the Next Top Drag Queen will be crowned tonight

The thrill of victory . . the agony of defeat

At the last Stage at the Oakland, the first event of Youngstown's Next Top Drag Queen competition - "suicide drag" took place.

read more about what makes it suicidal here.

Anyways, Saturday night will feature a chinese auction and reception at 7pm, followed by the multi-stage competition starting at 8pm to determine which one of these fab fems will take home the title.



more information about the event and how to get tickets here.

stambaugh building: week 2: late friday update

For those of you around the region and country catching up on the status of the Stambaugh Building through the blogs, here is the latest:

The Vindicator reports tonight a tentative compromise deal was hashed out Friday afternoon at City Hall:

"Louis A. Frangos, co-owner of the Stambaugh Building, agreed to a city plan to repair window sashes so windows removed from the historic structure can be put back in place.

If the windows or sashes are damaged beyond repair, Frangos will install either Plexiglas or new glass windows."

"An assessment of the 531 windows on the upper 12 floors of the 13-story building will begin Monday."

An impressive three additional stories by the Business-Journal went up within 8 hours today, one here on tax problems in Cleveland and one here and one more here outlining additional details of Friday's meeting at City Hall:

"Mayor Williams said another meeting between Frangos and the city is scheduled for next Friday to iron out final details. “We are satisfied with the direction he’s heading,” the mayor said.

Demolition of the landmark building is not an option, the mayor stated. “In the interim, we’re looking at the securitization [security] and preservation of the building.”"

Forecast tonight: severe thunderstorms

stambaugh building: week 2: friday update

Two new in-depth stories by the Business-Journal one here about the details of the Design and Review Committee meeting and one here about unpaid taxes.

and a blogpost from The Todd, editor-in-chief:

"My family helped plant flowers last weekend for the city’s StreetScape effort. The Stambaugh windows permeated the event. Physically — the fenced-off protection closed East Federal and limit access to parts of the plaza intended for work. Mentally — the gaping holes seemed to counter the mission of the day, which was to improve downtown.

At least three people — including a city councilman — asked me if The Vindicator was going to do something to fix “those windows.” It was humbling and rewarding, but also puzzling.

We’re not the city. We don’t have zoning powers the last I checked."

With another story from the Vindicator highlighting the recent Design and Review Committee Meeting here. (read the whole piece for more context)

"About 400 windows were removed from the building’s upper 12 floors. The 13-story structure has 531 windows, many of which are located inside the building next to where they used to hang, they said."

"City officials said Frangos’ companies violated a number of city laws and codes by doing the work without prior notification and approval.

Frangos said his plan is to board up the window frames with plywood and paint the wood. He also had considered putting plastic around the window frames."

stambaugh building: week 2: thursday update

It's been one week since the glass was dropped from near the top of the Stambaugh Building, crashing onto the street and sidewalk below.

- - -

A new online petition has been set up, so anyone having interest in this subject can leave their name and a comment. It requests the city to create a Landmark Structure Ordinance that bestows landmark status on selected buildings in the Central Business District, and prohibits their demolition unless they become a public safety issue.

Click here for the petition.

- - -

In other news, Wednesday afternoon the city's Design Review Committee denied the Frangos Group's request to replace the removed windows with plywood.

- - -

Finally, this letter was presented to City Hall at 3:00pm Wednesday afternoon:

Recommended Action Plan to the City of Youngtown for Stambaugh Building Stabilization

• Refrain from financially investing in the short, intermediate and long term stabilization plan as this responsibility falls solely on the Owners and not the taxpayers.
  
• Concurrently with the Short and Intermediate Term plan, appoint an ad hoc committee to study and develop a Landmark Structure Ordinance in conjunction and in concert with City Officials.
  
• Develop a timeline with milestone dates that define specific tasks and actions to be taken by the Owner on specific dates.
  
  • Develop a method of enforcement and subsequent penalties if timelines are not met or standards are not followed
    

General Procedures Required of Owner by City of Youngstown

• Follow recommended procedures which are consistent with The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
  
• Secure proper approvals and permits from government agencies and pay all fees associated with permits and approvals for any future work to the building
  
• Pay any and all fines/court costs which have been assessed to date as a result of the Owner’s actions
  
• Reimburse the City of Youngstown for fencing and pedestrian barricades erected on behalf of the Owner to guard public safety.
  • Assume all costs for above for the full length of time required by the City
• Provide the City of Youngstown with a 24 hr emergency telephone number of a management service or individual who can respond to future similar issues.
  
• Retire any delinquent tax claims and or liens prior to commencement of Action Plan

Owner’s Short Term Stabilization Tasks

• Make necessary repairs to the existing building roofs to prevent water infiltration from above
  
• Guard from harm, secure and maintain in collaboration with ODNR wildlife specialists, peregrine falcon chicks, adults and nesting box from removal or damage during stabilization operations
  
• Preserve and conserve original window sash and components, which have not been discarded. Where practical retrieve same which have been stockpiled for disposal or have been place in construction dumpsters
  • Refrain from further demolition of existing windows which remain in place
• Provide weather tight temporary enclosures on each and every window opening where windows have been removed. Construct enclosures from rigid transparent materials and in such a manner as to protect in place window components from deterioration and which shed water and repel wind from entering the building. Submit design to local authorities for review from a safety standard and to bodies, which regulate aesthetic issues of such temporary enclosure. Construct an in place mock up for examination and approval by governing bodies
  
• Establish a time limit in consecutive calendar days that the temporary enclosures shall remain in place.
  • 90 – 120 days is recommended
• Schedule inspections while work is being performed and at the completion of the work on the temporary enclosures
  • Permit access to the building at all times to City Building inspectors to conduct an up close inspection of any temporary opening
• For original windows which currently remain in place, repair, replace and or affix in place with positive mechanical fasteners
  
• Before unseasonable weather arrives, heat each and every floor of the building to a minimum of 50 degrees to prevent freeze in to all fluid filled pipes and to prevent damage to plaster and wood finishes
  • Provide adequate heat from approved temporary devices in the event the central heating system of the building is decommissioned or inoperable

Owner’s Intermediate Term Stabilization Tasks

• Require the Owner to present an intermediate stabilization plan which involves a historically appropriate restoration/replication or replacement window unit on the entire structure
  • Said unit shall be submitted to the SHPO for evaluation and appropriateness of the proposed method or unit
• Require the Owner to utilize the historic sash which are suitable for reuse as a first priority remedy
  
• Devise a plan which permits a continual phased retrofit of permanent and historically appropriate and establish timelines for the restoration and remedial work
  • A twelve consecutive calendar month time period is suggested
    
  • Establish milestone dates for completion of each floor
• Schedule inspections while work is being performed and at the completion of the work on the window replacement/restoration
  • Permit access to the building at all times to City Building inspectors to conduct an up close inspection of any window
• Heat each and every floor of the building to a minimum of 50 degrees to prevent freeze in to all fluid filled pipes and to prevent damage to plaster and wood finishes
  
  • Provide adequate heat from approved temporary devices in the event the central heating system of the building is decommissioned or inoperable

Owner’s Long Term Stabilization Tasks

• After the successful completion of the Intermediate Stabilization, the Owner shall subject the structure to monthly inspections to assure the stabilization of the building has been maintained and shall perform in a timely manner any necessary repairs to maintain that stabilization.

stambaugh building: week 1: wednesday update

The now windowless Stambaugh Building in downtown's central square was a topic of debate on talk radio (listen here and here) and various blogs throughout the day.


From the MahoningValley.info message boards:

"Replacing the old Park Hotel, the Stambaugh Building [1906] started out its life as Euwers Department Store, one of the first Ohio department stores to have an in store restaurant. After the department store moved further up West Federal Street, the building was converted into an office building. Later becoming the first corporate headquarters for the Youngstown Sheet and Tube and Standard Slag."

A beautiful photo album of LadyNews500's photos of the Stambaugh Building can be found here.


A good post on the history of the building from The Youngstown Steel Heritage Preservation blog:

The building was designed by Albert Kahn, one of Detroit’s most important architects. It was designed in the Neo-Classical Revival style.

From the building's construction in 1906 until vacated by Youngstown Sheet and Tube in 1964, this building bore witness to the growth of what was to become the Nation's third largest steelmaker.

Meanwhile, just a block away in a similar skyscraper off of Market Street bridge was the corporate office of Republic Steel Corporation, also one of the largest steel companies in the US.

Republic moved to Cleveland in 1935, but in those years when both Republic and YS&T were both located in Youngstown, the decisions made in those two buildings shaped a good part of the development of America's steel industry."

Thanks to Jim's tireless efforts through the CleveBurgh Diaspora blog:

"St. Louis and Buffalo can echo this tragedy. This story is a dime a dozen in the Postindustrial Heartland. What I am asking is that the like-minded come together to save one building in the center of Youngstown.

There are many other architectural wonders we can reclaim throughout our mega-region, but let's make the Stambaugh Building the first collaborative effort. Then, let us make the Stambaugh Building the center of the economic revitalization of the Rust Belt."

From the Reason blog at the Youngstown Vindicator's website:

"Imagine that you're Kelly Pavlik's trainer. In the big fight, between rounds, he's got a hangnail. What do you do to ensure his safety? You'd cut off his hand, right?

This is essentially the argument made by the Frangos Group in the removal of at least one hundred windows from the historic, century-old Stambaugh building, leaving it exposed to the elements."

From a story in today's Business Journal:

"The group released a letter this morning addressed to Mayor Jay Williams that recommends the city explore forming a task force composed of business leaders, citizens and city officials to study the creation of a landmark structure ordinance.

“We have a concern about all landmark properties, such as the Stambaugh Building, the Paramount Theater and the Kress Building,” said Ronald Faniro, an architect and member of the new group.

A landmark structure ordinance would identify those buildings deemed “landmark” and create a code of high maintenance and preservation standards, he explained."

And a great post by Brookeback Mountains at the Stage at the Oakland blog:

"As Youngstown enjoys the beginning of a rennaisance, we should be looking for potential businesses to occupy these building with businesses, restaurants, offices....new economy-generating ventures. Instead, the most beautiful buildings in town are owned by the same group, and all of them are merely for rent or occupied with a distant promise of future housing...and even then, they remain vacant and untouched for years with rumors floating and multiplying.

We don't need more rumors in Youngstown. We need facts and positive action.

[The Stambaugh Building] is also the site of Party on the Plaza, a flourishing event that draws huge crowds every weekend, showcases talented local musicians, and donates profit to local charities."

full text of letter to City Hall re: Stambaugh Building

The Honorable Jay Williams
City of Youngstown
26 N. Phelps St.
Youngstown, OH 44503


Mayor Williams:

This writing comes in the wake of the news stories of the window removal at the Stambaugh Building. It seems the City of Youngstown has this issue well at hand and is acting responsibly and has swiftly instituted mechanisms to prevent a recurrence and guard public safety. As citizens, our concerns extend beyond those of public safety.

The Central Business District of Youngstown is defined by its Central Square. The Stambaugh Building, Realty Building, First National Bank Tower, Huntington Bank Tower, Civil War Memorial and Chase Bank Tower define the Central Square. All of these buildings chronicle the development of Youngstown in the era of its transition from a small Ohio community into a bustling metropolis. All of these structures carry pedigrees, which elevate these buildings to a landmark status.

The aforementioned structures share many things in common. All are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and will receive National Register of Historic Places markers later this summer. CityScape is finalizing the text of these markers, which are funded through a grant by the Ohio Historical Society. All are the earliest local examples of the phenomenon know as the “skyscraper”. Many of these landmarks are benefactors of responsible stewardship. With the exception of The Huntington Bank Tower, the same owners of the Stambaugh Building own all the landmark buildings on Central Square. Little known is the fact that these same owners are the custodians of three additional National Register Listed structures in the immediate downtown. The Wick Building, Erie Terminal and Liberty/Paramount Theater are among the portfolio of holdings of this company.

Recently, it was learned that the Liberty/Paramount Theater is doomed to the wrecking ball. Neither a plan to save the façade nor a credible re-development plan for that site exists. The owner has been quoted by the press as saying the Stambaugh Building is “a lost cause.” Such a statement casts a long shadow of doubt on the actual motive of the recent activities at the Stambaugh Building. It appears to these authors that removing the windows in their entirety from this structure and replacing them with plastic film sets the stage for slow motion decay, leading to calls of blight and eventual demolition. We certainly hope this is not the case. We are alarmed at the uncertain fate of all of these building and the indifference shown by the players in the real life Monopoly game that is occurring in our downtown.

We fear the Stambaugh Building incident is becoming the norm rather than the exception for property owners who elect to do nothing with their structures. It is irresponsible stewardship of our historic properties that has caused the demolition of many of those in the past and the real possibility of many in the future falling unless checked. Two major historic properties along West Federal Street, which are not owned by the Stambaugh Building owners, come to mind as potential future demolition candidates due to poor stewardship. This speaks to issues beyond the Stambaugh Building and frames them as a Downtown issue.

It is now time in the history of our City, as it re-defines itself, to balance the progress of new construction with the value of the historic built environment. We encourage the City of Youngstown to hold the Stambaugh Building owner to a high standard when remedying this matter.

In the immediate future, the building must be made weather tight in such a manner as to prevent any damage occurring while in limbo. Any boarding up or temporary methods used to achieve this should also come with limits on the period of time the temporary measures may remain in place. We suggest weeks rather than months be the unit of measure between the stabilization and remedial phases. In the near future, we see nothing short of a full historically accurate window restoration/replication/replacement being required of the owner. We envision this to occur or be in its completion phases well before the Winter of 2008 is upon us. We will not buy into excuses of the costly nature of the suggested remedy as the owners have spent millions in acquiring other properties in our downtown without the proper due diligence being performed to their existing properties.

Concurrent with the above activities we call on the City to assemble a Task Force comprised of business leaders, citizens and City officials to study and create a Landmark Structure Ordinance that bestows landmark status on selected buildings in the Central Business District, prohibits their demolition unless they become a public safety issue due to catastrophic fire or storm damage and tie to those structures a set of maintenance standards which are above the minimum standards set forth in the International Building Maintenance Code. Such an ordinance will guard our historic properties and assure their proper maintenance regardless of the owner.

Finally, the activities have had serious impact on many other aspects of our community. CityScape was forced to abandon parts of their beautification efforts this past Saturday leaving many volunteers without assignment and tainting a positive and productive yearly event. The only national chain operating in downtown was forced to close and remain closed until the City responsibly erected barricades to guard their patrons from future peril. This type of incident could jeopardize this chain’s presence in downtown if left unresolved for an undefined period of time.

We are certain you share in many of the concerns of this group and our hope is for the City to rise to action with this owner, future owners and any landholder who shows indifference in maintaining their properties.


Respectfully and Concernedly Submitted,

The Undersigned

my new fav site on the internets

and yes, it's about The Chuck.

Look for Todd mentioning "Youngstown" in upcoming breakdowns of the swingin' state of Ohio.

2nd downtown architecture tour today (tuesday)

free tour - 7pm - at the Central Square

via MetroMonthly:

what happened to all the windows?

It's 8:47pm on Sunday and the rain has started downtown.

The wet drops are coming down harder now, even sideways when gusts of wind kick up.

And most of the windows in one of the architectural gems of downtown youngstown are now missing.

The Stambaugh Building, a wonderful example of early 20th century skyscrapers, is currently exposed to the elements. Some birds have flown inside of the structure - as the rain is coming down all around me.


For the back story, you can read two stories of excellent reporting here and here from the Business-Journal.

In a nutshell, the historic windows were being removed last week without permit nor safety precautions, and one was dropped from nine stories up - shattering onto Federal Street below.

Luckily, no individual or automobile were injured by the falling glass.

Now the entire perimeter around the building is closed off to pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Here's a video of the space:



So, what is the next step in this mess?

- - -

The following letter will be given to Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams on Tuesday:


The Honorable Jay Williams
City of Youngstown
26 N. Phelps St.
Youngstown, OH 44503

Mayor Williams:

This writing comes in the wake of the news stories of the window removal at the Stambaugh Building. It seems the City of Youngstown has this issue well at hand and is acting responsibly and has swiftly instituted mechanisms to prevent a recurrence and guard public safety. As citizens, our concerns extend beyond those of public safety.

The Central Business District of Youngstown is defined by its Central Square. The Stambaugh Building, Realty Building, First National Bank Tower, Huntington Bank Tower, Civil War Memorial and Chase Bank Tower define the Central Square. All of these buildings chronicle the development of Youngstown in the era of its transition from a small Ohio community into a bustling metropolis. All of these structures carry pedigrees, which elevate these buildings to a landmark status.





Recently, it was learned that the Liberty/Paramount Theater is doomed to the wrecking ball. Neither a plan to save the façade nor a credible re-development plan for that site exists. The owner has been quoted by the press as saying the Stambaugh Building is “a lost cause.” Such a statement casts a long shadow of doubt on the actual motive of the recent activities at the Stambaugh Building. It appears to these authors that removing the windows in their entirety from this structure and replacing them with plastic film sets the stage for slow motion decay, leading to calls of blight and eventual demolition. We certainly hope this is not the case. . .

- - -

TO READ MORE of this LETTER TO THE MAYOR and POSSIBLE NEXT STEPS, click HERE.

and forward this website onto others to share these opinions.

any comments or suggestions?

cle+pitt+yo regional learning network

The time and place are set for people from three cities within our one region to come together.

To explore common concerns, share best practices, and identify opportunities for collaboration in the fields of economic development, urban design, neighborhood development, sustainable communities, and blogging for change.

Introducing the Cleveland+Pittsburgh+Youngstown Regional Learning Network :




The event will take place on Friday June 20th, from 10am to 4pm at the Youngstown Club downtown.

The keynote speaker that day will be:

John Austin, former director of the Great Lakes Economic Initiative at the Brookings Institution and current director of the New Economy Initiative of Southeast Michigan.

Other participants include people from these organizations:

• Pittsburgh Neighborhood and Community Information System (PNCIS)
  
• KSU Cleveland Urban Design Collective
  
• East Liberty Development, Inc.
  
• Cleveland Neighborhood Development Coalition
  
• Slavic Village Development
  
• Cleveland City Planning Commission
  
• Lien Forward Ohio
  
• CWRU Center for Urban Poverty and Community Development
  
• Fund for Our Economic Future
  
• Mahoning River Corridor of Opportunity
  
• Neighborhood Progress, Inc.
  
• Civic Innovation Lab
  
• Youngstown Business Incubator
  
• Building Cleveland by Design
  
• Defend Youngstown
  

The event is FREE of charge, but you must register.

Do so here.

Buses are available for those coming from Pittsburgh and Cleveland. But, if you are sticking around for the evening downtown, we'll give you a walking tour (not on the official program) and go out for drinks and dinner afterwards.

Time to jump in.

"this is our moment"

our moment to come together,

and unite as one people,

from different races, different religions, different backgrounds.



this IS our moment.

our moment to clean up our downtown.

- - -

11th annual Streetscape - this saturday June 7th

more details here on the cleaning and planting event.

At least 400 people signed up so far . . . to be distributed from wick park to the mahoning commons.

Sign up and c'mon down.

Join us.

Meet your neighbors.

Have fun.

- - -

Valley24 posts a story here.

Coverage of last year's event here.

shuffling through the davis

Bit by bit, this building really is coming together.

Here are some photos from mid-May of inside the Davis:

First off, a view from the front door off Federal Street, looking into the interior on the ground floor.


See the marble on the ground? At some point of the building's history, the marble was actually on the outside - as the space around it was the border for the display windows.


Jumping up to the 2nd floor, the floors have been shined up, the furniture is getting put in place.


The cabinets are being installed, the walls are being painted.


And the shelves for the library are being placed.


Moving into the office's waiting area, and to the steps heading to the 3rd floor . . .



The private residence is coming together. Check out the shuffleboard court on the right which has been stained upon the floor.

Game on.


The speakers are up (critical step), as is the plasma fireplace.

Game on.


The mix of colors and textures is great.

The red, the brick, the white, the wood, the glass.


Finally, another view at night from the balcony - peering onto the State Theater.


Stay tuned for more great photos of the construction. Thanks to the owners for allowing Shout Youngstown in the building.

And click on the tags for "davis building" below to see the progression of this project from start to finish.

jonesfest kicks off the downtown summer music festivals

another update: (may 2) Valley24 pictures from the event here.

- - -

jonesfest. downtown. diverse music. all-day saturday. free.

where are you at Cleveburgh?

- - -

Instead of hashing out the history of how this event came to be, the Jambrain blog has an excellent piece on the subject and a bio of Jimmy D from the band Jones for Revival.

Here's a clip of Jones for Revival playing at the Chevy Center:



Valley 24 does a nice job of featuring all the entertainment at the event, which includes magicians, comedians, djs, and acoustic acts in between the 12 bands (listed below) playing from 2pm to 2am this Saturday. From the article:

“I’m really excited that we can be a part of the revitalization of downtown Youngstown, whether it’s Youngstown 2010 or 2020,” DeCapua says. “...It’d be sweet if everyone came out and had a great time. We’re trying to give back, support the scene.”

Click on the band to hear more of their stuff:
Winslow
The Devotees
Mystic WIP Hustler
5 Elements
The Zou
Jones for Revival
Twelve Bucks
The Youngstownians
Wild Trees
Jahman Brahman Family Band
Braille
Captain Braskey

UPDATE: Story broke from the Vindicator this morning here.

deep down inside the dark davis

As the sun faded beyond the horizon one day in mid-April, Shout Youngstown made it into the historic Davis Building downtown to get an update on the renovations.

Here's a view of the 2nd floor, which will eventually be the place of business for a team of local architects:


The original hardwood floors have completely been cleaned and sanded

Peering down the hall to what will be the conference room for the office


A bundle of lights.


Drywall, heating, and ventilation are all up throughout the structure


Here are the laquered boards drying, to be used in the company's future library.


Much of the furniture has been delivered, and needs to be installed.


Looking out onto the fire escape from one window:


from three windows . . .


And the kitchen of the 3rd floor apartment is coming together nicely.


The entrance from the 3rd floor to the rooftop patio:


Peering down the hall to the rear of the building


and looking up from what will be the entrance of the building


getting closer to complete . . .

tech center officially opens, tech center officially filled

there's room for more people on this bus.

tech-based growth. downtown reinvestment. prospering companies.

- - -

This week, the opening of the 2nd building of the Youngstown Business Incubator was celebrated downtown, a building that is already filled from top to bottom with employees from YBI's portfolio companies.



Instead of bursting as the seams, the original building of the YBI is now able to breathe again, having the capacity to draw in additional entrepreneurs and individuals who want to be a part of the next chapter of Youngstown.

photo tour of 2nd building from I Will Shout Youngstown here.
additional stories here, here, here, here, and here.

An article titled "Specialization as Strategy for Business Incubators" by M. Schwartz and C. Hornych in the most recent issue of the scientific jounal Technovation identifies four advantages for locating businesses in sector-specific business incubators (SBI) like the YBI:

- high-quality premises and equipment for tenant companies
- high-quality consulting/knowledge sharing in specific fields
- increased probability of networking between tenants
- high trans-regional visibility for tenants

check, check, check, and check.

All four of these match what's going on in these buildings in downtown youngstown.

- - -

In other news, two other YBI portfolio companies experienced some recent successes:

Humility of Mary Health Partners (HMHP) has agreed to be a a beta site for ErisRx, a software program from Eris Medical Technologies which manages billing and financial transactions in hospitals.

Syncro Medical Innovations was awarded a $350,000 research commercialization grant from the Ohio Department of Development's Third Frontier Initiative. Syncro has developed a magnetically guided feeding tube, and the funds will be used to build inventory, conduct clinical trials, and hire a clinical educator, staff engineer and marketing director. These funds are in addition to $500,000 provided by the federal government to Syncro for developing a feeding tube for battlefield trauma patients.

so, yeah, it's been a good week.

no time to rest though.

rising to the challenge

Word on the street is that the Full Monty at the Oakland is doing so well, they've added an extra show for the final weekend.

This "extended ending" will take place on midnight Saturday evening.

That's 12 in the am.

Cleveland, Pittburgh . . . show your regionalism and come down to the Yo.



tickets can be reserved at 330.746.0404, and specify which one you want, if not sold out:

Friday, May 16: 8 pm
Saturday, May 17: 8 pm AND 12 am midnight (technically Sunday)

Apx. running time of the musical: 2.5 hours (so this midnight show is for night owls)

UPDATE:The Vindicator's chief, Todd Franko, gives a review of the show in his blog today.

ribbon cutting & walking tour, downtown wednesday

two events downtown tomorrow, Wednesday, May 14th.

- - -

The first is a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Realty Building renovation at 11:30am. The event is open to everyone, and a reception will take place at 20 Federal Place (the strouss' or phar-mor building) afterwards.

The Frangos Groups will "officially" start construction to transform the building on our Central Square into 25 apartments. The building was purchased in 2000 for $540,000.


The building was built in 1924 for the Realty Guarantee and Trust Company by Youngstown architects Morris Schiebel and Edgar Stanley. It's unique for a downtown building in that it has windows on all four sides of the structure.

It's interesting, looking back at my archives, this post was written two years ago. Good thing those Ohio tax credits kicked in.

Best of luck to those working on the project.

- - -

The second is a free walking tour at 7:00pm of historical buildings in downtown to be led by Mark Peyko, publisher and editor of the Metro Monthly.

The tour will begin at The Man on the Monument, in the Central Square.

In celebration of National Preservation Month, the tour will cover the history and development of the central business district. In addition, the tour will focus on threatened historic landmarks in the area.

More details on the tour here.

- - -

The story of the Realty Tower is one of recognizing the true value of our city's historical structures, which can never replaced once demolished.

That's it, no more, destroyed forever.

Final.

The most recent historical building slated for demolition may be the Liberty/Paramount Theater on Federal Street.

Will this building turn into another surface parking lot downtown, or is there the possibility for saving some components of its character for future generations to enjoy and cherish?

pocket parks in "the pearl"

Sometimes a city has the opportunity to do something creative with large tracts of land, turning the space of vacated properties into a prime asset.

Youngstown is building a mixed-used residential/commercial neighborhood adjacent to the univeristy and downtown in Smoky Hollow, but many design elements and construction have yet to be accomplished. What places can they emulate as the project moves forward?

Atlanta created the uninspiring Atlantic Station on the grounds of an old steel mill, a tacky collection of disneyland-esque buildings, a destination adjacent to the interstate north of Midtown with an "in and out, but not staying" existence.

Portland's emerging Pearl District, anchored by many LEED certified buildings and free wi-fi throughout, is a nice mix of old and new, livable and walkable designs of which Youngstown may learn from.

The rest of this post shows photos from three separate smaller "pocket" parks in the Pearl, possible role models for downtown youngstown, wick park, and the smoky hollow. The Pearl's wikipedia article has a good aerial photo of what the railroad yards used to look like.

The Pearl's Tanner Springs Park is located between the light rail lines on 10th and 11th avenues. The space is fascinating, in that this small space (less than an acre) retains an almost rural quality although it is located right in the heart of the neighborhood. Here we have some decorative stone patterns, with a water element flowing from it:

Further down the path, the manicured portion of the park decends into marshy, unmowed wetlands. Large steps from the sides of the park provide a place for people to read books and relax.


The path set away from street level then flows into small pond, filled with orange fish.


The floating path also follows this wonderful serpentine metal wall on the east boundary of the park.


Check out this up-close photo of this textured element:

Further south, Jamison Park, provides a more family-friendly atmosphere, heavily used by children and people walking their dogs. The high sculptures around the perimeter help to anchor the streetcar power lines.


The wonderful central element of this park is a fountain that has the effect of a tidal pool, with its waterfalls filling in and draining a bricked-in area for children to play in.


As the water fills in and empty, people relax and the place has the feeling of a clean urban beach.


Finally, tucked in between three buildings are these concrete columns, left exposed after a previous demolition and wrapped with art. I love how the rebar is sticking out of the top:




Lots to consider and learn as Youngstown goes about planning its park spaces in the future.

Perhaps the next City Parks Commissioner, whenever that position is filled, can lead the charge on similar types of projects in city parks.

In the meantime, it's up to the public to brainstorm and help push the city and stakeholders along to this level of quality for future design.

portland's parking lot "food stands"

In Oregon all this week, stalking Hillary exploring the streets of Portland.

One of the many charming and fantastic components of this city is all the multi-ethnic eateries along the surface parking lots of Portland's downtown.


Many of the places even had some places to sit in the sun while munching.

Scanning down one street . . .



It's amazing to see how open some cities are to this as a form of ligitimate commerce. Los Angeles has been battling these types of trucks in recent months, with the anti-taco lobby firmly entrenched in city council.


click here to read more about the city where carne asada is not just a meal, but a crime.

I opted for the Thai food for lunch:


Ate some pad see ew with generous portions of broccoli, some chicken satay with peanut sauce, and a coke.

All added up: 7 bucks for a nice meal in the sun, from a stand adjacent to Portland State University.


Many of the trucks had murals painted on the side . . .


And here's a Czech place. (the woman serving spoke czech too)

crepes to go . . .


and a good scene for people watching as well. At least, when one is sitting at the curb eating el pastor.



So a question: is this the type of thing that can fly in downtown youngstown?

It might be interesting to hear the opinions of downtown restaurants, especially the ones that require eating inside.

Maybe the existing places downtown need more outside seating. Maybe we should study Portland's policies that encourage immigrant foods to locate downtown, and for possible health reasons, study how they regulate their kitchens.

or maybe I'm so desparate for a thai place in youngstown, i'll accept this form of cooking to a full-blown restaurant.