DOWNTOWN PARKING Board OKs demolition for lot

Demand remains for parking downtown near city hall, the developer said.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A developer of three downtown parking lots is demolishing some vacant storefronts and adding a fourth property.
The city's design review board approved Wednesday the demolition of a single-story building of empty storefronts at West Boardman and Hazel streets.
The board also approved a new 30-space parking lot for the spot, which is next to the old State Theater stage.
Coyne Investment of Cleveland expects to knock down the building as soon as this weekend. The lot could be open as soon as early October.
There will be an entrance-exit on Boardman Street near the corner. An exit only will be where the property meets a one-way alley called Market Court.
The lot will be for daily and monthly parking but likely will evolve into monthly parking only, said developer John Coyne of Coyne Investment. Demand remains for parking near city hall, he said, which is steps away from the newest lot.
Ampco Parking will operate the lot.
In city land bank
A small piece of vacant property at Hazel and Market Court that is in the city land bank is to be sold to Coyne for the project. The sale will displace a few informal spaces where city police officers leave their own cars.
A black aluminum fence will line the lot on the West Boardman and Hazel sides. The decorative fence will be the same as the ones surrounding several other Coyne-owned lots downtown.
In 2000, Coyne demolished an old single-story office at West Boardman and Phelps Street across from city hall and built 25 spaces for short-term parking.
Later, he built about 50 spaces on a lot bounded by West Boardman, Front Street and Vindicator Square.
Earlier this year, Coyne demolished the former Valley Drug warehouse at 318 W. Boardman St. for about 100 spaces also bounded by Market Court, West Front and Vindicator Square.
rgsmith@vindy.com