Broadway Center owners offer more details on lease proposal

The county would be responsible for its share of taxes.
COITSVILLE -- The owners of the Broadway Professional Center-- the former Youngstown Osteopathic Hospital -- have given county commissioners more details on their proposal to lease space to the county.
The owners are proposing that the Mahoning County Commissioners lease space for county offices in their building for 10 years with a price re-opener after five years. The lease would initially be at $6.75 per square foot per year for the county Department of Job and Family Services, which is now at Garland Plaza, and coroner's office, the city health department and Mahoning-Youngstown Community Action Partnership, which are now at Oakhill Renaissance Place.
In their lease proposal to the commissioners, the owners of the Broadway building said utilities and security and the tenant's pro-rated share of the building's property taxes would be the tenant's responsibility, with the landlord being responsible for building operation and maintenance and roof, heating and cooling repairs.
Current owners
The owners, Bruce Brocker of Canfield and CMD Realty Group LLC of Youngstown, have also said commissioners could negotiate to buy the 250,000-square-foot building from them.
Brocker, who addressed the commissioners at their meeting Wednesday evening, said he did not know the total annual property taxes on the building, but he said its tax payments are up to date.
The building, located on 8.5 acres at 100 Broadway on the city's North Side, was built in the early 1950s with later additions and renovations, the most recent having been an $8 million upgrade in 1990. A recent environmental study concluded the building needs no asbestos abatement, Brocker said.
The Women, Infants and Children's Program, Home Weatherization and Head Start Food Service occupy 20,000 square feet, with the remaining 230,000 square feet being vacant. Youngstown Osteopathic Hospital closed in March 2000.
CMD bought the former YOH building in 2001 for $150,000, which was one tenth of the hospital estate's asking price of $1.5 million. CMD was the sole bidder for the building in bankruptcy court. CMD's managing partner is Christopher Tornello of Liberty.
County Administrator George Tablack said he believes the county would have to go through a competitive bidding process if it were to consider leasing space for county offices. He also said some of the plans county officials have considered might involve use of more than 250,000 square feet.