SitemapThe City of Youngstown is getting innovative, in their fight against blight.
When you think of the United States Air Force and all the ways they help our nation, tearing down blighted homes may not come to mind. But, like any other civil engineers, they also need training.
"They do everything from HVAC to electrical, to plumbing and carpentry. This is an opportunity for them to operate heavy equipment, get training in equipment they might not normally see at the Air Reserve Station," said Col. James Dignan with the 910th Airlift Wing.
Teaming up with the city, the Youngstown Airmen will provide the man power needed to help tear down about a dozen homes near Taft Elementary School.
In exchange, the city will provide them the experience and equipment they need to do the job.
"We're going to use their staff, basically free labor to help us with a lot of demolition," said Mayor John McNally.
The Air Reserve Station will also help the city with other projects, like hanging up street signs in the Third Ward. The task may seem small but, McNally says about 600 signs in that area of town are in need of an upgrade.
The hope is that the partnership will lead to some larger projects over the next several years.
The city has already applied for a grant that would utilize the U.S. Department of Defense on a much larger scale.
"We're using the work that's going to be done in the Taft School area as sort of a model program, to see how it works and hopefully convince the folks in Washington this is something that would be more worth while over a larger stretch of the south side, the north side and the east side," said McNally.
The demotion is expected begin sometime next month.
To see the full story from WFMJ, click here.