Partners target site for industry

Astro Development will put up the purchase price of the brownfield property.
& lt;a href=mailto:kubik@vindy.com & gt;By MARALINE KUBIK & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
STRUTHERS -- The recently announced partnership between the city of Struthers and Astro Development LLC to develop a 46.6-acre brownfield that's been dormant more than 20 years could conceivably help create as many as 400 new manufacturing jobs.
Although a specific use for the property has not been identified, Bob Cene Jr., a partner in Astro Development, said his goal is to develop manufacturing facilities, possibly an expansion of Astro Shapes Inc., an aluminum extrusions company founded by his father in 1971.
According to a master plan for development of the Mahoning River Corridor of Opportunity, a 1,400-acre tract of former steel mill property that stretches from Youngstown through Struthers, Campbell and Lowellville, the property to be developed could house between 200 and 400 manufacturing jobs, and the proposed redevelopment is consistent with the master plan, said Struthers Mayor Daniel C. Mamula.
Two or three buildings
The property, once home to Youngstown Sheet & amp; Tube Campbell Works' coke plant, is adjacent to Bob Cene Park baseball complex and Astro Shapes' manufacturing plant.
It has direct access to rail service and could, according to Mamula, accommodate two or three industrial buildings that would cover between 113,000 and 260,000 square feet.
In addition to manufacturing operations, the site is also ideally suited to distribution operations and, Mamula said, businesses that seem to gravitate to and thrive in the area are typically warehousing, distribution and specialty manufacturing concerns.
Under the terms of the agreement between the city and Astro Development, Astro will put up the purchase price of the property -- $250,000 plus closing costs -- which will be deposited into a special expendable trust fund. Then, the city will buy the property from the Ohio Central Railroad.
Council action
City council is expected to approve an ordinance to create the trust fund, to be known as an economic redevelopment fund, at a special meeting this evening.
The city will retain ownership of the property until environmental assessments and cleanup are complete.
This will enable the city to apply for grants through the Clean Ohio Fund and will pave the way for clean-up to be completed at least one year sooner than it would take if a private entity were going through the process, Mamula said.
Because the city of Struthers has been designated a priority investment area, he explained, the city is given preferential treatment.
& lt;a href=mailto:kubik@vindy.com & gt;kubik@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;