YOUNGSTOWN YMHA celebrates Amedia Plaza face-lift

The former hotel downtown now has fewer - and bigger - apartment units.
YOUNGSTOWN -- In ribbon-cutting ceremonies today, the Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority celebrated the $6 million renovation of Amedia Plaza in downtown Youngstown.
YMHA Executive Director Eugenia Atkinson joined federal, state and local government officials at the event, which also featured tours of the facility.
Amedia Plaza, a 12-story building first occupied by YMHA in the early 1980s, houses the agency's corporate offices and is also the intake point for its clients.
The building also features 92 senior apartments managed by YMHA. Before the renovations, the building had 191 units, said Claudia Sherry, assistant to the executive director.
"They're a lot nicer now," she said about the apartments. "There's a lot more space for the residents."
The one- and two-bedroom apartments are twice as large as other senior apartments managed by YMHA, and each floor features a lounge area.
History
The building on Boardman Street was constructed in 1912 and was once the historic Pick-Ohio Hotel. It also was known over the years as the Ohio Hotel, Hotel Ohio or simply The Ohio.
The renovation was overseen by the Youngstown architectural firm Ricciuti, Balog & amp; Partners. Also involved in the renovations were Honeywell Inc. and Creative Housing Solutions.
The renovation includes a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, as well as new windows and updated lighting and plumbing fixtures.
The energy-efficiency initiatives -- combined with similar undertakings at other YMHA facilities in Mahoning County -- will save nearly $312,000 in energy costs annually, the agency reports.
YMHA provides affordable housing to residents throughout Mahoning County. Established in 1933, it was one of the first housing authorities in the nation.
Today, the agency employs 106 people and manages 1,543 housing units and more than 2,000 Section 8 units.