$2.6M coming to YSU from state for new business college building

COLUMBUS — The State Controlling Board OK’d the release of more than $2.6 million for Youngstown State University, part of a $29.5 million Williamson College of Business Administration building project.

The bulk of the funds — about $2.5 million — will cover architectural services provided by Strollo Architects of Youngstown.

The university’s College of Business has been growing and is in need of a new facility, according to documents: “This new facility will help prepare students to be successful in today’s business environment and it will also position itself to closely work with the Youngstown business community.”

Strollo will design the new 110,000-square-foot building to “be both welcoming and formal, represent one of the many future YSU developments south of Rayen Avenue and mediate between the design of the adjacent properties and institutions, yet express the appropriate image of the new Williamson College of Business Administration,” according to documents.

Other details

Seventeen proposals were submitted for consideration for the project. Six firms were interviewed by a committee, and two (Strollo and Youngstown State, which submitted an application to administer the project locally) were eventually forwarded to the university’s board of trustees as finalists.

In addition to the architect’s fees, about $22 million is budgeted for construction, $2 million for fixtures, furniture and equipment, $1.5 million for site acquisition and $150,000 for art, according to documents.

About half of the total construction project will be paid through the YSU Capital Campaign, according to documents.