Planned Smoky Hollow project gains momentum for ’08

By ELISE FRANCO

Support for the Smoky Hollow project has not wavered, as 300 people fill the Butler for Wick Neighbors’ annual dinner.

YOUNGSTOWN — What’s it take to really pull off a successful community development project like the Wick District-Smoky Hollow project?

“Cities like Youngstown face issues of decline in population, tax base and jobs, so leveraging the resources of the city, such as educational institutions and hospitals, is important,” said Bruce Murphy, president of community development lending for Key Bank in Cleveland.

He was the keynote speaker for Wick Neighbors Inc.’s fifth annual meeting and dinner Tuesday night at the Butler Institute of American Art.

The $100 million Wick District-Smoky Hollow development proposal includes 270 units of new housing, 20,000 square feet of retail space, 10 acres of park and public space and 32,000 linear feet of infrastructure improvements.

“It seems that even in declining markets these types of institutions tend to do well,” said Murphy, whose grandfather lived in Smoky Hollow. This works in Smoky Hollow’s favor because Youngstown State University is such an integral part of the city.

Margaret Murphy, executive director of Wick Neighbors Inc., agreed.

“The university can’t stand alone in the city, though,” she said. “Youngstown has to have walking space, a walkable downtown and a walkable community.”

For Youngstown, Bruce Murphy said, having a project as significant as Smoky Hollow helps catch the attention of investors.

“I believe in the significance of this project in the city,” he said. “It’s what I like to call a tipping point project.”

He calls it that because a project of this magnitude is a first for Youngstown, and its success will bring other investors to the city.

Margaret Murphy said the event was a night to celebrate. Since announcing the project, she said, a total of $3 million has been raised.

“We are working on additional funding from the city, the state and Congressman Ryan,” she said. “We just found out yesterday that we’ve been given an appropriation of $400,000 from the state.”

Margaret Murphy said the purpose of Wick Neighbors is working as a private sector initiative with the public sector to continue community development.

“It’s about economic development as well as community development and bringing our community together to make changes,” she said. “Those changes can happen in specific neighborhoods or throughout the whole city.”

Wick Neighbors Inc. chairman Scott Schulick said although a groundbreaking has been projected for late 2008, he cannot specify a date.

“A lot of people don’t understand that nothing like this has ever been done before in Youngstown,” he said. “We’re ready to break ground, and we’re getting closer, but we’ve chosen to go about it in a logical and methodical way.”

Schulick said it was amazing to see so many people still interested in the project after five years.

“The fact that 300 people showed up for this dinner on a sunny night in Youngstown is a testament to how many people really support this project,” he said.

efranco@vindy.com