Two businesses to fill vacant fifth floor at Federal Place

One lease is signed,
and the city expects
to finalize another one shortly.

By DAVID SKOLNICK

CITY HALL REPORTER

YOUNGSTOWN — The vacant fifth floor of the city-owned 20 Federal Place should be occupied by two businesses come spring.

The city’s board of control approved a five-year lease Thursday to rent 3,660 square feet on the fifth floor to CT Consultants.

The Willoughby-based architectural and engineering company is moving its Mahoning Valley location to the downtown Youngstown building from Canfield. The move is expected to take place next month.

The Youngstown facility will employ 12 to 15 people, said T. Sharon Woodberry, the city’s economic development director.

The city is expected to finalize a contract shortly with Power Direct, a Cleveland company that wants to open a call center at a 15,000-square-foot space on the fifth floor of 20 Federal Place, the former Phar-Mor Centre, Woodberry said.

She expects Power Direct to open in March or April.

Power Direct is expected to start with about 100 to 200 employees and have about 400 after three years, Woodberry said.

Power Direct would be located one floor above Infocision Management Corp., a call center that opened at the West Federal Street building in 2005. Infocision employs about 200 at the 25,000 square feet it occupies there.

Power Direct is seeking a $50,000 grant from the city to move to the former Phar-Mor Centre. The Youngstown Initiative Committee approved the request a few weeks ago. But the board of control must give final approval and sign a lease with the company.

The city spent $850,000 about three years ago to buy the former Phar-Mor Centre. Since then, the city has invested more than $1 million in improving the building with the intent to eventually sell the facility to a private owner.

If CT Consultants and Power Direct take over the fifth floor, the building will be at an occupancy rate of 80 percent to 85 percent, Woodberry said.

skolnick@vindy.com