Monday, August 30, 2004
The playground effort follows the cooperative theme of Youngstown 2010.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A lonely "no dumping" sign stands in the middle of several recently smoothed-over, empty lots on Kenmore Avenue.
The sign, threatening $1,000 fines, serves as a sentinel warding off anyone who dares interfere with the good works about to happen there.
A three-year struggle to turn South Side crack house blight into a new neighborhood playground has culminated in the needed demolition. Now, the partnership at work there will continue on to make a playground and other improvements happen at Kenmore and Oak Hill avenues.
St. Patrick Church, city officials and the Needle's Eye Christian Counseling Center recently celebrated their progress.
"We're grateful more than anything else," said the Rev. Edward P. Noga of St. Patrick's.
Ultimately, the city will receive the newly cleared land and erect a playground for the South Side neighborhood's use. That includes the counseling center and nearby Summit Academy, a charter school.
Across the intersection, the city would turn over the rarely used Ken-Oak playground to St. Patrick. The old playground would become a parking lot for the church, school and counseling center.
What this shows
Father Noga said the effort follows the cooperative theme of the Youngstown 2010 plan for the city's future.
Finally getting four homes knocked down -- despite complications with ownership, back taxes and asbestos -- shows the cooperative approach works, he said.
"This is more than just a church screaming about several properties," Father Noga said. "It did work. If everybody throws a little in, it gets done."
Money is always an issue in such projects, but cooperation is important, too, he said. Money doesn't matter if all involved can't agree to play their own roles, he said.
The church bought the homes and paid to have the asbestos removed. The city paid to tear them down. The city will pay to put up the new playground. The church, school and counseling center will raise money to build the parking lot.
"It's a small example of what needs to happen in other neighborhoods," said Jay Williams, director of the city Community Development Agency and a main 2010 planner.
Changing perceptions
The project is a chance to change perceptions of the city in a few ways, he said. Cooperation is one; image is another.
Williams said it's important to improve a corner on Oak Hill, a main north-south route through the city and into downtown. Parents from inside and outside the city who bring their children to the charter school also will have a different view of Youngstown once the playground goes in, Williams said.
To make that happen, it's time to approach the park board about the playground now that deeds are in hand and the land is clear.
The board has agreed to the idea in the past. Now, however, is the big moment because the church actually owns the land it wants to swap with the city. Joseph McRae, parks director, expects that to happen shortly.
Then, the park board will decide whether the playground will feature just play equipment, a pavilion, bathrooms or all three. The decision depends on what those involve want and what the city can afford, McRae said.
It's unclear when the playground would be ready, he said.
rgsmith@vindy.com