City leaders fight to save abandoned McDonald’s in Youngstown - WKBN


People are banding together to save an abandoned McDonald’s building in Youngstown before it’s torn down.

The former restaurant on Market Street in the Uptown District is a building that could still very much be used.

“My concern is it’s a great building. It’s in good shape,” said Mike Durkin, blight remediation superintendent.

“I do think it can be reused for some productive purpose,” said Ian Beniston, with Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation.

The McDonald’s is a relatively modern building, constructed in 1989 and closed in 2017. The grass is mowed, the landscaping is maintained. In certain places, there’s shattered glass and boarded windows.

The McDonald’s Corporation of Chicago owns the property.

“Most recently, it was opened and a number of windows were broken out for weeks,” Beniston said. “It should not be the city, or the neighborhood or the residents’ responsibility to take care of their property.”

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