City gets initial crack at site

The vacant Masters buildings were demolished last year.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A downtown property redevelopment agency has given the city the right of first refusal to acquire the former Masters building complex property.
The Youngstown Central Area Community Improvement Corp. met Tuesday and followed a recommendation from its property committee to give the city the first crack at the West Federal Street property with one amendment.
That amendment restricts the city's right of refusal to its using the property for a new municipal court.
Reid Dulberger, executive vice present of the Regional Chamber, which operates the CIC, said that the new municipal court was the only plan discussed in talks between CIC's property committee and the city.
He explained that the right of first refusal would run for three years. During that time, if another company approaches the CIC about the property, the city has the opportunity to match that company's offer.
After that, the city would have 12 months to begin construction. If the city doesn't begin construction within that time, the property would revert to the CIC, Dulberger said.
The vacant Masters buildings were demolished last year and the site is expected to open soon as a parking lot.
Municipal court
The municipal court is housed on the second floor of city hall and city officials want to keep it downtown.
But preliminary estimates put the cost for a new court near $8 million.
Municipal Court Judge Robert Douglas said the next step is hire architects, which requires council action, to develop a design of the building and determine a projected cost.
For about seven years, the court has collected court costs saving up for a new facility. That fund exceeds $1 million.
Agency members also discussed the status of the planned Youngstown Technology Center.
CIC's property committee met with representatives of 11 companies last week that are interested in demolishing five vacant buildings between the Youngstown Business Incubator and the Semple Building on West Federal Street.
Demolition of those buildings will make way for the roughly 30,000-square-foot Youngstown Technology Center.
Companies have until Thursday to submit bids for the work, and CIC expects to hire a company for the project Sept. 6.
"We hope to have that started by mid-September," said Jan Seidler, CIC president.