Masters rental buildings to be demolished for parking lot

The CIC property committee didn't have enough members to take action.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The city will advertise for bids next week to demolish the former Masters building complex on West Federal Street and replace it with a parking lot.
The city plans to hire a contractor about Oct. 1 to remove asbestos from the buildings, demolish them and pave the site for an 80- to 90-vehicle parking lot, said Jeffrey Chagnot, the city's economic development director.
Demolition work would start in December and take 30 days to finish, he said. The paving would be done in the spring of 2006.
The city will spend about $500,000 for the project.
The buildings, about 80 years old, are on the south side of West Federal Street between Vindicator Square and Fifth Avenue. They have been vacant for about 20 years, but used to house Masters, a business that rented tuxedos and costumes, and did dry cleaning.
Redevelopment agreement
Chagnot updated four members of the Youngstown Central Community Improvement Corp.'s property committee Tuesday on the project. The CIC, the city's downtown redevelopment agency, owns the property, and entered into agreements with the city in April to permit the city to do the work at the site.
The nine-member CIC property committee never convened an official meeting Tuesday because it needs at least five members in attendance for a quorum. It can't take any action without a majority of its members present.
The lack of a quorum has been an ongoing problem for the CIC and its property committee during the past several months.
The Masters project didn't require any action by the property committee, but two other items did. The property committee recommends items for approval to the full CIC board.
The full CIC board next meets at 10 a.m. Aug. 30, and the property committee will meet some time before that, said Jason Whitehead, the agency's executive director.
The two items that need recommendations from the property committee are:
* Three change orders for the construction of the 7th District Court of Appeals building on West Federal Street. CIC staff wants to have a basement parking lot for the building with a cost of $37,264. Also, staff is recommending the exterior masonry be cast panels instead of brick, saving $53,495, and a $4,015 deduction on the design of the building's elevator, Whitehead said.
* Making $7,159 worth of improvements to three parking lots at the George V. Voinovich Government Center on West Federal Street.
skolnick@vindy.com