SitemapThe board of directors for the Western Reserve Port Authority unanimously approved the acquisition of properties along Mahoning Avenue, where a yet-to-be-named company will develop the site.
The city of Youngstown’s Board of Control approved selling the 12-parcel, 1.5-acre site to the port authority for $1,601.78 at its meeting Jan. 23. The site fronts the corridor at 1586 and 1588 Mahoning Ave.
John Moliterno, executive director of the port authority, declined to give information on the company that will use the site. At last week’s Board of Control meeting, WRPA director of economic development Anthony Trevena said he expected the company to make its announcement in a month or two.
“We’re going to defer to them on an announcement,” Moliterno said. “We can say they’re excited about this project.”
The project will be an important step in the development of Mahoning Avenue, Moliterno said, that could get the ball rolling on other projects.
“You need that first stone to start moving and once it starts, people can see that things are happening,” he said after the port authority’s monthly meeting Thursday. “They can see that they can be successful putting a business on that avenue. It will encourage more people to come to the city.”
WRPA is working with Economic Action Group, which used a $16,000 capacity-building grant from the Raymond John Wean Foundation to commission Novogradac to conduct a commercial property revitalization study. It pegged the Mahoning Avenue corridor as one of the top three in Youngstown for development.
“We’re following the data and making sure our targeted investments line up with it,” said Nick Chretien, executive director of Economic Action Group.
Other corridors in the city have seen development at various stages in recent years, he continued, including a study by Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, the city of Youngstown and Liberty Township to pinpoint opportunities along Belmont Avenue and Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp.’s work along Glenwood Avenue.
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