Council to vote on YSU project

Some business owners in the area criticized the plan.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- City council will consider Wednesday authorizing the board of control to move ahead with a proposed major redevelopment project to link Youngstown State University to downtown.
The project, known as the Lincoln-Rayen-Wood development district, focuses on a 38-acre area bounded roughly by Commerce Street as well as Lincoln, Fifth and Wick avenues.
The city is proposing the community redevelopment project, but YSU is heavily involved with it.
YSU wants to build a new College of Business Administration on Phelps Street between Rayen Avenue and Wood Street. The university also wants to have Hazel Street, which runs north from downtown to Wood Street, extended farther north to Lincoln Avenue to connect with campus walkways.
The project has received criticism from a few business owners in the area who don't want to move and fear the city will force them to leave through eminent domain.
Details
Mayor Jay Williams says it's premature to discuss eminent domain in this area, calling it a final option. There are about a half-dozen businesses in that area, he said.
"Most property owners are interested in negotiating," Williams said.
The entire plan will take about five years.
The four proposals in front of city council Wednesday focus on the Hazel Street extension and would permit the board of control to:
Advance $2.5 million in city money for the project. The legislation states the city is estimated to pay no more than $500,000 of the cost with the money from its land development, and water and wastewater capital improvement funds.
YSU and the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown would pay their portions of the project costs to the city in a relatively short time, Williams said. YSU would pay most of that money. The city would use money from its general and capital improvement budgets to make up the $2 million in the short term, Williams said.
The diocese would lose buildings housing its Catholic Charities Housing and Catholic Service Center along Phelps Street for YSU's new business school and other university development plans. The diocese wants to acquire land on Rayen that was the location of a defunct car dealership to expand its chancellery offices.
Negotiate terms and entering into agreements with various landowners in the area for property acquisitions.
Enter into professional service agreements for site acquisitions, demolitions and road extensions.
Sign a development agreement with YSU and the diocese regarding this project.
The city's planning commission is scheduled Tuesday to consider designating the Lincoln-Rayen-Wood development district as a community redevelopment area. The designation would allow the project to be eligible for state and federal funding as well as permit the city to buy or seize property there.
The commission postponed votes on the issue twice. Its members opted to hold a public hearing, held March 16, before deciding.
skolnick@vindy.com