November 8, 20222 yr ^Oh wow, I didn't know that was planned. Okay, then I vote next for that ridiculous six-lane section of Boardman between Federal and South. How did that ever get built?!?
November 16, 20222 yr ^Urban renewal. The two lanes of Walnut St. closest to the post office were the original lanes. But, when they were tearing down the east side of downtown for urban renewal, they--apparently--decided to add a few more lanes.
December 21, 20222 yr Warren landmark to get a face-lift State supports rehab of Packard Apartments Local News Dec 21, 2022 Staff report The historic Mahoning National Bank building in Youngstown and the Packard Apartments in Warren are among rehabilitation projects aiming to restore 57 landmark buildings across Ohio. The funds will be used to create residential units and apartment spaces. https://www.tribtoday.com/news/local-news/2022/12/warren-landmark-to-get-a-face-lift/
January 29, 20232 yr It seems like lots of miscellaneous stuff has happened over the last couple months, in Youngstown. But, I've been negligent in posting here. So, here's a Business Journal article that I thought was pretty good. It's sort of a fluff/"here's where we are" article about downtown. Despite the fluff, there's some good information. https://businessjournaldaily.com/article/finding-opportunities-in-vacancies/?utm_campaign=Growth Report 2023&utm_content=236018265&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&hss_channel=fbp-301863111156
April 25, 20232 yr SMART2 Plan Progress Just thought I'd give you guys a quick update on the SMART2 plan's progress! If you aren't familiar with it, the SMART2 plan is a TIGER Grant funded plan to rebuild/road diet basically every street in Downtown. Federal Street: I'm surprised to see that work already started on Federal! I'm obviously glad this is happening, but to be honest, I almost wish they would've skipped Federal. I feel like this may be the nail in the coffin for the few businesses that survived COVID in Downtown. Honestly, Downtown has lost basically all of it's momentum and has been a complete ghost town post-COVID - it's really sad to see, but I hope that once all these construction projects are done, the city can successfully bring investment/interest back to Downtown given how much better it will look and how much more pedestrian-oriented it will be. One benefit of the Federal road diet is that it will reclaim a lot of sidewalk space by converting diagonal parking spots into parallel parking spots. It will also expand the center landscaped median all the way to Fifth Avenue like it used to be. Also, West Federal between Market and Phelps will also be closed as the city is beginning remediation work on 20 Federal Place and needs to put up a crane - they also demolished a mid-century awning/overhang on it. I really hope this building actually gets renovated, but I'm not super confident.
April 26, 20232 yr ^I'm not that familiar with the details of the 20 Federal Place project, but if they're abating the building, and have removed the front canopy, then I would assume the renovation is underway. I'm looking forward to the completion of the construction downtown, and I'm optimistic that the result will be worth all of the headaches. But a lot of people are really POed about it. If it was even an option, (grant funding usually has spending deadlines) I wonder if people would complain as much if the various rebuilding projects were spread out over many years/decades, instead of happening all at once?
April 26, 20232 yr Downtown Struthers Building to Become Art Colony https://businessjournaldaily.com/eyesore-in-struthers-to-become-art-colony/ The owners of the Soap Gallery in Downtown are renovating the Struthers Mercantile Building on S. Bridge Street to turn it into an artist colony. This comes in response to the Soap Gallery being forced out of their building Downtown by the new owners who are turning it into a private events space. The new building will be home to the "Sage Gallery" as well as a shop which sells local art and artisan products. There will also be 15 studio apartments in the building. There's already been some massive facade work done. It's a shame the building next to it got torn down recently - Downtown Struthers is pretty rough and has lost most of its old buildings sadly. But there's still some left to save and for the first time in a while there's some momentum in the neighborhood.
April 27, 20232 yr That looks like soot-covered terra cotta. Is it? And if so, did the soot come from a fire or from the valley's many long-gone steel mills? "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 27, 20232 yr ^There used to be a porcelain enameled steel façade covering that building. My first thought was that the black residue is old adhesive.
July 5, 20231 yr I don't think this is a sure thing, yet. I hope it moves forward, though. It could go a long way toward "re-urbanizing" that end of downtown. WRTA receives RAISE grant for renovation of Federal Station Wednesday, June 28th 2023 By Alexandria Manthey "...The renovation will allow for passengers to stay out of the elements when waiting for busses. The building will be covered and busses will pull under the cover for loading and unloading. It will also have a parking garage, electric vehicle charging stations and other amenities. The top floor will feature some type of residential area like apartments, affordable housing, condos or rental units. WRTA is looking for a government or private entity to partner with on this venture...." https://www.wfmj.com/story/49131106/wrta-receives-raise-grant-for-renovation-of-federal-station?fbclid=IwAR1jVsGK_eqSRHrbsY4SOo1QjXzPRXCBxwGjb4yPQFgZHTQx1SX05fdvgFU
July 13, 20231 yr Owner Touts Apollo Building as ‘Showpiece’ for Downtown YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The owner of the Apollo Building downtown said he hopes to open a planned event space there in December. Tim Huber, who bought the former Rica Building from Ohio One Corp. in 2022, provided an update on his plans for the property Wednesday afternoon during the Rotary Club of Youngstown’s weekly meeting. Huber, who also co-owns Canfield-based Inspira Health Group and is involved with several other businesses, is in the midst of what he estimated will be a https://businessjournaldaily.com/owner-touts-apollo-building-as-showpiece-for-downtown/?utm_source=Youngstown+Publishing+Company&utm_campaign=c665f2ba37-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_10_8_2020_10_2_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d70048470c-c665f2ba37-383892683
July 24, 20231 yr On 7/5/2023 at 6:09 PM, JRC said: I don't think this is a sure thing, yet. I hope it moves forward, though. It could go a long way toward "re-urbanizing" that end of downtown. WRTA receives RAISE grant for renovation of Federal Station Wednesday, June 28th 2023 By Alexandria Manthey "...The renovation will allow for passengers to stay out of the elements when waiting for busses. The building will be covered and busses will pull under the cover for loading and unloading. It will also have a parking garage, electric vehicle charging stations and other amenities. The top floor will feature some type of residential area like apartments, affordable housing, condos or rental units. WRTA is looking for a government or private entity to partner with on this venture...." https://www.wfmj.com/story/49131106/wrta-receives-raise-grant-for-renovation-of-federal-station?fbclid=IwAR1jVsGK_eqSRHrbsY4SOo1QjXzPRXCBxwGjb4yPQFgZHTQx1SX05fdvgFU Wow, I don't know how I missed this. A new apartment building downtown is a pretty big deal. The design is horrific though in my opinion...
October 24, 20231 yr Community Enthusiasm Builds for Warren Project Tuesday, October 24, 2023 Michael Moliterno WARREN, Ohio – Passers-by can envision the final appearance of the $36 million Student Wellness and Recreation Center that DeSalvo Construction is building at Warren G. Harding High School, now that the shell of the center is taking shape. “It’s going smoothly. Everything is pretty much coming in on time. There were some long lead times on a lot of this stuff,” says Rob Wilt, project superintendant for DeSalvo Construction. https://businessjournaldaily.com/community-enthusiasm-builds-for-warren-project/?utm_source=Youngstown+Publishing+Company&utm_campaign=6b2b45aab2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_10_8_2020_10_2_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d70048470c-6b2b45aab2-383892683
November 22, 20231 yr Not exactly new news, but I came across this pretty interesting plan to renovate the old YMCA building on Warren's Courthouse Square and build a new 4-story apartment building attached to it. This would be a pretty major development for Downtown Warren if it pans out! https://www.wfmj.com/story/49698171/residential-development-other-plans-eyed-for-warrens-former-ymca-building
December 21, 20231 yr Looks like 20 Federal Place received $10 million in Ohio Historic Tax Credits in round 31 announced today: Strouss-Hirshberg Company Building (Youngstown) Total Project Cost: $82,137,690 Total Tax Credit: $10,000,000 Address: 14-28 Federal Plaza W., Youngstown, OH 44505 A fixture in downtown Youngstown, the Strouss Hirshberg Department Store operated in this building from its construction in 1926 until 1987. After that, the building was converted for smaller retail tenants and offices on the upper floors. Work will be undertaken on the exterior to reinstate the historic storefront configuration, repair the masonry, and replace the windows. The former arcade will be reinstated on the interior. After the project is complete, there will be 157 residential units above first-floor retail, second-floor office, and parking space in the basement.
December 21, 20231 yr Eastgate Regional Council of Governments also applied for over $155 million in projects for Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties for funds through the Appalachian Community Grant Program: https://businessjournaldaily.com/eastgate-discloses-appalachian-grant-application-projects/
December 31, 20231 yr Let's see if something comes of this: Mixed-use neighborhood may land in Warren DEC 26, 2023 MASON COLE "...Austin Landing is one of several mixed-use neighborhoods in the state designed by Dillin Corp., a real estate developer based in Springboro. Another may soon be coming to Warren’s peninsula. Fund for Warren’s Future, a public-private organization, is working to foster economic development in the city through its peninsula project. The project would add modern multi-family properties in the downtown area and establish a $150 million mixed-use project on the city’s peninsula that could bring more than 200 housing units and retail space." https://www.tribtoday.com/news/local-news/2023/12/mixed-use-neighborhood-may-land-in-warren/?fbclid=IwAR1-KvjaAa7s3mIAXRlYaZdGzWDF0tkM6rNROsFFPL0uSPnG0CCdpB0T4-s Edited December 31, 20231 yr by JRC
December 31, 20231 yr Sort of a reverse of my last post. No details of a project, but a sale of property took place, which indicates something will probably happen. Breaking: Kimberly-Clark Buys 560 Acres in Warren for Potential Project Thursday, December 28, 2023 YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Western Reserve Port Authority late today approved the sale of 560 acres in the city of Warren to Kimberly-Clark Corp., the Dallas-based maker of personal care products and consumer tissues such as Kleenex and Viva paper towels. Kimberly-Clark will pay the port authority $9,935,300 for the land, just over half of the former BDM Warren Steel property on Pine Avenue. The WRPA Board of Directors unanimously approved the land sale at an emergency meeting that convened at 5:30 p.m. It was conducted in person and via Zoom. https://businessjournaldaily.com/breaking-kimberly-clark-buys-560-acres-in-warren-for-potential-project/?utm_content=276947284&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&hss_channel=fbp-301863111156
January 6, 20241 yr I'm happy for Warren but I can't lie, it kind of annoys me that at this point they're seeing more private sector investment in their core than Youngstown is. Sure, Youngstown's getting lots of great infrastructure improvements, but Downtown is beyond dead and has lost almost all its pre-COVID momentum. Warren's Courthouse Square on the other hand is super beautiful and vibrant. It just feels kinda weird to have Warren's downtown be healthier and more vibrant than Youngstown's. I'm hoping once Youngstown's road diets are done this spring that business will finally start to return.
January 6, 20241 yr Kimberly-Clark is buying more property, including the right of way of a newly-built railroad line. I have to wonder if this is being done to give CSX access to the plant site? Ironically, CSX abandoned its Newton Falls Secondary into Warren just a couple of years ago! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 13, 20241 yr Youngstown Officials Looking to Convert Closed Downtown Street Into Stairs https://www.wfmj.com/story/50321136/youngstown-officials-looking-to-convert-closed-downtown-street-into-stairs Not huge news, but Youngstown wants to convert the closed section of Walnut Street on the hillside between Commercial Street and Wood Street into a public staircase. Currently, the street is being used as a pedestrian street, but it's in pretty bad shape and underutilized. Hopefully this will help connect Downtown to the YSU Campus better (and some attractions like Noble Creature Brewery, MVR, or Choffin). It will be the second public staircase in Downtown. One complaint I have is that it doesn't have a ramp or anything to make it handicap accessible, at least not from the plans I see. Other SMART2 Updates Thankfully, the bulk of the SMART2 project will be done before Summer 2024 - hopefully this will give Downtown businesses a much needed boost in visitors. Additionally, I'm hoping the city capitalizes off of all these infrastructure projects by heavily encouraging events and such in Downtown - I'm cautiously optimistic that Downtown could finally reach pre-COVID activity levels again if the city promotes these new improvements correctly. Federal Street is almost done - the main difference is that the diagonal parking has been replaced by parallel parking, opening up more sidewalk space for pedestrians or seating. Additionally, the landscaped median was expanded in a few places. New trees were also planted, but to be honest, it looks a bit barren because they tore the old ones out - but in a few years it'll look great! Also, the project added a few new landscaping beds, and if it's anything like Fifth Avenue, it'll look absolutely beautiful once Spring comes! Boardman Street and Walnut Street: Surprisingly, the city decided to go ahead and rebuild two of very few streets in Downtown-proper that haven't already gotten a road diet - I'm excited for this, but also a bit annoyed as it means even more closures for downtown businesses to deal with. One of the plans is to change this 5-lane divided stroad into a 2 lane road with landscaping and diagonal parking - to be honest, I kind of hate the diagonal parking design but the traffic calming will be nice. As for Boardman Street, the improvements are mostly curb bumpouts and crosswalks around Eastern Gateway: Lastly, there's finally talk of resurfacing Elm Street in the Wick Park neighborhood business district - it's frankly embarrassing that it's taken the city this long to support one of the few commercial nodes in the city that has any signs of life, especially since there's a large YSU student population in the neighborhood. I can't find specific details, but it looks like it'll narrow the road a bit, paint a center line, and add crosswalks in the area between Madison Avenue Expressway and Broadway Avenue. But apparently the city isn't planning to take on this project until 2027 which is really annoying as it's much more urgently needed than half the streets in downtown getting road diets. Over the summer, a group of YSU students painted temporary crosswalks and parking spaces/bike lanes in green paint to demonstrate the potential for this street - I'm hoping the city's ultimate design it close to what these students put in because it looked great! Also on Elm Street, the first (I think...) YoGo Bike Share station has finally been installed after quite a lot of delays at the new CycWard Bike Shop across from Wick Park. I still question the viability of the bike share system though - the locations are in pretty weird spots for the most part. There's none on the YSU campus or anywhere close to it, nor are there any in Mill Creek Park, which would probably have some demand for e-bike rentals like this (I know another small business already rents out ebikes in the park)
January 14, 20241 yr On 1/12/2024 at 7:28 PM, Dblcut3 said: Youngstown Officials Looking to Convert Closed Downtown Street Into Stairs https://www.wfmj.com/story/50321136/youngstown-officials-looking-to-convert-closed-downtown-street-into-stairs Not huge news, but Youngstown wants to convert the closed section of Walnut Street on the hillside between Commercial Street and Wood Street into a public staircase. Currently, the street is being used as a pedestrian street, but it's in pretty bad shape and underutilized. Hopefully this will help connect Downtown to the YSU Campus better (and some attractions like Noble Creature Brewery, MVR, or Choffin). It will be the second public staircase in Downtown. One complaint I have is that it doesn't have a ramp or anything to make it handicap accessible, at least not from the plans I see. Other SMART2 Updates Thankfully, the bulk of the SMART2 project will be done before Summer 2024 - hopefully this will give Downtown businesses a much needed boost in visitors. Additionally, I'm hoping the city capitalizes off of all these infrastructure projects by heavily encouraging events and such in Downtown - I'm cautiously optimistic that Downtown could finally reach pre-COVID activity levels again if the city promotes these new improvements correctly. Federal Street is almost done - the main difference is that the diagonal parking has been replaced by parallel parking, opening up more sidewalk space for pedestrians or seating. Additionally, the landscaped median was expanded in a few places. New trees were also planted, but to be honest, it looks a bit barren because they tore the old ones out - but in a few years it'll look great! Also, the project added a few new landscaping beds, and if it's anything like Fifth Avenue, it'll look absolutely beautiful once Spring comes! Boardman Street and Walnut Street: Surprisingly, the city decided to go ahead and rebuild two of very few streets in Downtown-proper that haven't already gotten a road diet - I'm excited for this, but also a bit annoyed as it means even more closures for downtown businesses to deal with. One of the plans is to change this 5-lane divided stroad into a 2 lane road with landscaping and diagonal parking - to be honest, I kind of hate the diagonal parking design but the traffic calming will be nice. As for Boardman Street, the improvements are mostly curb bumpouts and crosswalks around Eastern Gateway: Lastly, there's finally talk of resurfacing Elm Street in the Wick Park neighborhood business district - it's frankly embarrassing that it's taken the city this long to support one of the few commercial nodes in the city that has any signs of life, especially since there's a large YSU student population in the neighborhood. I can't find specific details, but it looks like it'll narrow the road a bit, paint a center line, and add crosswalks in the area between Madison Avenue Expressway and Broadway Avenue. But apparently the city isn't planning to take on this project until 2027 which is really annoying as it's much more urgently needed than half the streets in downtown getting road diets. Over the summer, a group of YSU students painted temporary crosswalks and parking spaces/bike lanes in green paint to demonstrate the potential for this street - I'm hoping the city's ultimate design it close to what these students put in because it looked great! Also on Elm Street, the first (I think...) YoGo Bike Share station has finally been installed after quite a lot of delays at the new CycWard Bike Shop across from Wick Park. I still question the viability of the bike share system though - the locations are in pretty weird spots for the most part. There's none on the YSU campus or anywhere close to it, nor are there any in Mill Creek Park, which would probably have some demand for e-bike rentals like this (I know another small business already rents out ebikes in the park) I'm glad to hear that resurfacing Elm is in the somewhat near future. The neighborhood group seems to have disbanded since the election of our latest president, so we don't get this kind of news from our council people anymore. My complaint with the Walnut Street improvements seem to partly dovetail with yours. I'm annoyed that this improvement ignores the 14 eastern redbud trees that were planted in the median just a few years ago. They were paid for with grants from local sources, and planted with the help of the community. Not only is this throwing away young native trees, but it's throwing away community good will and effort. (Planting annuals downtown every year is one thing. But why help plant green infrastructure, if the city is likely to tear it out in a few years?) I don't know if you know Phil Kidd, but he was quite active in Youngstown. He has since moved to Cleveland, and is now a manager with the Complete and Green Streets department. But, he still occasionally comments on Youngstown issues, on Facebook. Here is his alternate suggestion for Walnut: Quote - 15' *expanded* green median - (2) 11' drive lanes (to allow for bus maneuver as well) - (2) 8' parallel parking lanes with 2-3' crosshatch striped dooring zone buffers - Thermoplastic sharrow stamping for bicyclists
January 27, 20241 yr YBI Eyes Building Acquisition, Renovation Projects Saturday, January 27, 2024 George Nelson YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Youngstown Business Incubator is preparing to embark on a trio of capital projects, including a major expansion of its downtown campus. YBI officials have their eyes on acquiring the Vindicator Printing Co. building at 107 Vindicator Square, just across from Tech Block Building #5, 252 W. Boardman St., Vindicator Printing’s former home, which is in line for a $2.4 million renovation. And a $1.5 million capital campaign is under way for renovations at YBI’s main building, 241 W. Federal St., which hasn’t seen much more than cosmetic upgrades since the former Reichart’s Furniture building was renovated in the 1990s to house the incubator. https://businessjournaldaily.com/ybi-eyes-building-acquisition-renovation-projects/?utm_content=279962276&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&hss_channel=fbp-301863111156
January 30, 20241 yr Not Youngstown, but down in Columbiana County, the Thompson Building in East Liverpool got awarded funds through TMUD yesterday: "The Thompson Building (Columbiana County) Total Development Cost: $2,129,500 Total Tax Credit: $212,950 The East Liverpool Community Improvement Corporation, in partnership with other public and private entities, is proposing the historic rehabilitation of the vacant and dilapidated Thompson Building located in the East Liverpool Downtown Historic District. Also supported by federal and state historic tax credits, this mixed-use redevelopment project includes residential, office, and retail uses that will help diversify the local economy, increase access to community healthcare services, and increase downtown foot traffic. The Thompson Building project will act as an anchor to reactivate East Liverpoolʼs downtown, support adjacent businesses, and catalyze future development projects within the surrounding area. The project is expected to result in approximately 20 construction jobs and the creation of approximately 63 permanent jobs at the project site." They were also awarded money from JobsOhio's Vibrant Communities program of $600,000. This is a project I have worked closely with partners in NE Ohio on. There is a developer out of Pittsburgh who is interested in the property. It will be mixed-use with a partnership with the city hospital for job creation and apartments on the upper floors. There have been some bigger movements of properties in the downtown area in the last handful of years. https://www.google.com/maps/@40.6200929,-80.5792866,3a,75y,149.74h,100.43t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQtKcxBDkc60PKsDEr_gwGg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?authuser=0&entry=ttu
March 13, 20241 yr Wednesday, March 13, 2024 Dan O'Brien City Hears Proposal for Sports Betting Expansion at Covelli Centre YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Phantom Fireworks is proposing a partnership with the city to construct a 20,000-square-foot addition to Covelli Centre that would include a restaurant and retail sportsbook operation, representatives of the company said Tuesday evening. “We see this as a stepping stone to further development for the city,” said Michael Podolsky of Phantom Fireworks. “Being able to do this and make it work and hopefully attract more businesses downtown is our long-term goal.” https://businessjournaldaily.com/city-hears-proposal-for-sports-betting-expansion-at-covelli-centre/?utm_source=Youngstown+Publishing+Company&utm_campaign=cdd437a22a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_10_8_2020_10_2_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d70048470c-cdd437a22a-383892683
March 21, 20241 yr Thursday, March 21, 2024 Dan O'Brien Company Selects Niles Site for $435M Anode Manufacturing Plant NILES, Ohio – A company that develops graphite anode materials used in batteries for electric vehicles and other energy storage devices says it wants to build an advanced materials plant here that would initially create 160 jobs. The first phase would require a capital investment of approximately $435 million and would create 160 jobs, the company said, adding it is “considering various project financing options.” The Ohio facility plans to produce synthetic graphite anode active materials, while the manufacturing of natural graphite materials would be added as soon as feedstock from the company’s mining operations near Nome, Alaska, is available, the company said. https://businessjournaldaily.com/company-selects-niles-site-for-435m-anode-manufacturing-plant/?utm_source=Youngstown+Publishing+Company&utm_campaign=0787e1f470-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_10_8_2020_10_2_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d70048470c-0787e1f470-383892683
April 24, 20241 yr Wednesday, April 24, 2024 Staff YARS Breaks Ground on New Main Gate YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A groundbreaking ceremony took place Tuesday to celebrate the new main gate complex project at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station. The $11 million project will feature state-of-the-art facilities and technology to enhance anti-terrorism capabilities. https://businessjournaldaily.com/yars-breaks-ground-on-new-main-gate/?utm_source=Youngstown+Publishing+Company&utm_campaign=3a419d7aa7-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_10_8_2020_10_2_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d70048470c-3a419d7aa7-383892683
May 29, 20241 yr Some really bad news out of Youngstown today... Realty Tower, a 13-story historic high-rise had a gas explosion go off, destroying the Chase Bank branch on the first floor and possibly putting the entire building's future in jeopardy. There were also 7 injuries, and last I heard, someone still missing. I really hope this building can be saved as it's home to a couple dozen apartments and is an iconic part of Youngstown's skyline. The explosion also took out lots of windows in the area and threw debris around the whole block. Authorities have shut down the center of downtown to traffic out of fear of potential collapse. Definitely really sad news and a major setback for Downtown Youngstown
May 29, 20241 yr How tragic. Hopefully everyone is safe, and the building can be stabilized and renovated. The building was nicely renovated just a decade or so ago.
June 4, 20241 yr So it's been a week since the gas explosion at the Realty Building downtown. While I feel for those who lost a loved one, those who were injured, and those who lost their homes, it's the thought of losing the building that's always near the front of my mind. The city is in the process of hiring an engineering firm to evaluate the building to determine if it's still structurally sound enough to allow anyone in it to retrieve their belongings, or to allow adjacent buildings to open. But, even if it is found to be structurally stable, the owners and their insurance company will still have to decide if it's financially feasible to fix the building. I don't know how that works, but if the insurance company says: "this building is worth $2 million. But the repairs are going to cost $3 million." that doesn't sound like the building will be saved. I can't imagine Central Square without the Realty Building, just like I couldn't imagine it without the Stambaugh Building, or any of the other tall buildings surrounding the square. The Paramount Theater was demolished something like 10 years ago, and I'm still saddened by the empty space that's left behind. Although it was a landmark, it was just the corner building in a block of buildings. The Realty Building is a landmark building that anchors the SE corner of--and helps define--Central Square. If losing the Paramount was like losing a tooth in a smile, losing the Realty Building would be more like losing a nose, or an eye, IMO. I'm not going to sleep well until I find out one way or another. And I'll be really sad if it can't be saved.
June 5, 20241 yr ^I hear you. I'm no insurance expert either but I thought your payout was based on the amount you insured, not the value of the building. Replacement value of older buildings is often much greater than what someone can afford to insure. It does not appear that there is a lot of architectural restoration needed here, but things could get expensive quickly if the steel frame of the building is damaged. We'll cross our fingers.
June 9, 20241 yr ^You're right that most of the architecture is intact. Only the terracotta on the first floor seems to be damaged. I hear (just hearsay, I'm not connected at all to the engineering company that is inspecting the building) that the steel frame is intact. That, in the most heavily damaged areas visible, only the surrounding masonry was knocked away, leaving the structural steel relatively undamaged. But, assuming the structure is intact, it will still be expensive to repair the building. Obviously, the first floor will need completely rebuilt. But, one of the videos I saw, showed the elevator doors and surrounding decorative marble being blown across the elevator lobby on the 12th floor! (if you haven't seen this video, and can't find it, I'll provide a link) That tells me that any spaces adjacent to a vertical shaft in the building (and the shaft itself) sustained significant damage. Repairing/replacing 12 floors of elevator shafts, plumbing chases, etc. will be expensive. One step at a time. I'm still just hoping the safety inspection finds the building not in danger of imminent collapse. Then, assuming the building is structurally sound, I'll worry about the building owner and their insurance.
June 12, 20241 yr Ugh, this doesn’t sound promising. https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/gas-explosion-in-youngstown-ohio/mayor-to-give-update-on-realty-building-evacuations/ clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
June 18, 2024Jun 18 It looks like Realty Tower will be torn down. A huge tragedy for Youngstown.... I'm sure it's possible to repair it, but I also understand that the repairs would probably be far too costly for a building in Youngstown. Additionally, Realty Towers has been deemed to be at risk of imminent collapse, which presents even more danger to the buildings around it. Definitely a sad development that'll heavily set back Youngstown and leave a pretty big hole in its Downtown skyline. https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/youngstown-news/realty-building-to-be-demolished/
June 18, 2024Jun 18 So sad. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 18, 2024Jun 18 I don't know that it leaves a hole in the skyline, but it certainly erodes the square which has buildings on all four of the Federal Street corners. The square is going to be opened up and exposed to the surface lot behind.
June 18, 2024Jun 18 It's the third-tallest building downtown and the chances of another building of similar height (or of any height) getting built on this spot anytime soon are not good. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 18, 2024Jun 18 ^I'm not sure if it is the third tallest building in downtown, but even if that is true, it stands at a similar height to much of the rest of the skyline, including the International and Stambaugh building that it is wedged between. It will create a gap but Youngstown will still have a glorious pre-war skyscraper collection and skyline.
June 18, 2024Jun 18 I don't know if it will get traction, but there is a group trying to save the Realty Building, similar to how the Stambaugh Building was saved years ago. Basically trying to convince the owners that, once the building is stabilized, they should reconsider other options besides demolition. I read the report from the structural engineer hired by the city. It's very basic, but tells me that while the building is currently unstable, it could be stabilized. I know the owners are reported as saying they are concerned about the structural stability, but I personally think that's a copout; they don't want to say they don't want to spend/don't have the money to fix it.
June 19, 2024Jun 19 Downtown Youngstown community leaders hope to save Realty Building Tuesday, June 18th 2024, 5:15 PM EDT By Kaitlyn McCarthy With the loss of the building in the heart of downtown, community leaders worry the loss could impact the city's economy . After the owner’s decision to have the Realty Building demolished in the near future, community leaders are afraid they could see a hole in the heart of Youngstown. “It’s the core of the city. It’s the heart of our region. And when you lose that, you have a lot of other things that can happen,” said Scott Schulick, downtown Youngstown advocate and Chairman of Youngstown Cityscape. ... 21 news reached out to the building’s owner to see if they would be interested in working with Schulick’s group, but the owner has not responded. https://www.wfmj.com/story/50917927/downtown-youngstown-community-leaders-hope-to-save-realty-building?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1Cx8VHAlgegxt0H5Yxw4sOU5MECkob--YGqSafMcwtJF-xWClbw5_-qHc_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw
June 20, 2024Jun 20 On 6/18/2024 at 7:44 PM, JRC said: I don't know if it will get traction, but there is a group trying to save the Realty Building, similar to how the Stambaugh Building was saved years ago. Basically trying to convince the owners that, once the building is stabilized, they should reconsider other options besides demolition. I read the report from the structural engineer hired by the city. It's very basic, but tells me that while the building is currently unstable, it could be stabilized. I know the owners are reported as saying they are concerned about the structural stability, but I personally think that's a copout; they don't want to say they don't want to spend/don't have the money to fix it. Not to mention the preliminary reports seem to suggest the owners of the building are quite possibly the ones that caused the explosion in the first place, so they probably aren't too excited about keeping the building around and having to pay for repairs if they're planning on getting sued into oblivion anyways
June 20, 2024Jun 20 15 hours ago, Dblcut3 said: Not to mention the preliminary reports seem to suggest the owners of the building are quite possibly the ones that caused the explosion in the first place, so they probably aren't too excited about keeping the building around and having to pay for repairs if they're planning on getting sued into oblivion anyways Is there a link to that report? I wouldn't be surprised if it was actually true. You hear all the time of how owners sabatoge old historical buildings so they can sell the land underneath it for 2x the price.
June 20, 2024Jun 20 I was downtown last Friday for the Simply Slavic festival (they moved it to the amphitheatre after the explosion on East Federal) and I know they had reports of a potential gas leak that day. Most of the businesses that evening were closed, but it was so disappointing to see downtown closed on a Friday evening outside of the festival (which was well attended considering the events of the day). It's so frustrating to watch the current administration completely fail downtown like they are. I know certain members of council do not get along with the mayor. The Public Works Department is an embarrassment every time they are on the local news discussing the Smart2 roadwork improvements. Businesses' patience is going quick, and they I fear all of the progress that has been made in downtown Youngstown over the last decade or two will be lost because the current administration just doesn't understand what is at stake. Losing the Realty Tower will be a huge loss for the city. Losing the residents, storefront space on the square, and not needing more empty space downtown. If this comes down, it will become a parking lot. Youngstown is being failed by the leaders who are here to improve the quality of life. At least other projects show great promise downtown - such as the renovations going on at the Apollo Building: https://businessjournaldaily.com/explosion-hobbles-downtown/
June 21, 2024Jun 21 The headline is a bit confusing vs the content of the article.... Company hired to stabilize Realty Building: Youngstown City Council https://www.wkbn.com/home/company-hired-to-stabilize-realty-building-youngstown-city-council/ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 23, 2024Jun 23 On 6/20/2024 at 12:34 PM, rwashington89 said: Is there a link to that report? I wouldn't be surprised if it was actually true. You hear all the time of how owners sabatoge old historical buildings so they can sell the land underneath it for 2x the price. It definitely wasn't sabotage, but it looks like the city allowed the building owners to contract someone out to relocate the utilities for the SMART2 project themselves - They picked GreenHeart Corporation to do this, which is owned by the same people as the company that owns the building. It appears that they probably just didn't know what they were doing and caused a gas leak based on the preliminary NTSB reporting. It's wasnt a conspiracy by any means, but there's a good chance it was negligence
June 28, 2024Jun 28 So almost another week has gone by since the last post in this thread, and while things seem more dire for the building, we're still in limbo. Instead of sharing a lot of news articles, I'll try to summarize. - The mayor gave the building owners a deadline of July 5, by which time they have to start doing something with the building. I think this was early last week. - Councilmen Oliver (1st ward, where the building is located) and Ray (4th ward) have hired SSRG out of Cincinnati to evaluate the building and give recommendations. They already made a preliminary visit on 6/20. Based on their initial visual inspection, they issued a letter saying they felt that the building could be easily and quickly stabilized, allowing downtown to be reopened. - NTSB concluded their investigation, and turned the building back over the the owner, earlier this week. - The owners have issued a statement saying they have consulted with their own experts, and have thought about it long and hard, and are regrettably committed to demolition. - SSRG was scheduled to come back yesterday and place some seismic testing devices in the building to continue their analysis. But, the owners, now having full control of the building, have declared that they are going to demolish the building, and won't grant SSRG access! - There is a group of stakeholders, spearheaded by Scott Schulick, (Youngstown Cityscape and MVHS) trying to save the building. Even Michael Rulli, our newly elected senator, has expressed his support of saving the building, saying that federal and state aid would be available! I'm not normally the conspiracy theorist type, but I have to wonder why the owners would turn down a free second opinion. Considering that someone died here, and a half-dozen others were injured, some people think the owners and the city are pushing for rapid demolition to destroy a crime scene.
July 2, 2024Jul 2 On 6/28/2024 at 6:25 PM, JRC said: So almost another week has gone by since the last post in this thread, and while things seem more dire for the building, we're still in limbo. Instead of sharing a lot of news articles, I'll try to summarize. - The mayor gave the building owners a deadline of July 5, by which time they have to start doing something with the building. I think this was early last week. - Councilmen Oliver (1st ward, where the building is located) and Ray (4th ward) have hired SSRG out of Cincinnati to evaluate the building and give recommendations. They already made a preliminary visit on 6/20. Based on their initial visual inspection, they issued a letter saying they felt that the building could be easily and quickly stabilized, allowing downtown to be reopened. - NTSB concluded their investigation, and turned the building back over the the owner, earlier this week. - The owners have issued a statement saying they have consulted with their own experts, and have thought about it long and hard, and are regrettably committed to demolition. - SSRG was scheduled to come back yesterday and place some seismic testing devices in the building to continue their analysis. But, the owners, now having full control of the building, have declared that they are going to demolish the building, and won't grant SSRG access! - There is a group of stakeholders, spearheaded by Scott Schulick, (Youngstown Cityscape and MVHS) trying to save the building. Even Michael Rulli, our newly elected senator, has expressed his support of saving the building, saying that federal and state aid would be available! I'm not normally the conspiracy theorist type, but I have to wonder why the owners would turn down a free second opinion. Considering that someone died here, and a half-dozen others were injured, some people think the owners and the city are pushing for rapid demolition to destroy a crime scene. I assume Youngstown's Downtown design review committee or something can't stop this? Usually demolitions would have to go through that I thought
July 2, 2024Jul 2 MVHS Gets $1.35M to Upgrade Downtown Building YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Mahoning Valley Historical Society will begin upgrades on a downtown building it purchased last year after receiving a total of $1.35 million from the state’s biennial capital budget. https://businessjournaldaily.com/mvhs-gets-1-35m-to-upgrade-downtown-building/
July 2, 2024Jul 2 18 hours ago, Dblcut3 said: I assume Youngstown's Downtown design review committee or something can't stop this? Usually demolitions would have to go through that I thought I think you're right that it has to go before design review. But the owners have done a pretty thorough job of convincing people that demolition is the only option. I don't know who's on the board though.
July 6, 2024Jul 6 Even though the building has been virtually untouched for six weeks, this will be considered an "emergency demolition". https://www.wfmj.com/story/50995459/demolition-on-realty-building-expected-to-begin-thursday I did attend a rally to save the save the Realty Building Friday evening: https://www.wfmj.com/story/50995816/rally-attendees-plea-to-save-realty-building-following-deadly-explosion Unfortunately, I don't think anyone wants to listen.
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