City hopes funds can be raised for museum project

The city also wants to acquire two Federal Street buildings.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A downtown property development agency assured Youngstown Arts and Entertainment District Association officials that they can have at least 90 days to develop a financial and construction plan to turn a vacant building into a sports museum and bar.
The Youngstown Central Area Community Improvement Corp. approved the requested 90-day exclusivity clause Tuesday to YAEDA for the former Kress Building on West Federal Street.
Jeff Kurz, an attorney and co-owner of the downtown Imbibe martini bar, and former state Senate President Harry Meshel made the request on behalf of YAEDA. Kurz is YAEDA's legal counsel, and Meshel is its adviser.
YAEDA initially proposed the concept to the CIC in March. The Mahoning Valley Historical Society had previously expressed interest in the long-closed building, but is no longer wants the structure so the CIC gave the go-ahead Tuesday to YAEDA.
Meshel acknowledged it would be a challenge to raise the $2.5 million to $3 million needed for the project, but it can be done.
Layout plans
The museum would preserve the area's sports legacy, particularly that of high schools in the local area that no longer exist, Kurz said.
The basement would be a sports bar, and the first two floors would house the museum, Kurz said. What would be done with the upper floor hasn't been determined.
If YAEDA is making progress after 90 days, the CIC would give the nonprofit organization more time for the project.
Also Tuesday, CIC officials said they would have responses in August to two requests made by the city last month.
The city is seeking a CIC resolution in support of allowing the Youngstown Municipal Court to have first option on any development at the former Masters building complex on West Federal Street.
The other city request is to take over the Armed Forces Building and the State Theater, two dilapidated structures on West Federal Street. The city wants to demolish the buildings and turn that area into a parking lot at a cost of at least $750,000.
If the CIC could find a company to invest at least $2.5 million in the nearby Wells Building and employ at least 50, city officials says they could give the parking lot to the CIC or that company at no cost.
Exclusivity terminated
The CIC board voted in March to no longer give P & amp;P Real Estate Development Co. exclusivity to develop the three buildings. P & amp;P couldn't guarantee it would meet a CIC-imposed deadline of the end of April to move ahead with plans. P & amp;P officials say some CIC members were too demanding of the company and put up roadblocks to stop the project.
P & amp;P filed a lawsuit earlier this month in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to compel the CIC to give the buildings to the city and then require the city to give the company the structures.
The CIC needs another month to work out the details of the two city proposals because its staff was busy with the Youngstown Technology Center project, which received a $750,000 state grant last month.
The removal of asbestos and the demolition phase of the technology project should start in the next two months, and the center should be built by the fall of 2007, CIC officials say.
The CIC should find out shortly if the technology center will receive a $2 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, said Jan Seidler, the CIC executive director. If the federal money comes through, the CIC could afford to increase the size of the center.
The CIC also agreed to expand the number of board directors from 15 to 19. The Youngstown mayor and the 1st Ward councilman would automatically be members, and the CIC would select the other two. In December 2005, the CIC voted to reorganize by no longer serving as the city's exclusive downtown economic agent, and to shrink its board from 25 members to 15 -- eliminating 10 public-sector appointees.
skolnick@vindy.com