MRDD Building in Javit Court will be renovated

The building should be ready for use by the summer of 2005.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- The Mahoning County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities awarded contracts totaling about $1.8 million to renovate and add to a building at 153 Javit Court.
The building, a 32-bed residential facility previously owned by Gateways to Better Living, should be ready for use by the summer 2005, said Larry Duck, MRDD superintendent.
It will house day programs for older and medically fragile mentally retarded clients.
Building donated
The building was given to MRDD at no cost, with a $450,000 mortgage forgiven by the Ohio Department of MRDD as long as Mahoning MRDD operates approved programs in it.
Last year, work was completed on a building at 130 Javit Court, where MRDD houses its case management and residential management staff. MRDD bought the two-story building from Gateways for $160,000 and spent about $200,000 to renovate and equip it.
Contracts awarded for the 153 Javit Court project are: general construction, $1,228,000, M & amp;S Builders, Canfield; plumbing, $157,615, Western Reserve Mechanical, Niles; fire suppression, $25,240, Prout Boiler Heating & amp; Welding, Youngstown; heating, ventilation and air conditioning, $144,750, Servi-Temp Heating and Cooling, Youngstown; and electrical, $232,000, Santon Electric, Boardman.
Between 95 and 100 clients will be served on a daily basis in the new facility, Duck said.
Other contracts awarded by MRDD at its June meeting were for occupational therapy services to early intervention children during fiscal year 2005, Exceed Rehabilitation, Howland, $130,672; and for marketing and public relations services, $50 per hour plus permitted expenses, TNP Group, Boardman.