DEVELOPMENT Ungaro: Wal-Mart is eyeing several Liberty locations

Also on the development front are five new homes on Overbrook Avenue.
LIBERTY -- Wal-Mart is in the final stages of a site selection process that could bring a super center to Liberty, according to township Administrator Patrick Ungaro.
Ungaro, a former mayor of Youngstown, said he began working to lure Wal-Mart to Liberty two years ago, immediately after getting the administrator job.
"I'm just very encouraged," he said. "They could have said 'no' a long time ago -- but they didn't."
Possible sites
Ungaro said he expects an announcement in a month. He was at the Trumbull County Administration Building on Tuesday seeking information on one of the four possible sites, which he said are:
ULiberty Plaza on Belmont Avenue.
UThe shuttered Kmart and Stambaugh stores, also on Belmont.
UA motel that formerly was the Ramada Inn on Belmont.
ULand at the northeast corner of Belmont and Tibbetts-Wick Road.
The choice, he said, will be driven by market factors and competition among the sites to emerge as the best location. Buildings at the plaza and motel sites would be torn down, Ungaro noted.
All of the sites have sewers, water and the right zoning for a Wal-Mart.
"Everything's right, really. There' s no need to change anything," he said.
The administrator explained that he began the lengthy process two years ago by trying to persuade Wal-Mart to come into Liberty and review traffic counts and access to Interstate 80.
"It wasn't easy, but they finally did come," he said.
Wal-Mart, he noted, has various levels of committees, and each must give its blessing to keep a project on track.
"They have been in every time," he said. "I think we're coming to the final committee."
Liberty Township, Ungaro said, has great access to Interstate 80 but very limited retail activity.
Housing plan
In another township development matter, Liberty trustees will meet at 5 p.m. today at the administration building, Churchill Hubbard Road, to discuss housing planned by Sunshine of Warren/Trumbull Area Inc.
Ungaro said the organization plans five $170,000 homes on Overbrook Avenue. These would be owner-occupied homes but there would be some subsidy on interest rates. Trustees will consider the plans and discuss how water and sewer lines are to be extended by the developer.
"There's very few negatives on this," Ungaro said.