YOUNGSTOWN Wanted by DEA: safe place in city

The agency's new office can't be near any business whose primary clients involve criminal elements.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Finding an available downtown building among the dozens of empty spaces isn't hard -- unless you're the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Having a downtown office 100 feet back from the street or blast-proof and on a second floor or higher are among the many security requirements.
That's why the agency needs somebody to build a new office, said Andy Katzmann, a realty specialist with the federal General Services Administration, which handles buildings for the government.
GSA looked in the spring for an adequate building to house the local DEA office but didn't find anything suitable, he said.
Requirements: Parameters are tight. The building:
U Must be in central business district boundaries of Rayen Avenue, Andrews Avenue, Front Street and Hazel and Phelps streets.
U Must have between 8,200- and 9,900- square feet, preferable on a single floor. The office must be on the second floor or higher. There must be at least 22 secure parking spaces.
U Should be 100 feet away from the street. If that's not possible, a concrete barrier, fence or blast film for windows is needed.
U Can't be near any federal, state or local agency or private business whose primary clients involve criminal elements. The building can't be near residential areas, daycare centers or schools.
U Must come with a 10-year lease and a minimum five-year term that includes utilities and maintenance. The office must be ready within a year.
Such requirements rule out space, for example, in the new federal courthouse being built on Wick Avenue between Commerce and Wood streets.
The speedy time line is a challenge, too. The DEA's lease expires in the Ohio Edison building so it needs the new space by next fall, Katzmann said.
The government wants proposals by mid-month and will evaluate the possibilities later in October.
rgsmith@vindy.com