Land swap plan looks plausible

The exchange and demolitions could take up to four years to complete.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN --Although no decision was made, city and school district officials don't anticipate a problem with a proposed land swap to give the city ownership of five school properties in exchange for a parcel on Teamster Drive near the district's warehouse.
School officials met Wednesday with city council's education committee to discuss the offer.
The school district would demolish the five buildings and give the properties to the city. The city would turn those properties into parks, recreation facilities, gardens or green space areas.
The exchange would be done in phases as the five buildings are demolished and could take up to four years to complete.
Only two of the buildings -- the former Bennett Elementary School on Mabel Avenue and the former Cleveland Elementary School on West Princeton Avenue -- are closed.
The three open buildings are: Jackson Elementary School on Windsor Avenue, Martin Luther King Elementary School on Covington Street, and Sheridan Elementary School on Hudson Avenue. Those schools will close as replacement buildings are constructed.
The cost of asbestos removal and demolition of the schools is included in the $180 million Youngstown school rebuilding and renovation program. Most of the money for the program comes from the Ohio School Facilities Commission.
Further discussion
City and school officials will further discuss the swap at a meeting at 5:30 p.m. July 26. That will give city and school officials enough time to visit the properties in question.
"It comes down to whether the city wants these sites or if the city intends to use the sites," said Carmen S. Conglose Jr., the city's deputy director of public works.
In exchange for the five properties, the school district wants a parcel on Teamster Drive, adjacent to the city street department's maintenance garage. The parcel is across the street from the district's warehouse where repairs and maintenance is done to its 88 buses.
"I want this to be a win-win situation," said Councilman Richard Atkinson, R-3rd and education committee chairman. "I want us to work closely together to make the city and school district better. We just need to work out the details."
skolnick@vindy.com