SitemapOne of the most serious problems facing Youngstown over the past 20 years is improving -- the number of vacant properties is way down and property value is going up.
The vacant property situation seems to be stabilizing. Vacant properties are now being added a few at a time, rather than hundreds at a time.
Retired steelworker Bill Watson remembers the vacant house that once stood behind his on Buckeye Circle on Youngstown's south side.
"It was just nothing but a hazard in there," he said.
A year ago, the house was demolished, which pleased Watson.
"Took them about a week but they did a nice job tearing it out," he said.
Last week, the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation released a study showing vacant structures in Youngstown falling 43 percent -- from 4,000 five years ago to near 2,200 now. To read the full story from WYTV, click here.