SitemapThe city’s Design Review Committee approved facade grants totaling nearly $83,000 for five city businesses but deferred action on a fifth request. The businesses that received grants were Hackett’s Pub, 1597 Mahoning Ave., for 14,750; G’s Chop Shop, 719 Canfield Road, for $17,625; Hope for Renewal Inc., $20,000; Resource Property Group, $13,394; and Scott Auto Group LLC, 1835 Glenwood Ave., $16,977. The funds will be used to support exterior improvement projects such as signage, windows, lighting, painting and siding and parking lot expansions. The program is funded by a portion of the city’s American Rescue Plan allocation.
The committee met Tuesday morning to approve the funds, which are offered as forgivable loans that require the recipient to remain at the location for five years, with 20% of the loan forgiven each year. The grant approved for Resource Property Group will cover half of the proposed $26,768 project, which will include repairing and replacing rotted wood, installation of a new monolith sign and replacement of the existing canned lighting hanging from the front of the building with LED lighting. The new exterior lighting and signage will reflect that the building is in a professional rather than retail area and indicate “we’re open for business in Youngstown,” said Jeff Byce, owner of Byce Auction and Byce Realty, which are housed at the Wick Avenue building.
The grant for G’s Chop Shop, a barber shop, also will cover about half of the $35,250 cost of its project, which will include new asphalt; siding, window and door replacement; new exterior lighting; and bollard installation. “It’ll be a premium vinyl siding,” said Ian Beniston, executive director of Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, which bought the Canfield Road building about six months ago. G’s, which has been there for eight years, will remain a tenant in the building, he said.
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