ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Ungaro: Roads are key to Liberty growth

Officials are chasing the Wal-Mart rainbow.
LIBERTY -- Depending upon where they live within its borders, the 13,500 residents of Liberty Township have addresses in Youngstown, Girard or Hubbard.
But township Administrator Pat Ungaro says that geography, as confusing as it might be to the uninitiated, is the key to this area's economic development -- which he sees as ready to take off in 2005.
"They say it's all about location, location, location," Ungaro said, borrowing the time-honored real estate buzzword. "But here it's access, access, access."
Ungaro, a former mayor of Youngstown, is banking on the township's proximity to Interstate 80, state Route 11, and the 711 connector in his efforts to attract businesses and industries to this area.
"It's the best location in the [Mahoning] Valley," he said. "Anybody who wants to produce something can easily ship it to Cleveland, Akron, Chicago or Pittsburgh or places farther away [because of the highway system]."
Optimism
In the past two years, the township has courted big retailers, most notably Wal-Mart. And Ungaro said that he is optimistic that Wal-Mart will finally agree early in 2005 to place a supercenter in Liberty.
"We've looked at possible sites for a year, and have waited for them to announce something," he said. "I'm disappointed that it hasn't happened yet, but I'm optimistic that Liberty will be a site that's selected."
Four sites on Belmont Avenue, including one at the intersection of Tibbetts-Wick Road, have been considered, but no final decision has been made, Ungaro said
He said no zoning changes would be necessary for any of the sites.
Wal-Mart spokesman Keith Morris said he could not confirm whether the company had immediate plans to open a new store in the Youngstown area.
Plans for other projects in Liberty are more definite, with Landmark Real Estate of Youngstown preparing to begin development of a 25,000-square foot shopping plaza on Belmont Avenue near the Giant Eagle supermarket after the beginning of the new year.
Landmark officials were not available to comment.
Ungaro said that the township is looking at its infrastructure needs in order to encourage development.
"There's lots of beautiful land, but it has no water and sewer [services] available," he said. "That's the missing link."
Projects
The township has completed design and engineering work for sewer lines and has completed a $457,000 water and sewer project on Gypsy Lane. The largest project would be a $4.3 million waterline along Tibbetts-Wick Road.
Ungaro hopes these projects will help boost the township's business climate.
"This area grew fast in the '50s, '60s and '70s and then stalled out," he said. "We've lost population, about 500 people, in the last decade. But I think this can be positive growth. There's a market waiting for this."
He said he has increasing optimism about seeing results from the efforts he began when he was hired two years ago.
"The first year was tough, but we started to see some things happen this year," Ungaro said. "We're looking for a good year in 2005."