrian plaza, and the newer addition on the corner will be torn down:

 

The Federal Street entrance at night:

 

The indoor mall section:

Youngstown Design Review Committee Meeting (March 2021):

This post will go over some of the news from today's Deign Review Committee meeting.

 

802 Elm Street Restoration:

Firstly, this commercial building on Elm Street in the North Side will be restored. This building, across the street from Youngstown State University, once housed the well known Dorian Books. The plan is rough at the moment, but the idea is to have first floor retail and potentially a co-working space on the upper floors, which would be a concept new to Youngstown. The new owners wish to do some facade/storefront restoration, and plan to keep the historic style of the building. This is great news due to the very hard times the Elm Street business district has faced since COVID-19. Since the beginning of the pandemic, all but one business on the street, Culturehouse Coffee, has closed its doors. This building has a ton of potential as it is directly across the street from two of Youngstown State's biggest dorms as well as a privately run student apartment building.

 

Secondly, I should briefly mention that the Butler Art Institute is adding a new two story addition to the front south side of the building in to increase their gallery space and to allow for larger pieces to be displayed. The new addition will still be slightly set back from the main historic part of the building so that it does not overpower it. 

 

20 Federal Street Redevelopment:

Sadly there weren't any super detailed renderings to go along with the 20 Federal plans. However I will attach some floor plans. If you want to read more about this project, I put some details in my previous post. The building's upper floors present a unique challenge - the building is so large that much of the upper floors will not have windows facing the outside of the building. Due to this, the current proposal is to make the upper floors a mixture of residential and office space. In other words, residential units facing the outside of the building with offices in the space with no window access. They also have been in touch with Youngstown State University, who is interested in using some of the residential units for international students and Pell Grant recipients. 

 

Here's some info on the sunken plaza and the part that will be demolished in order to build the plaza:

 

Lastly, here's some rough floor plans. Also sorry for the poor image quality, these were taken from a Youtube video recording:

 

Just want to thank you for all the work you do documenting urban Youngstown. While not from there personally my entire extended family is and sadly I only seem to get back in town for funerals.  Keep up the great work!

Also really hope they do a great job with the Dorian books building.  I'm not going to pretend I spent a lot of money there back in the day but it was definitely a place that showed you what a great city like Youngstown could be.

On 8/3/2020 at 6:03 PM, Dblcut3 said:

"Point is, this building is so horribly designed it makes me want to become an architect to prevent generic buildings like this from being made "

 

Modern architecture has gone off the rails in many ways.  I've always liked this 2007 Ted Talk by James Howard Kunstler: "How Bad Architecture Wrecked Cities/The Ghastly Tragedy of the Suburbs":
https://www.ted.com/talks/james_howard_kunstler_the_ghastly_tragedy_of_the_suburbs/transcript

 

20 hours ago, Traveler Joe said:

Also really hope they do a great job with the Dorian books building.  I'm not going to pretend I spent a lot of money there back in the day but it was definitely a place that showed you what a great city like Youngstown could be.

I'm sure they will. The owners seemed to care about preserving it. I know pre-COVID it was supposed to become a music venue, but that fell through. The building actually has a couple apartment units already on the upper floors - I've seen pictures and they look so nice. I believe one of the upper floors is vacant and the other has apartments. But no matter what, as long as they preserve the building, I'm happy.

3 hours ago, Dblcut3 said:

I'm sure they will. The owners seemed to care about preserving it. I know pre-COVID it was supposed to become a music venue, but that fell through. The building actually has a couple apartment units already on the upper floors - I've seen pictures and they look so nice. I believe one of the upper floors is vacant and the other has apartments. But no matter what, as long as they preserve the building, I'm happy.

Granted it was 20 years ago but I vaguely remember going to a friends apartment who lived there and even then it was pretty nice.

The Lordstown Motors Mirage: Fake Orders, Undisclosed Production Hurdles, And A Prototype Inferno

https://hindenburgresearch.com/lordstown/

 

Obviously I don't take joy in this story, but I feel like I should mention it anyways. Basically, Lordstown Motors, the electric truck startup that took over the former GM plant, is being accused of faking their pre-orders, having no real product, having a sketchy CEO known for being a conman, and lying about the timeline of their vehicles being produced. Frankly this revelation was very predictable to me, and after their prototype burst into flames last month, I lost hope of this whole experiment working out. It's a shame, but it seems like companies like this just keep coming to Youngstown with empty promises. First Chill Can and now Lordstown Motors. One big example presented in the article was that they were passing off letter of intent as pre-orders. Even worse, many of the pre-orders come from tiny companies that clearly do not have the means to fulfill the large million dollar "pre-orders" that Lordstown Motors claims they have made. Even the smaller buyers had the same story when reached out to. For example, the City of Ravenna said this in regards to their 15 truck "pre-order:" "The commitment of that size is totally impossible,”

 

I would recommend reading the article. It's a long read, but it's very informative. As much as I'd like to see them succeed, this really just solidifies my belief that it will end up amounting to nothing despite all the hype.

Sadly, that's been the outcome of most so-called economic saviours in the Mahoning Valley.

Historic Chase Bank Building Hits the Auction Block

https://businessjournaldaily.com/downtown-youngstown-chase-building-to-hit-auction-block/

 

Built in 1928, the 14-story Chase Bank Building sits on the most prominent corner of Downtown Youngstown, overlooking West Federal Street and Central Plaza. The building is currently only 26% occupied, and with Chase Bank leaving the building to move across the street to the Realty Building, this historic tower now has no ground floor retail occupant. As the article points out, the historic interior of the bank could work really well for an upscale restaurant. The starting bid is at $500,000.

 

I couldn't find any good interior photos, so here's a random picture of the interior I got from a Google Maps review of the bank. Definitely a ton of potential:

A beauty!

"The bank and its predecessors have had a presence in the building since its construction in 1925.

The building was originally known as the First National Bank Building in 1925. It went on to become Union National Bank, then Bank One and later Chase Bank, part of the JPMorgan Chase & Co."  - Bill Lawson, executive director of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society

 

Text Souce: BizJournals
Photo Source: https://images1.cityfeet.com/d2/-U-0IBWSAFbVBlRVlndXL2c8D8ryU480NQxSq8uiGdc/document.pdf

 

 

Edited March 15, 20214 yr by ExPatClevGuy

Beautiful space. I was able to see the interior a couple years ago. Are there any other historic bank lobbies intact in Youngstown. 

1 hour ago, ink said:

Beautiful space. I was able to see the interior a couple years ago. Are there any other historic bank lobbies intact in Youngstown. 

The lobbies of First National Bank and Huntington Bank are still in tact as far as I'm aware. I haven't actually been in them before though so I'm not sure if they are completely original or not. The Premier Bank (formerly Home Savings) building might have a historic lobby as well.