Downtown building to be renovated, reopened

YOUNGSTOWN — A long-vacant downtown building is expected to undergo about $300,000 worth of improvements and reopen by the end of the year.

If everything goes according to schedule, the Youngstown Central Area Community Improvement Corp., a downtown property redevelopment agency, will sign a purchase agreement next month with the Sweet Jenny Land Co. for the John R. Davis Building.

The 108-year-old building on West Federal Street, just east of the Downtown Draught House, has been vacant for close to two decades. It was last used as a department store.

Sweet Jenny, consisting of three architects, is finalizing a $225,000 loan from Sky Bank, and has tentative approval from the city for $75,000 worth of grants toward the project, said Paul Hagman, the president of the company, which is currently headquartered in the Ohio One Building on East Boardman St., downtown.

For full story, see Wednesday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.