Panel takes up 120-day study of YSU area

By DAVID SKOLNICK
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The city's board of control is expected today to approve a 97,608 contract for an environmental study for the area on and around the proposed 30 million Youngstown State University College of Business Administration.
The board plans to hire MS Consultants of Youngstown to handle the study, which includes testing soil on parcels on North Phelps and West Wood streets and Rayen Avenue. The company will test for asbestos and other hazardous materials.
The study will take up to 120 days and determine if remediation is needed.
As part of a deal with YSU, the city is handling property acquisition and contaminant tests in a 38-acre area on and near North Phelps, West Wood, Hazel and Commerce street, and West Wood, Fifth and Lincoln avenues.
The university is handling the architectural design and construction work in the area. The college is to be built on West Wood, Phelps and Hazel streets.
Besides the business college, the other major aspect of the project is the extension of Hazel Street from downtown to YSU. MS received 33,000 for the street study.
Property purchases
The city bought an apartment complex on North Phelps Street for 202,000 in February, and YSU and the city have an understanding with the YWCA and the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown about land swaps in that area.
For the school and street extension to occur, two other properties need to be purchased.
The city is negotiating with the Cherol family that owns a former vehicle dealership on West Wood Street.
The other property is the Grenga Machine & amp; Welding Co. on West Rayen Avenue. Joseph Grenga, who owns the machine company, has repeatedly said he's not interested in selling his property.
City council members approved legislation a year ago to advance 2.5 million in city money for this project.
The legislation states the city is to pay no more than 500,000 of the cost of the project. Most of the remaining 2 million would come from YSU with the diocese paying a nominal fee.