YOUNGSTOWN Planners OK items for arena project

The moves could let the city take private property.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The city knows it has about $25 million left in federal money to build an arena.
That's good enough for a majority of the city planning commission, which approved two items Thursday that help a proposed arena project.
The commission acted despite pleas to wait.
Opponents protested that the city hasn't done a required financial plan. The city law director said it's clear that funding is available. The city can always add a financial plan later, he said.
The commission adopted a redevelopment plan and study saying a majority of land bounded by Front Street, the Mahoning River and the South Avenue and Marshall Street bridges is blighted. That includes the space between the South Avenue and Market Street bridges where the city is proposing to build a roughly $30 million arena.
The commission also recommended that city council adopt the plan.
Taking private property
The moves, if council agrees, let the city use eminent domain to take private property on Front Street for an arena.
Both votes were 4-2 with one abstention.
In favor were Mayor George M. McKelvey; city Law Director John McNally IV; Carmen Conglose Jr., deputy director of public works; and Denise Warren.
Wallace Dunne and Deborah Mathews opposed the moves.
Ray Jaminet abstained. He and his wife own property on Front Street. He voiced his opinion on the plan -- calling it bogus -- but didn't participate in the board discussion or votes.
Block fails
Dunne and Mathews tried, but failed, to block the approval.
Dunne said that he supports proposed redevelopment but that it should be done right. That means following the city law requiring the financial plan, he said. Mathews said points made by several opponents left her questioning the plan.
McNally said it's clear that the city has $25 million to redevelop the land, so a financial plan isn't a big issue. McNally said he didn't think a formal plan was required. Nonetheless, the city can add one to the study if council wants, he said.
Variety of objections
Scott Cochran, a lawyer with Atway and Cochran, which owns a building at 19 E. Front St., said the city likely faces a lawsuit without a financial plan. He and others registered a variety of objections to the study and its conclusion.
Among them were using tax values instead of appraisals to gauge how much properties were worth and questionable building evaluation methods.
Jaminet said the entire downtown -- even the whole city -- could be considered blight.
"This is the dirtiest city in the United States," he said.
John Schoenike, a lawyer representing Timlin Plumbing and Drain Service at Market and Front Street, called the study arbitrary with wrong conclusions.
Including land outside the immediate arena site skewed the results, he said.
Kristin M. Hopkins, a principal planner with the consultant that produced the plan for the city, D.B. Hartt of Cleveland, defended the research.
A majority of the land is blighted no matter how it's broken down, she said. The plan uses tax values because appraisal numbers weren't available, she said. An architect with MS Consultants of Youngstown conducted the building evaluations, she said.
Richard McLaughlin, a lawyer representing property owner Joyce Jaminet -- Ray Jaminet's wife -- also asked the commission to wait on a decision. Moves against Front Street property owners risks losing those downtown businesses to the suburbs, he said.
Using the land
McKelvey said he understands the passion of private property owners and recognizes their commitment to downtown.
The focus, however, needs to be redeveloping a spot where the vast majority of the land is vacant or underused, he said.
Jay Williams, Community Development Agency director, said the plan is consistent with five-year plan the city has on file with the federal government.
Jim Converse, a planning advocate, said he supports the plan because it focuses on reuse of old industrial land instead of pushing development into green space.
rgsmith@vindy.com