Hearings set on 2 projects

The planning commission meets to consider the Wick District proposal.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Public hearings are set for Tuesday to move forward two major revitalization projects in the city -- linking the Lincoln-Rayen-Wood area to downtown, and the redevelopment of the Wick District-Smoky Hollow area.
City council will have a public hearing at 2 p.m. in its chambers in city hall on the Lincoln-Rayen-Wood project. The project would link Youngstown State University to downtown.
Despite the objections of some nearby property owners during a two-hour hearing April 18, the city's planning commission recommended city council approve a community redevelopment designation for the area.
The project focuses on 38 acres bounded roughly by Commerce Street and Lincoln, Fifth and Wick avenues.
The lawmakers decided April 19 to postpone a series of votes on key aspects of this project, primarily to fund the Hazel Street extension and to permit the city to negotiate agreements with landowners in the area. Council first wanted to discuss the plan in greater detail with YSU officials.
Council is expected to reconsider the proposal at its Wednesday meeting.
Eminent domain
If council follows the planning commission's recommendation to declare the location a community redevelopment area, the city would have the power of eminent domain to forcibly take property needed for the sale if owners won't sell.
Part of the plan is to demolish seven buildings to have Hazel Street, which runs north from downtown to Wood Street, extended farther north to Lincoln Avenue to connect with campus walkways.
Also, YSU wants to build a new College of Business Administration on Phelps Street between Rayen Avenue and Wood Street.
The YWCA expressed concern about the project because the agency would lose about half of its 40 parking spaces under the plan. But William D'Avignon, the city's deputy planning director, said he expects an amendment to the plan to provide needed parking for the YWCA near its West Rayen Avenue building.
Wick-Smoky Hollow plan
Also Tuesday, the planning commission will meet at 1:30 p.m. in the council caucus room at city hall to have a public meeting on recommending council declare the Wick District-Smoky Hollow a community redevelopment area. A recommendation is expected at that meeting, D'Avignon said.
That plan, organized by Wick Neighbors Inc., calls for a proposed $250 million redevelopment plan of 66 acres bounded by Wick, Andrews, Rayen and Madison avenues.
If the designation is recommended by the planning commission, council would have to schedule its own public hearing before voting to approve the designation.
Wick Neighbors is negotiating with a development company to implement the plan.
"This would be a major step," said Margaret Murphy, Wick Neighbors' executive director, of the city designation. "It's another part of the process of moving ahead with this development project."
The last time the city approved a community redevelopment area designation was in 1996 on the west end of downtown. That eventually led to the reopening of Federal Plaza and the demolition of the Masters complex.
skolnick@vindy.com