Value of pedestrian bridge divides West Side residents

By KATIE SEMINARA

Possible removal of the span will be discussed at a public meeting Monday.

YOUNGSTOWN — The pedestrian bridge over Interstate 680 at Elberen Street is two-sided. So are the people at either end.

The foot bridge is in danger of being demolished. Some say take it down. Others say fix it up

A public meeting with the Youngstown Department of Public Works will be 6 p.m. Monday at Our Lady of Hungary Church Hall, 545 N. Belle Vista Ave., to discuss the future of the bridge that links Elberen Street to Roy Street crossing over I-680.

Ohio Department of Transportation representatives will attend to provide details and answer concerns of residents.

The city says the bridge is in need of major reconstruction and the option of complete removal needs to be discussed.

ODOT handles all of the property over interstates and says the span needs rehabilitated, said Charles Shasho, city deputy director of public works

Shasho said more specifics will be brought to his attention Monday, and he hopes that a good and honest mix of people attend the meeting.

“The more people that show up, the better,” he said.

Elberen residents Scott and Mary Moon will be attending — and are both adamant that the bridge come down.

“The bridge has to go, it costs too much money for the upkeep,” said Scott.

He and Mary have lived on Elberen for 22 years and said the only people they see use the bridge are gangs of kids at night.

The Moons also mentioned that there used to be a school across the bridge.

At the Roy Street end of the bridge, however, there was a football team practicing at 6 p.m. Friday in the Stambaugh Charter Elementary school park. The school has been in use for three years.

“We have over 300 students here in grades K through 7,” said Todd Revis, who is a board member at the school and was gearing the football team for a scrimmage Friday night.

The bridge is potentially something the students would use, and Revis said the academy continues to grow each year.

Others on the Roy Street side also feel the bridge should stay.

John Canter, who has lived there for 38 years, just thinks it’s a nice part of the neighborhood.

“There’s no sense in taking it down,” said Canter, who uses it to walk across to Molly’s Restaurant on Salt Springs Road and grab a drink.

“The people who need it, need it,” he said.

Owner of Molly’s, Jimmy Precurato, couldn’t agree more with Canter, because the bridge helps his business and is one way for his employees to make it to work.

“If they take it down, how will my employees get to work?” said Precurato, who has been in business for 26 years on the Elberen side of the bridge.

The other business on Salt Springs Road that people travel to from the Roy Street side is Cherol’s Market. But owner Joe Cherol doesn’t believe his business will be hurt if the bridge is removed.

He said the removal might benefit him, because he’s had issues with theft and thinks the bridge is a quick getaway.

Others who seek to add their voice to the debate can speak at the Monday night meeting.

kseminara@vindy.com